They play a completely different sport half a world away, but the NBA’s two Middle Eastern representatives are still soccer fans at heart.
And yes, Dallas Mavericks centre Salah Mejri and Boston Celtics swingman Abdel Nader do call it ‘soccer’ and not ‘football’. Blame the American influences they’re constantly subjected to.
While Mejri hails from Tunisia and Nader is Egyptian-born, they’re united in their love for Real Madrid.
For Mejri, who was a soccer player until he picked up basketball relatively late at the age of 18, his fandom for the La Liga club was amplified by his two-year stint playing for Madrid in the EuroLeague from 2013-15.
So as Zinedine Zidane‘s men get ready for their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Juventus on April 3, Mejri knows Madrid will have a fight on their hands to stay alive in their bid for a third straight title.
“Juventus is a tough team,” the 31-year-old big man told Sport360°. “They beat us three years ago (in the semi-finals) when I was still at Madrid, I remember I went and watched the game.
“They beat us and Italian teams are tough to play, you know. We play more open and with more offence and good soccer. Italian teams play more closed, so it will be tough.
“If we pass Juventus, I think we’re going to go far.”
In the NBA, it might be the case where there’s not more than one soccer fan on a team. Luckily for Mejri, he just so happens to share a locker room with another one of the league’s soccer lovers, Dirk Nowitzki, who is a big Bayern Munich supporter.
And with Bayern also still in the Champions League and set to face Sevilla in the quarter-finals, Mejri hopes he and Nowitzki’s favourite clubs end up meeting so bragging rights can be settled.
“We’re going to beat them easily,” Mejri said “That’s an easy game for us.”
Mejri’s allegiance is to Madrid, but he can’t help but be enthralled by what his namesake, Mohamed Salah, is doing with Liverpool.
A day after Salah scored four goals against Watford in the Premier League, Mejri was in awe of the Egyptian.
“It’s crazy man. He’s so good,” Mejri said with pure admiration. “I’m a big fan of him.”
It’s hard not to be a fan of Salah, regardless of your nationality.
But it would stand to reason he would be a God-like figure to all Egyptians, right?
Well, despite being an Alexandria native, Nader worships at the alter of another footballer.
“I’m all about La Liga and literally the biggest [Cristiano] Ronaldo fan you’ll meet,” the 24-year-old told Sport360°. “I have his jerseys, his shoes and everything about him. So I’m all about Real Madrid.”
Abdel Nader is in his first season with the Celtics after playing in the G-League last year.
Nader might be the one Egyptian in the world who prefers Ronaldo to Salah right now, but you can forgive the young Celtics forward because he’ll still cheer hard for his nation at the World Cup this summer.
“I’m a big soccer fan. I’m ecstatic,” Nader said of Egypt qualifying for the showpiece event for the first time in 28 years.
“Especially my family, my dad really gets after it. He keeps me up to date, especially because it’s hard for me to catch the games because of the different time zones.
“But I’m in full support.”
