«They’re putting the best NBA defenders on me sometimes.» Egor Demin is back with his blog
Hey, Sports.ru!
It’s been a while since I last updated my blog – time to fix that.
Getting selected for the NBA Rising Stars Game is a huge honor. Thanks everyone for the congratulations!
On top of that, after the draft I ended up on the team of the legendary Vince Carter – someone I actually got a chance to talk to at the very beginning of the season.
Honestly, it still hasn’t fully sunk in for me. So I’m just trying to stay focused on basketball – games keep coming one after another.
Recently, someone asked me a question that actually caught me off guard.
They said: “So when do you start celebrating?”
Seems like a simple question, right?
They were talking about the fact that my rookie season in the NBA has been going pretty well, that I’ve been getting chances to prove myself.
But honestly – there’s nothing to celebrate yet.
Maybe one day, after my career is over, I’ll look back and see a lot of moments from basketball and from life that I can remember with pride and gratitude.
But right now, this is the time to grow. To level up my game. To sharpen my skills and take advantage of every opportunity I get.
I have to be ready.
Of course, I’ll always remember the ending of the game against Orlando.
I wasn’t nervous when I took those shots. If I had been nervous, I wouldn’t have made them.
It hurts that Brooklyn lost in overtime, but the most important thing is that I was ready for that attention and that responsibility.
That’s actually one of my main goals for 2026 – to become better, both as a player and as a person, in a league that’s still new to me and in completely new circumstances.
I want to fully adapt to this level, feel truly comfortable here, and bring something of my own to the game – something unique, something that reflects who I am.
Of course, with my current shooting percentages and the stretch of good games I’ve had, teams have started defending me differently.
Now they’re putting the best perimeter defenders on me sometimes.
Almost every night it’s either the first or second best defender on the team – someone who tracks every move I make on the floor.
Yeah, it’s gotten tougher. But it’s also made the game more exciting.
They’re already guarding me tight, taking away my shot, because they know I attack the rim less often.
I think that’s something I can start using to my advantage.
I’m still getting used to the number of games and constant travel.
One arena replaces another, and playing on the road in the NBA is always especially tough.
I immediately think of the legendary TD Garden in Boston – the atmosphere there is incredible, the fans are unreal.
We actually managed to win there once, and that’s something I’ll remember for a long time.
It’s also one of the loudest arenas I’ve ever played in.
But sometimes it’s the opposite.
In Washington, for example, the arena was half empty.
Philadelphia surprised me too – people started heading for the exits when the score was down 20, without even waiting for the fourth quarter.
In the end, by the way, the Sixers almost came back, and we had a tight finish in a half-empty arena.
Still, I want to say this: real basketball fans exist everywhere – in the US and in Russia.
Fans who support their team and players no matter the score.
Brooklyn has them. And I feel that support personally as well.
It was really nice to read the comments under my latest post, and I decided to name two winners of the contest.
Sergoid wins an official jersey with my autograph.
And mclonely gets a Sports year-in-review magazine.
Thanks for supporting Brooklyn – see you soon!
Egor Demin’s blog on Telegram (@its3gorr)
