Basketball Champions League 2024-25

    The art of blocking shots featuring Michale Kyser

    10 min to read
    Long Read

    Hapoel Netanel Holon's rim protector is now the Basketball Champions League all-time leader in blocked shots with 76

    Author
    Cesare Milanti

    HOLON (Israel) - Life could have given Michale Kyser different options.

    He could have followed his family's legacy, either following the steps of his aunt, uncle, brothers.

    Michale could have been a 400-meter runner, considering how fast he used to go in track before high school.

    He could have been anybody, but we wouldn't be here dissecting his story if that was the case. He actually decided to think about it in the first place, using his body.

    "Every tattoo I have has a meaning to something I've experienced in my life. I feel like I'm a unique individual, and my tattoos are unique in their own way in expressing myself, and my experiences. My whole story," he said to the Basketball Champions League's website.

    You must be thinking, why are we focusing on him this much now? Why not three years ago, when he was one of the purple-and-gold Israeli team's pillars heading to the BCL Final Four 2022 in Bilbao?

    Well, that's part of his legacy too. In order to qualify for the most anticipated event of the year in the 2021-22 season, the current Hapoel Netanel Holon's center had a blocking party with SIG Strasbourg, recording his career-high for blocks in a game in the BCL at six.

    Now, after the first game of the Play-In series between Holon and Aliaga Petkimspor, his name entered the history books again. Nobody has blocked more shots than him since this competition was born.

    His inked story goes way beyond those 76 blocked shots.

    A legacy written on his body

    Michale never wore a t-shirt inside of his house in Victoria, Texas. About to turn 17, one day he skipped practice, returning home a few hours later and walking inside with a t-shirt on.

    "Don't be like anybody else," his mom told him. In the middle of his chest, a name appeared: "Lillie Mae."

    She was Michale's best friend outside of his mom and brothers. She was his grandma, a well-known foster parent who raised more than one hundred kids in Victoria. She passed away nine years earlier when he was eight.

    "Anybody who has their grandmother around has a certain type of affection and love. My way of expressing it was by getting that tattoo," he remembers.

    That was the first of many, many tattoos. At least 140. Names, signs, faces, images of family, religion, sports...

    "When I looked up to my older brothers in my childhood and teenage years, I wanted to put my own identity behind my tattooed skin and become who I am today. Now my whole body is inked, and I'm surely not like anybody else," Michale Kyser looks back at that advice.

    His grandma was the first, followed by hundreds of different figures. Among them, there's a sporting icon, whom he used to see immortalized every time he visited his brothers working out in the boxing and karate gym.

    "The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. That's one of my favorite Muhammad Ali quotes, and I have it tattooed on my thigh with his face."

    "I like the mentality of those who never quit, like Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal. Both my aunt Lauri Weathers [who played basketball, volleyball, and track] and my uncle Larry Weathers [who was a four-sport athlete in baseball, football, soccer, and track] were with Shaq at the Junior Olympics, they walked together in Texas when he held the torch. When I found out that story, it made me like him more."

    It was supposed to go that way. The rim-protector way. But the first project involved Michale Kyser potentially holding the torch too, following the family's legacy but running towards a goal.

    "I ran track and I was pretty good at it. I had a 49.13 and I could have gone to the Junior Olympics, but I hit a growth spurt that summer, going from 5'9'' (175cm) to 6'3''-6'4'' (190-193cm) and I started playing basketball," he recalls.

    His coach Erven "Big E" Steen Davis lll wanted him to start as a 'three' rather than a 'five' because he could shoot the ball effectively. But "playing defense" eventually put him in that position. "Not your typical kind of 'five.' I'm able to stretch the ball out and I'm still athletic," Kyser adds.

    It was a Bambi-like transition: maintaining athleticism as his body grew. He couldn't have been more right.

    Learning from the OGs

    Leaving his house in Victoria, where he grew up literally next door to his beloved grandmother, he moved to Dallas at 13. That's where the basketball journey had the better over track, boxing, and karate.

    That's where another "defense-first" player was born.

    "I remember meeting Dennis Rodman in Dallas. He told me to keep going, and that was one of the biggest things anybody ever told me back then. If you're a student of the game, you could feel his energy by just watching him play. He was different," Kyser remembers.

    "I was still very raw back then, I was getting my feet wet inside the game of basketball and I was a sponge, trying to get everything I could from professional players."

    High school coincided with the first seeds of his shot-blocking path, as he was averaging almost six blocks a game back then. Every game, Kyser had the feeling of finishing with a double-double in points and blocks. Lousiana Tech noticed him.

    "When I went to Lousiana Tech, I met Karl Malone. He played there too. He told me to be the best version of myself. I might not have been the best scorer, the best rebounder, or the best shot blocker. He told me just to be the best me, and I would have found who I really was," Kyser says about The Mailman.

