Sasha Vezenkov regrets working under coach Mike Brown: ‘He wasn’t honest’

After his year playing in Sacramento, Sasha Vezenkov returned to the EuroLeague and has proved in Europe that he hasn’t lost his edge. On the contrary, the player has confirmed that he’s still one of the best players in the competition and has said the he learned a lot during his time playing in the United States. 

Even though the minutes he spent on the NBA courts were limited, competing in 12.2 minutes per game in 42 outings, the Bulgarian recently spoke with BasketNews about the pros and cons of having trained with the best players in the world.

“I think the experience of playing against the best every day on the court and in training is what I take with me the most,” he assured. “I always try to think positive and give 100% in every game.[…] The Euroleague is very competitive but, to be honest, the NBA has the best players. Of course I miss playing against them, but I’m here and I focus on my job.”

"I won't lie– the experience with [Mike Brown] was not the best for me."

Former Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov shared his thoughts on his time under former Sacramento head coach Mike Brown:https://t.co/P77OheFrA9

— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) January 4, 2025

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old recognized how there level of competitiveness in there EuroLeague is much higher during a single contest, and also explained how players in the United States think more about themselves that the team. “I missed the joy of the game and the importance of each game.

Here every team fights for life, while in the NBA players fight for contracts. Every win counts, as the Euroleague motto says. That’s what I missed the most,” said the former Sacramento forward, who returned last year to play with Greece’s Olympiacos.

The player then opened up about his overall experience with the Kings, stating that the role he carved out for himself within the team wasn’t exactly what coach Mike Brown had told him initially. “I try to learn from every coach, but I’m not going to lie: my experience with him was not the best,” the player said.

Sasha regrets not having a better communication with his former tactician. “I would never criticize someone for knowing someone,” he expressed. “He was Coach of the Year in the NBA twice and that proves something. But in terms of communication, I can’t say that our conversations were fair. Let’s just say he wasn’t honest. I gave my best, no hard feelings. It’s a business. Everyone has their own journey.”

The Bulgarian star explained that the EuroLeague still has a lot to learn from the NBA, but mostly based on sales and product expansion

Despite his criticism towards some aspects of the NBA game, Vezenkov is convinced that European basketball has plenty to learn from the NBA. However, he believes that most of these aspects have to do with marketing and structure within the league, but not necessarily the way the game is played.

When he reminisces about his team in the United States, he regrets not getting another chance as he also suffered injuries during his time in Northern California. “I try to improve every day. The injury affected me, but also the conditions I found were not the same as I expected or would have liked.

“I keep the good memories and the good impact it had on my life and my career. Unfortunately we could talk about a lot of ‘ifs’, but I’m not that kind of person. Everything happens for a reason,” Sasha said as he has come to terms with his past.

The former Kings forward believes that the way the NBA promotes itself around the world is one of the main reasons why so many basketball athletes around the world dream of having the experience of playing in the United States.