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Thibaut Vervoort, true 3×3 talent

I have heard lots of nicknames in 3×3 basketball. To be honest, a player I am going to write about has a unique one. He is a “Must see TV”. Those three words describe the best this talent in basketball on one rim.

His road to the stars was tough and full of temptations, but it paid off in the end. We can say proudly that Europe has gold in its hands. A player from Belgium is shining like a bright star across the world’s courts right now. The next couple of paragraphs will explain to you why his road to the basketball giants is so fascinating.

What’s the reason Thibaut started playing basketball at all?

Thibaut’s beginnings are related to the local courts in Belgium. Vervoort was seven years old when his good friend invited him to play with him basketball. His friend had a brother who already played. Thibaut Vervoort liked those first practices with them.

The hero of our story continued to train hard and started loving this sport a lot. Something in that game attracted him in a big manner. That’s how the unbelievable and amazing story of the Belgium star began. This player still plays with the same passion and commitment in major 3×3 tournaments.

What is the biggest accomplishment in Vervoort’s career?

Qualifications to the 2021 Olympic Games with Belgium are the most stressful and emotional moments in Thibaut’s career so far. All years of investing time in dedicated training paid off at the moment when Belgium got a ticket for Tokyo 2021. Thibaut Vervoort describes that as the most beautiful situation he was in during his playing time.

His popularity raised high after those qualifications and his name was put on the map of the biggest 3×3 players. This player made his family proud of him because of Thibaut’s high-quality performances for the nation.

How did his Belgium end in Olympic Games 2022?

Belgium ended the group stage with 4 wins and 3 losses. This country progressed through the elimination phase in Tokyo. Belgium played against Latvia in the semifinal of this big tournament that is held every fourth year.  Latvia defeated Belgium with 21-8. Vervoort’s team was disappointed and devastated after such a hard loss.

Serbia won against Thibaut’s country with 21-10 in a consolation game for third place. It was an overall solid performance and result for the debut Olympic Games. Thibaut Vervoort was a real leader of his nation and represented it with a high level of dignity and honor.

What is the most valuable thing Thibaut learned as a player?

Mental toughness, psychical strength, and confidence are the most important lessons Vervoort adopted as a player.

Mental strength means the ability to work hard even when things don’t work well for him.  The psychical part of the game is almost crucial as 3×3 basketball requires fast-moving and a higher tempo than classic basketball. It’s a dynamic game so the logical consequence is that you have to train intensively. Finally, confidence is the thing that is consisting part of the sport. The player will not be able to shoot in decisive moments if he doesn’t have enough self-esteem.

How did Belgian sports culture help Vervoort on his road to the greatest player of 3×3?

Thibaut played in Antwerp Giants in 2016. Vervoort thought it was a very professional club. This player practiced twice a day individual segments of play there.  Those segments were divided into two main categories, fitness and shooting practice. The culmination was participating in 5×5 games were all practiced and learned things came into play.

Another lesson he took in Giants was the importance of resting and eating habits. Those two things are crucial in the preparation period for the fixtures. We can say freely that he adopted basic things about 3×3 basketball in that team.

What does Thibaut find most important in his preparation for games?

Vervoort relies on his shot a lot during official games. Thibaut has natural-born talent when we talk about the shooting.

There is an old Latin sentence saying: Repetition is the mother of knowledge. Thibaut Vervoort completely agrees with this statement. His preparation consists of repetitive mechanisms and shooting techniques. Repetition helps him to calm himself when the game is played and crucial shots are performed. This player knows that he had done everything possible to be the best he can be at that moment.

Which was Thibaut’s breakthrough year?

Thibaut is considered one of the players with the most potential on the planet in 3×3 basketball. The breakthrough year for Thibaut Vervoort was 2021. This player was sixth overall in the scorer’s list in World Tour 2021. His 6.1 points per game were second best in the standings and it was a big achievement.

Only Karlis Lasmanis was better than him in that parameter and won the MVP award. Hero of these paragraphs uplifted his Antwerp to fourth place in the standings in that season. Vervoort realized how much he can achieve individually and consequentially with his team.

What has 2022 looked like so far for Thibaut?

Thibaut had the tournament of his life in Debrecen Masters in World Tour 2022. Antwerp was always close to winning big tournaments but always missed one ingredient to lift the trophy. Finally, all players of the Belgian team found chemistry with each other in Hungary in August.

This player saved his team from some defeats earlier in the tournament with his points. Vervoort scored a decisive shot in the final against favorite Ub and brought a trophy to Belgium. It was an unbelievable and unforgettable game. Thibaut Vervoort got the MVP award at the end of the competition.

Here is a full game where Thibaut won the first-ever Masters for Antwerp:

What does his style of play look like?

Thibaut is very tall for 3×3 basketball standards.  Vervoort is moving on the court all time and he is aggressive on the ball. This player is putting pressure constantly on the opponent’s offense and is not afraid to shoot for two points at tall. His athleticism and constitution enable him to be hard for guarding.

Thibaut Vervoort is looking very confident on the battling field and penetrating through the defense of the opponent.  The hero of our story is a team player, who loves to support his teammates, and is ready to take responsibility when necessary.

Which is Vervoort’s style outside of court?

Vervoort likes to wear special clothes that are longer and it can be named the street style of dressing. His favorite part of clothes is shoes. Thibaut prefers the next brands of shoes:  Jordan’s, Nike’s,  Fillingpieces, Yeezy’s, and Adidas. Thibaut Vervoort likes Kobe 6 shoes particularly and describes them as one of the best basketball shoes he has ever worn.

This player doesn’t have any style icon or role model and tries to build his independent style outside of the court. His way of searching for clothes is via Internet surfing.

Vervoort is living proof that good organization, commitment, and focus can lead whenever you want. He is already an established world-class player with  24 years. His vision of becoming the best 3×3 basketball player in the world is slowly coming true.

He got the nickname “Must see TV” because of the first letters of his first name and last name when he was a child. Thibaut started in the local courts of Belgium with a dream and vision to win gold with Belgium in Olympic Games.  A gold medal may be won during our hero’s career. It’s allowed to dream big. Isn’t it?

About the author

Marjan Nikolic

Passionate sports guy, coming from the eastern Europe where best basketball is played (yeah, I know you will not agree!). Dynamic 3x3 basket has special place in my heart.

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