Player Spotlight
Name: Orhun Dakad
Grade: 12
Hometown: Bellevue, Washington
Interviewed By: Arvin Amini
-When did you start playing basketball? I first started playing in the 3rd grade. I played rec in 1 stand 2nd grade, and I started playing competitively in 3rd grade on EBC.
-Who is your favorite basketball player of all time? I’d probably say Russell Westbrook because of his motor, and he is also a very loyal guy, and it really showed when KD left OKC.
-What is your favorite basketball memory? Probably freshman year when we beat Mercer Island. I hit the game-tying shot to send the game to overtime on the freshman team that day.
-If you were given $200 to spend at Foot Locker, what would you buy? I would buy some basketball shoes (ideally Kyries) for $120-150, and then I would buy some sweats to go with it.
-What is your favorite holiday to celebrate with your friends and family? Probably Christmas because I have a big family with a bunch of stepsiblings, and everyone comes home and it’s the time of year where I can see my whole family at once.
-If you weren’t at a basketball court or at school, where would you be and why? You can find me at my friend’s apartment where there’s a sauna. I’d be chilling in the hot tub and recovering while getting my body right.
-What do you think is more valuable for a guard: be able to shoot the 3 or play good perimeter defense? I’d say being able to play good perimeter defense because you can impact the game offensively more than just shooting 3’s, but being a good defender keeps you on the court.
-What is your typical pregame meal? Probably some Chick-fil-a, with the deluxe spicy chicken sandwich.
-If you were allowed 3 things to bring with you to an island, what would you bring? I would bring some water, my phone, and some slides in order to chill by the beach and travel around without my feet hurting.
-Would you rather travel to New York or Los Angeles for a week? Los Angeles because there’s more stuff to do. You can go to the beach, go shopping, and it’s more spread out in LA than New York. You can even go to Santa Monica.
-If you could be any person in the world other than yourself for a day, who would you be and why? Probably Kanye West so that I can go on his Twitter account and delete all his tweets.
-What advice would you give to your freshman self? Get in the gym and start lifting weights right away. Also, when you’re getting work in, be efficient with your time by having a set workout routine.
