Aatu Kivimäki – preseason thoughts from Levice
With new basketball season just around the corner – I have been reaching out to Finnish players across Europe to get their thoughts and feelings ahead of the new domestic season 2024-25, in the coming days/weeks I will hopefully have plenty of videos to share.
The videos will mainly be in Finnish, but I will write an accompanying text in English – so that those few people in the world who do not speak Finnish… might also get an idea of what is being said and talked about.
Aatu has spent the last three season playing in Germany, and now has moved to play for Levice in Slovakia – a team that will in few days time take part in the Basketball Champions League qualifying tournament in Turkey. Also – for some reason this season sees quite a few Finnish players in the Slovakian league.. so definitely one league for me to keep an eye on this season.
First we start by asking how his summer went and preparations for the season, his summer was a little ‘longer’ than normally as he only arrived to Levice in August.. so he spent his training back in his home hoods in Karkkila during the season.
Athletes must eat well to keep in shape, so what is his ‘go to game day meal’ .. not sure what I was expecting as an answer – but apparently ‘anything that won’t leave him feeling hungry’ is good enough for Aatu … the inner Chef in me is slightly crying at the his answer 😉
What expectations ahead of the new season? Through hard work and playing together as team, has seemed to be a recipe that has worked in the past, so he does not see any reason to think differently ahead of this season – as he says, regardless of the league/country working hard and playing together the aim is to get as many wins as possible.
During his time in Germany the phrase ‘Eis Kalt Drei Punkte’ (ice cold three points) was one that was often used, what with Aatu being rather prolific from behind the arc. So my question was, has he already learned this important phrase in Slovakian?? He smiles and says that as it took few years to learn it in German, the few weeks in Slovakia haven’t quite gotten his vocabulary on to this level.
So if there is anyone from Slovakia reading this .. how would you say ‘ Eis Kalt Drei Punkte ‘ in Slovakian??
What about preseason?? He says that in the three games he played, he only had few training sessions together with the team, so he wasn’t yet satisfied with the way his own game was in these preseason games. But with time together with the team and few more training sessions – he is confident the performances will be improving.
Basketball Champions League qualifying tournament in Turkey – Levice start it on Wednesday, what thoughts ahead of these games? Game by game and now our focus is fully on Wednesday and getting the win from that one! But he does also say that he and the team are heading to Turkey to get the necessary wins to reach Champions League.. but, game by game.
By no means old – but still, Aatu has seen the world and experienced thing, so what ONE advice would Aatu give to his 15 year old self?? With a wry smile he says … ‘ Buy Bitcoin … and buy a lot!! ‘ Afterwards I asked about this and replied… well, would have been financially secure for rest of my life then 😉
Susijengi games are also coming in November – and naturally Aatu says he is working hard now during preseason and will be during the games .. and of course would love the opportunity to play for the National team in Novembers EuroBasket25 qualifying.
We all know Aatu from his game, but we also know him for his music taste and he has more than once been selected to choose the playlist in the locker room – so, Aatu – give us THREE songs for the upcoming season that will get you (and anyone else) on the game mood.
Here are Aatu’s choices :
Sara Siipola – Juostaan
Bring me Horizon – King Slayer
Future – March Madness
