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On the other end of the phone, the foreigner who played the most games with the Real Madrid shirt, a shooter like never seen, responds from his farm in Wellsville (Utah). "I'm a farmer, a financial advisor, and I coach my daughter's team," Jaycee Carroll says of her busy new life. From nature and "working with animals" he does not lose eye or contact with his former companions, with whom the conversation always ends with a "you know how this goes". "I would give everything" to be tonight at the Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, where the Whites will look against Barça (20.00 h., DAZN) another Euroleague final.

You played your last game two years ago, what is a day in your life like now? I wake up at six in the morning, go to the office and start reading or studying about any subject. Things of faith, something financial, basketball or farm. Depending on the need of the week. Then I go to the farm and take care of the animals, that they have water and everything is good. I go home and start calling customers, until two or three in the afternoon. I pick up the children from school and in the afternoon, basketball training. It was incredible what they did against Partizan, a complicated series, going to Serbia to win both games... Congratulations to the boys and Chus Mateo as new coach. You were the protagonist of some similar comeback, how do you explain the fifth game? In those moments, you have nothing to lose. You can lower your arms and give up or you can get up and fight. The fundamental thing is trust. 18 down, with nothing to lose... You start to score baskets, to defend, to take risks... And the push of the fans is somewhat overwhelming for the rival. All that mix is incredible.Do you miss those moments? Yes, that can't be found in a normal life. This feeling, that adrenaline, is unique. How do you see the Final Four? In 2015 and 2018 they were not favorites either... This year is similar. We were not favourites, we went to fight and to try to surprise people. Last year, they came in and almost won. In 2018 we shouldn't have been in the Final Four, we lost the first almost 30-point playoff game in Athens. Suddenly, there was a mental change and we didn't lose anymore in the whole Euroleague. That push, that confidence of the fifth game against Partizan, is going to be key for the Final Four.The veterans, Rudy, Llull and Sergio Rodríguez, are still key. They are special, absolutely. I was lucky enough to play with these Spaniards from the golden age for 10 years. They know how to win. They have won everything. Sergi, Chacho, Rudy... Each of them has the ability to overcome bad things and win. They have the confidence that nothing is impossible. It is something that one has inside, but you can also learn a little with experience. Because there is no situation that they have not experienced. They've been down, they've been the favourites... What did you learn from them in that locker room? I had that too, we knew how to win, we are winners. We knew when we had to sacrifice for the common good and when we had to impose ourselves. For example, in the 2015 final, when I shot four shots in a row and scored 11 points in one minute. I knew it was my moment and they sacrificed some of their shots to give me the ball. We also learned it day by day, training, studying ourselves, watching the videos of the rivals. And competing. The key is to trust the partner. Carroll, in the tribute a few months ago at the WiZink.ACB PHOTODo you think players like Musa and Hezonja can reach that status? Musa and Hezonja have had a good season, scoring points, playing hard. Hopefully they are learning. I think they are also winners. But they lack the experience of playing finals, the experience of winning titles. First, I am very grateful to Pablo Laso for what he did, I still see a lot of basketball in his future, I wish it could have been at Real Madrid. With respectto Chus Mateo, is a fantastic person. I had many experiences with him, we spent hours shooting after training. I talked to him, I asked him a lot of questions. He always told me, 'Trust.' And to know that I would always have my moment. A very simple and very effective message. He is a very intelligent and capable uncle. And he's proving it. Reaching a Final Four is very difficult. I congratulate him, I hope the best for him.Could things have been done better in his departure from Madrid? Honestly, I have no regrets. I was in the US trying to make a decision, but I didn't want to be a distraction for the team or the club. I still don't know what the best way to do it would have been. I could have been giving information every week on social media. But that would have been a distraction. I was in contact with the club, I'm grateful to them for keeping the doors open for me. When I knew 100% that I was not coming back, I called the club that same day. I also told them I wanted to say goodbye to the fans and say thank you. Madrid invited me to the tribute and everything ended well. I have a lot of love for the club. I wish I could talk to each of those fans to say thank you, to give them a hug. I have lived a dream.Are you still dreaming of the last shot? Yes. In addition, I am trained with young people and I like to share my experiences. I show them videos, so they know a little bit about me. I still think a lot about basketball. In his career, everything could change if he had accepted that offer from Barça. [Laughs] It would have been different. I think about it from time to time and I don't know what it would have been like. I would like to say that we would have won as many titles as we did with Madrid, but I don't know. I think I came to the perfect team for me, having Laso who understood basketball as a point guard, as a guard. I was with the Spaniards, then young, of the national team, who knew how to win. They were single then, with no children. We grew up together, forming our families. There was a huge evolution, not only on the court, but also outside.Would you have liked to play with them with Spain? I would have loved it. Being an American, it's difficult to play for our national team. Seeing the competitiveness of the Spanish team and getting to know the people, I wish I could. I had a touch of all this living with Chacho, Rudy, Sergi, Felipe... I shared almost 700 matches with them. Is the shooter born or made? It's a mix of talent and work. But my conclusion is that it is 20% natural and 80% work. I've had the privilege of talking to other great shooters and I've been amazed at the similarities we've had in work routines for so many years. I don't believe much in extreme diets. I believe in living a healthy life, in eating healthy. I am a Mormon, because of my religion, I have never drunk or smoked. And I like to eat the things that aren't food. If in the menu of a restaurant I see many things that I do not understand I try not to eat it. If I pick an apple, I eat it. A healthy life.
In the titles, not a glass of champagne. I liked to throw champagne on top of others at celebrations. I was a bit strange, after winning many wanted to party and celebrate. I needed to take a breather, I wanted to ride my horse and go where there are no people, no noise. Something weird. I had so many emotions that I wanted to disconnect. He spent two years as a missionary in Chile, which was no problem for his career.Tiva. That experience marked my life. It was the first time in another country, with another language. I grew up a lot. I had a life of accomplishing goals, but this was something different than basketball. And it also made me stronger, because out of 100 people 90 rejected me. I kicked the streets a lot preaching, it was a cure of humility. It was different but enjoyable, I learned from the world, from myself and from other people. I stopped playing and gained a lot of weight, I haven't been this fat in my whole life. But I don't know how, last month the fat started to come out and I came back from Chile with the same weight I left. It was a miracle. It was also two years in which I did not punish my body, maybe that allowed me to go so far. Finally, what would you give to play another Final Four? I would give everything. If you call me now, I'm done. Physically I could play 30 seconds, but I would do everything I could to win. I would love to score the last triple to win.

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