L’One: in my case, basketball chose me, not I chose basketball

– Levan, hi! Tell me: why basketball?

– Hi! I think in this case basketball chose me, not I chose basketball. I was kicked out of music class in fifth grade with my boys. It was at that moment that my future coach went around the classrooms, knocked on each of them and asked if there were any guys from ’85-87 who wanted to play on the basketball team. He saw us in the hallway, came up to us and offered to enroll in the section. So I first got into the junior group, and then a few weeks later I was assigned to the senior group. That’s how basketball chose me and hasn’t let me go since ’96 (smiles).

– What other sports were in your life?

– My childhood was very sporty. I met my friends thanks to soccer in the yard. It so happened that I had a ball and they didn’t have a ball. A standard story (smiles). We played soccer all the time, then we played volleyball for the school in competitions, did track and field. Yes, in principle, I think that any sport was around in one way or another, except for skiing, probably. Although, surprisingly, my mom is a champion of the Krasnoyarsk region in skiing. I was also a little bit involved in wrestling because of my father, on such an amateur level. I can say that almost all sports have touched me, except, perhaps, curling… I haven’t played curling yet, but I think that if I try it, it can capture me.

If you lose, you can always do some work on your mistakes.

– What qualities did basketball bring up in you?

– The most important thing is discipline. Because it’s always the hardest thing to make yourself, to get up, to go, to do. And I guess it also taught me that if you lose, it’s not over. Even though it’s a final or it’s not a final. If you lose, you can always do the work on your mistakes and pump yourself up to become even better. By the way, “to get even better” – that came to me from sports, too.

– How difficult is it for you to play in a team?

– There are no difficulties. I’ve been in team sports since I was a kid. In basketball I’ve always played in the position of the number one point guard, so my main function was to provide the players with passes, and that in itself has some contacts during the game. And I have never been fixated on any selfish actions on the field. One in the field is not a warrior. Although Russell Westbrook would argue with me on that…

– Does your behavior on the court reflect you in life?

– Rather not. In music and on stage I’m more of an egoist, I don’t like to share, but in sports it’s completely different. Sport is nice because it is fundamentally different from ordinary life, because it can switch you up as much as possible and throw you into a completely different environment. In basketball I’m a team player, but on stage I’m used to being a soloist.

– How often do you train?

– I train twice a week. If I can, somewhere in between I try to get to the gym or go for a run. If it works out on Saturday, when there are no concerts, I go to train with Andrei Kirilenko’s team.

– What is closer to you, streetball or basketball?

– Of course, basketball is closer to me. Especially when new courts with good parquet started to appear in Moscow. 5×5 is much more interesting.

– Can I say that you lead a healthy lifestyle?

– I won’t beat my chest, I’m not a dieter or whatever it’s called (smiles). I eat whatever I want, I promote a healthy lifestyle, but I don’t stick to it when it comes to eating or drinking. I don’t see anything wrong with it. I am not a professional athlete, I do it just for myself, for my own pleasure. I will not criticize ordinary guys for the fact that they can afford to drink a bottle of beer after training, or eat a Snickers, or just go for a walk in a good company. Unless you’re a professional, HEA in food is a personal thing for everyone.

– You have a lot of tracks full of basketball terminology. What do they mean to you?

– I try to put a part of myself into each track. If we talk about sports tracks: I write what I could train to when I was a kid and when I was a professional. If I don’t like the song myself, then most likely the athletes (if it’s a sports-themed song) won’t like it either. It’s simple.

– Why don’t you play professionally?

– I had injuries: a serious knee injury. It all basically started with a broken finger on my right hand, which was already a red flag. Now my left knee is bothering me even more, so I may have to undergo surgery soon. I still think the music won out. I’m not a pro, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying what I do and playing to my heart’s content.

– How is sport present in your life, apart from training? Do you follow any matches?

– I follow every National Basketball Association season. Sometimes I go to CSKA games, to the Euroleague. If possible, I attend home matches of FC Lokomotiv, of which I am a fan. In general, sports and sports periodicals are always present in my life.

– What about running? Do you run in the morning?

– I used to have a thing: I used to run in every new city. London, Frankfurt, Prague, St. Petersburg – it accompanied me both on vacation and on tour. It helped me get to know the city better, it’s cool when it’s completely empty, everything opens up in a new perspective.

– If you could play with any basketball player from any era, who would it be?

– Michael Jordan. There’s not even a question here, that’s the man who got me into basketball. He’s my personal motivator.

I’ve lost so many times, but I’ve made the most of my chances.

– Do you have a phrase that motivates you?

– I think there’s a lot of them. The most important one is probably, “Do what you love and love what you do.” And there’s another phrase of Jordan’s, I can’t remember it verbatim, but something like, “I lost so many games, made so many shots in the final seconds and missed…”. If you shorten it a little bit, it would be, “I lost so many times, but I made the most of my chances.” That’s important to me.

A selection of workout music from L’One. Top 3 tracks:

Rick Ross – Rich Is Gangsta

Drake & Future – Jumpman

Future – Mask Off