Alexander Shcherbenev: "It was exciting and unusual to come out from the other side"

Zenit’s blue-whites guard Alexander Shcherbenev shared his impressions of the recent game against Lokomotiv Kuban (71:77). During the post-game press conference, he talked about his feelings in the Krasnodar arena.

— I was happy to return to Krasnodar, my hometown, my club. I’m glad we won. Because, to be honest, Lokomotiv has been playing very good basketball this season, and until the last two games, they were undefeated. Especially here at home, with the support of their fans, it’s very challenging to play. But we largely followed the game plan, and because of that, we managed to win — an extremely important victory for us. We’ll keep working in this spirit. I’m really grateful for the warm welcome from the fans. A big thank you to them.

— Tell us more about your personal feelings when you stepped onto the court for the first time not as a Lokomotiv player, greeted the fans and acknowledged their support.

— Honestly, it still felt nice to return home; there are so many memories here. I appreciated the warm and united welcome from the fans. Of course, I was a bit nervous because it was exciting and unusual to be on the other side. But that’s sports; these things happen, so now I’m on the other side and did everything I could to help Zenit win today. Again, it was exciting, but a great experience.

— Alexander, there’s a high competition for your position at Zenit. How challenging is it to earn playing time? Do you have any regrets about changing teams?

— No regrets. Everything happens for the best. Competition is what drives progress. So, I’m confident that the season is long, and there’ll be enough playing time for everyone. I’m doing everything I can to play more and contribute more to the team. The coach trusts me, and my teammates believe in me. I’m sure we’re all working together toward one goal.