    The best Michale delivered the package as another Bulldog would have done. In his final college season, in 2014-15, he became the university's record for all-time blocks at 363 - basically 90 blocks per season, 2.6 per game (!). Nobody, thus far, has broken that record at Louisiana Tech.

    "On that team, I had [former BCL finalist] Speedy Smith, Raheem Appleby, and Alex Hamilton: great guards who could have initiated and created for me. Back then, I found my niche. From then on, I solidified my status as a valuable shot blocker: that was the best version of myself," he listed his teammates at LA Tech.

    Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone weren't his only inspirations. Another iconic shot-blocker helped Michale Kyser turn into the paint dominator he eventually became down the line.

    "I watched how Kevin Garnett used to block shots. I remember watching when he pawned the ball off the backboard, punching the ball with one hand and grabbing it as a rebound. I was like, 'Damn, that s*** is tough.' That's why I always put so much effort into blocking shots."

    Every wannabe basketball player grows up wishing to dunk the ball in exciting ways. The way the game has evolved over the years made thousands of young prospects privileged in three-point shooting.

    Kyser always put defense first, denying the opponents' attempt as the first and primary goal.

    "[Whenever you go for a block], you definitely put fear. Next time they approach you, they know about it. 'Let me see if you got it,' I'd go. You make your opponent second-guess on his moves."

    "That's why if you're an athletic big and you're able to defend multiple positions, that's gonna only make you a better player. Blocking shots brings extra energy which you can provide to score the ball and defend as hard as you can. That's how you win championships," the 33-year-old veteran states.

    Ready to quit, ready to win

    Winning championships, huh? Michale Kyser speaks consciously about it, as he actually managed to lift domestic trophies in back-to-back seasons between Latvia and Israel.

    Glory came at a turnaround, though. The first part of his professional career started with the dream of making it to the NBA after signing with the Toronto Raptors in 2015 and continued with a dominant (13.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game) first season overseas in Cyprus, with Enosis Neon Paralimni.

    He made his way to Greece and back to the G-League, turning into one of the best players on a first-seed Lakeland Magic's roster. Then, he was waived. And doubts started to fall down.

    "I had just been released by the Lakeland Magic, where I was having a solid season, really able to showcase myself as we were No.1 inside the G-League at that time. I was questioning myself and I hit my low. I was already in a mental place about to get ready to quit basketball," he sadly recalls.

    Then, VEF Riga called, and he noticed the presence of Kyle Allman on the roster. Reminding him of Teyvon Myers, with whom he played in Cyprus, he decided to take him under his wing. The result? Dominance.

    "He transformed into one of my favorite players to play with. He's a two-guard who helped me a lot assisting me. We talk every week if we can. He also got the loudest nickname I've ever given anybody: Kill All-Men. That's crazy. KJ is my little bro, that's my boy," Michale Kyser says about the sensational guard.

    The 2020-21 season ended up being the first winning one for the shot blocker from Victoria, being named the Player of the Year in the Latvian-Estonian League, and getting the crown in Latvia.

    Obviously, he had to take that memory forever with him. And how does Michale Kyser write his story? By booking an appointment in a tattoo parlor.

    "After we won the championship with VEF Riga, I got my jersey, my teammates, the managers, and the whole team tattooed."

    We didn't mention "back-to-back" for no reason, as the following campaign saw him moving to Holon. Controlling the team's tempo and set plays, there was an elite point guard at European level.

    "I heard great things about Joe [Ragland] from Josh Nebo: he made him one of the best big men at that time in the Israeli League. I had played with Chris [Johnson] in Rio Grande Valley, and I even saw Tyrus McGee play when he was in Venice," he mentions some of his purple-and-yellow teammates back then.

    "I wasn't the oldest on the team: there was Guy Pnini, Chris [Johnson], Joe [Ragland], Tyrus [McGee]... I was really raw in terms of experience, and they helped me out a lot. To have that energy from our home crowd, having my family come visit me, my daughter seeing life differently... That was special."

    It was special, indeed, especially for what came as a reward once summer approached, beating Bnei Herzliya to win their second-ever Israeli Championship. Obviously, another tattoo was planned.

    "[After Riga], we won in Holon. I did the same thing there. I won back-to-back championships with special teams and groups, and I wanted to bring those moments forever with me. It was something I really wish I could relive again, especially with those guys. It's something I will never forget and the tattoo proves it."

    Inking history again in Holon?

    Following one campaign in Bilbao - another special place, for another obvious reason - where he went up against one of the best shot-blockers in Europe like Walter Tavares, and the 2023-24 season split between Türkiye and Poland, he's back like he has never left. Like he hasn't satisfied fully his taste for gold.

