Noah Vonleh: "I am looking forward to meet all the players"

Blue-White-Sky Blues newcomer Noah Vonleh arrived at the club this week, completed his medical examination, and has already begun training with the team. Get to know the American center in his first interview exclusively for Zenit TV.

— Noah, we’re happy to welcome you. You’ve been in St. Petersburg for a few days now. How do you like the city? Have you had a chance to walk around a bit?

— Thank you. I mean, I landed on Tuesday, been at the hotel, came over to the gym a couple days to train and meet the staff, did my physicals. I haven't really had a chance to move around the city as much yet, but I feel like as the season goes on and I'm here longer, I get to embrace the city and enjoy the city. I heard they have really great restaurants here. I'm a big foodie, so I'm looking forward to trying some of the restaurants.

— The fans will surely want to know how to correctly pronounce your first and last name. How should we pronounce them?

— My first name is Noah [ˈnoʊ.ə], and my last name is Vonleh [ˈvɑːn.leɪ].

— What was the first thought that came to your mind when you heard about Zenit’s interest? Were you surprised by the invitation to play in Russia?

— I wasn't surprised. The VTB is a respectable league. I had friends that played here in the past, especially when they were in the EuroLeague, and I've heard a lot of great things about the organization of the league. So I was very intrigued. I looked at other markets, but I felt like this was the best fit for me at this stage of my career.

— How did your first training sessions with Zenit go? Which players and staff members have you already met?

— So, it was the FIBA break, so I haven't met any of the players yet, but today we're going to be having our first practice in a couple hours. So, I'm looking forward to meet all the players, getting incorporated, seeing where I fit in and just working towards our goal of trying to win a championship.

— Did you come across with Andre Roberson in Brooklyn Nets?

— Yeah, I crossed paths with Andre for a short stint in Brooklyn. I was there short-term and he was also there short-term. We crossed paths. Yeah, Andre is a good guy. Played against him many years in the league. When I was in Portland, he was in Oklahoma City. So looking forward to playing with him.

— In your previous teams, you played under different jersey numbers. Why did you choose number 9 this time?

— I just wanted to choose a different number this year. After everything I experienced with my time playing in China, I wanted to have a different number. I wore number two when I was in China. Now I decided to wear number nine. I'm actually West African and number nine in Liberia is a special number. So I wanted to wear that number.

— You have an impressive career in the NBA and have played for many clubs. Which home arena comes to mind first, and where did you feel the strongest support from local fans?

— My favorite place to play was Madison Square Garden in New York. Madison Square Garden is a mecca of basketball and it was great just suiting up in that arena each and every night.

— Among the current players in the VTB United League, you have the most games in the NBA. Will this be your advantage?

— I mean, they're two completely different leagues. I mean, the rules are different. But I think with my experience from the NBA and things like that, I think I could definitely bring a lot of experience. Obviously, it's going to be an adjustment. Like I said, they're two different leagues. So just got to see how the transition goes and go from there. But I think I'll definitely have a great impact.

— Zenit is your first European team. Is this a challenge for you?

— This is my first European club, like I said, yeah this is my first time playing in Europe. So it's gonna be a transition, it's gonna be a journey but I'm looking forward to it.

— What are your expectations for your first game?

— The first game I think will be for me will be December 4th. I'm really looking forward to it. I've been working for this moment for the past year, about a year and a half now. I'm excited, I think it's gonna be a great game, gonna go out there play hard, play with a lot of energy and go out there and try to get the win.

— What would you like to say to Zenit fans? They’re looking forward to meeting you.

— St. Petersburg, I'm happy to be here. I hope you guys embrace me and welcome me with open arms. And hopefully we can bring you guys a championship and get the job done.