A triumph which does not change the perception he has of himself as a coach.
“I think it changes other people’s perceptions of me a lot more than mine. Of course I was very happy with the result, but I see it as a bit of validation in my eyes that I was doing the right things. It shows that my recipe was good and that it will work if I have the right mix of talent, experience and also luck at my disposal to win.
Charles Dubé-Brais speaks to his champion team. (Taiwan Beer Leopards/Facebook Taiwan Beer Leopards)
The fact remains that this championship proved to be a colossal challenge for the basketball head from Quebec who took control of the Asian team last January. It should be mentioned that the organization’s expectations were high since it proceeded to dismiss its predecessor even with a very acceptable record.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve arrived in the middle of a season and it’s very different than starting the season with your team. You have to get to know your players and find the right combinations quickly. You have to incorporate your philosophy, but without dynamiting everything from the old one. It’s not easy, but I’m very happy with the way I did things.”
The Dubé-Brais team was simply on fire at the end of the season, winning 13 of its last 14 games.
An undeniable talent
DeMarcus Cousins has been impeccable in the success of his Asian team. (Taiwan Beer Leopards/Facebook)
To help him in this conquest, the Quebec leader was able to count on former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins. With a reputation as a difficult player to manage, Dubé-Brais had nothing but praise for the man who was selected six times for the all-star game on the famous circuit.
“He was there for his teammates and everyone had nothing but good things to say about his role on our team. In terms of talent, it seems that he has already been in the 10 best basketball players on the planet. He’s not necessarily at that level anymore due to injuries, but you see he’s special only in the warm-up when he easily makes 15 three-pointers without even touching the ring.
The size of the former star is also impressive according to Dubé-Brais.
“Some teams exaggerate the size of certain players a little, but I can tell you that you don’t need to do that with Cousins. He’s really six-foot-11, 280 pounds and he moves really well. He’s a great passer and has exceptional hands. He did everything for us and was voted playoff MVP. He even had a game of 24 points and 34 rebounds,” explains with a laugh Dubé-Brais who mentions that the presence of Cousins also demonstrates the significant financial capacities of the Taiwanese circuit.
DeMarcus Cousins celebrates with his teammates. (Taiwan Beer Leopards /Facebook)
The Quebecer, however, admitted that even when he has calmed down, Cousins still has some mood swings.
“He’s an emotional player and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You just have to help him channel that energy. The key for me was establishing clear communication with him from the moment I arrived and the respect built from there. He immediately believed in what I wanted to do.”
Short celebrations
Dubé-Brais did not have time to linger with the festivities of his Asian championship since his professional obligations with the Montreal Alliance quickly repatriated him to Canadian territory. However, he had time to enjoy a beautiful evening.
“We won the championship in an afternoon match which was really perfect since we had the whole evening to celebrate. It was really fun and we had a day with our fans the next day. There was still good media coverage since the league is one of the best in Asia.”
Now back in Montreal in his role as assistant coach, he likes the Alliance’s chances of making noise in the CEBL playoffs.
“We are starting to see the vision we had when we built this team. We missed matches at the start of the season, but I really like our recent matches. There’s still a lot of basketball to be played, but I like where we’re headed.”
