Jonathan Joseph talks about his love for the NBA

Fresh from helping to secure the Grand Slam for England in this year’s Six Nations, star centre Jonathan Joseph paid a visit to the NBA’s offices in London where he spoke about the team’s early success under Eddie Jones, his love of basketball and the similarities between his and NBA star Steph Curry’s game.

Speaking on how it felt to secure the Grand Slam with their 31-21 victory over France in Paris, Joseph said:  “It was amazing for us as a team, for us to get the Grand Slam is unbelievable. To have your family and friends there as well it was something very special. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.”

After explaining that he was a massive fan of Golden State Warriors leading scorer Steph Curry, Joseph talked about similarities between his and Curry’s game: “That is the style I like to play, it’s fast tempo, you’re always thinking on your feet, you’ve got to make quick decisions. In terms of that [our style] is very similar; you have to see what the defenders are doing and you’ve got to make a movement and hopefully it goes well.”

Joseph also spoke on the physical similarities between the two sports: “I think in rugby you have more range in terms of sizes and height, whereas in basketball the physical side is huge. You’re going to get bullied on the court if you can’t hold your own. Likewise, if you’re a slightly smaller player you have to use your footwork and your speed to get around the bigger boys.”

When asked to pick a starting five of current rugby players, the 21-cap centre replied: “Anthony (Watson), myself, Courtney (Lawes), Owen Farrell and Danny Care.”