    The experience in purple and gold saw him competing, as mentioned previously, at the Basketball Champions League Final Four 2022, held for the first time on a neutral court: Bilbao's Miribilla Arena.

    "I wish we could have won the Basketball Champions League, but I still left Holon with a championship. That's the same goal right now. It's not going to be easy, but I think the impossible speaks for itself. As Kevin Garnett says, anything is possible," he challenged his inner-self aiming at another trophy.

    Obviously, it's a completely different team, story, environment. But he still has a solid point guard involving him: Elijah Mitrou-Long, who's coming from a Final Four with Peristeri and... Joe Ragland.

    "Playing with Elijah has been great. He has learned from playing with Joe last year, and he's a guy who makes the job easier for you. We are the same in wanting to compete any given night, he's always high-spirited like me," he speaks about the connection with Holon's #0.

    "I always try to be positive as much as I can, and he does the same: I'm glad we can battle together. He's one of my favorite guards I've played it, and he has the sky beyond the limit for him as long as he stays healthy and keeps playing the way he's playing. He will be able to give and receive anything he wants," Kyser adds.

    One thing hasn't changed: the master of that Israeli Championship and BCL Final Four run still sits on that bench.

    "Playing under Coach Guy [Goodes] has been cool. That was one of the main reasons I wanted to come back because he knew me, he knew what I would bring, and we won the championship together."

    "But players are evolving, and times aren't the same. It's a different squad and we're still adjusting to one another. He's allowing me to be the best version of myself, trusting me. I've been taking everything day by day and trusting his work," Kyser comments on Holon's head coach.

    Following Hapoel's first two games of the 2024-25 BCL Regular Season, which turned into two straight defeats against FIT/One Würzburg Baskets and Nanterre 92, he found time to reflect on his mind.

    "I wanted to challenge myself. I tried to do [Yom Kippur] two years ago, but I ended up cutting it off real quick. I couldn't stand doing anything with my eyes closed and I stopped. But this time, I've been dealing with a lot mentally. And I told myself I would have done it."

    "Controlling your body and your spirit is essential, doing it for 25 hours straight was tough, but what made it easier was knowing I had to come back a better person and a better player mentally-wise. I have to be grateful and humble for having the chance to go out there and challenge myself, and just wake up, breathe, and look at things in life that truly matter."

    "Yom Kippur helped me get the best version of myself once again out."

    Michale Kyser's best version of himself, watched at Lousiana Tech, at his overseas beginnings in Cyprus, his first winning experiences in Riga and Holon, still wasn't enough for Hapoel to get over Aliaga Petkimspor in Azerbaijan in Game 1 of their best-of-three Play-In series. A narrow one-point loss.

    However, blocking three shots during the 40-minute intense encounter against the Turkish side made him become the BCL All-Time leader in block shots, finally overcoming TaShawn Thomas - a former Holon player himself - at 73.

    If he imagined how he wanted to break that record, he could immortalize only one image in his mind.

    "Hopefully, I'm going to do exactly what Kevin Garnett did when I first saw it, punch it out the backboard with one hand," he said before the game.

    It didn't matter that wasn't the case.

    "I'm grateful for everything I've gone through, starting in Cyprus to break this record. Shoutout to my family for supporting me. Looking forward to next week, and go from there," he quickly reacted after breaking such a record, cementing his legacy as a BCL legend.

    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years
    All-time leader in blocks throughout the years

    He also ensured he could name everybody who made this dream possible.

    "I want to thank Jason Walton - who pushed me to train each and every day at six in the morning, woken up by my mom -, Joseph Mayberry, Ferrin Douglas, and Erven "Big E" Steen Davis lll, may he rest in peace. Carlos Wilson at Humble Christian Life. My coaches at LA-Tech: Mike White, Dusty May, Derrick Jones, Issac Brown, Jordan Mincy, and Darius Nichols. And any other coach who has coached me."

    "This record can be broken any day, for sure. But right now I just want them to know I appreciate the time I played under them. Lastly to my wife: thank you for pushing me through hard times, when things didn’t look like they were getting anywhere, from college to now. Thanks for believing in me, and pushing me beyond my limits to succeed. Whether I was at home or overseas."

    "And my kids Mia, Queen, Pharaoh, Phoenix, and Milani: once the ball stops bouncing and I'm done playing - which isn't anytime soon - I just want you to know I gave my all. I want you to be able to say that I was the only Michale Kyser. With that, I'll know I accomplished exactly what I needed to do, for you to lead the way in whatever you do in life."

    And he's not done. At all.

    "I'm trying to be the first person in BCL with 100 blocks. If we continue winning, I think that's real reachable."

    There are very few spots on Michale Kyser left to fill them with more tattooed memories. But the 33-year-old all-time shot blocker from Victoria has left space to ink his history once again. Block after block.

    Visit the BCL website

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