A few weeks ago, I wrote a story detailing the career of one of my favorite Cavaliers – Max Strus. About a week ago, I had the special privilege of interviewing Max over a Zoom call. Unfortunately, due to my lack of video recording knowledge, I was unable to record the audio of this interview. Nonetheless, I would like to share a little of what we talked about.
First off, I would like to say that I am very grateful for the time that Max and his sister Maggie gave me. They were both great to work with. I definitely didn’t expect to get a yes after asking for an interview, but I guess the worst anyone can say is no!
After introducing myself, I asked Max if the NBA was always his goal, or if it was something that became more of a reality as his career progressed. He admitted that no, it wasn’t something that he always thought was going to happen. Max explained that he thought he had a chance at playing in Europe or somewhere else overseas. Max went on to explain that after he transferred to DePaul, his coach, Dave Leitao, told him he was capable of playing in the NBA.
After hearing about his coach at DePaul, I pivoted to asking Max about mentors and if he had someone in particular that really helped him. He said that there were numerous people who helped him along the way, but none more important than his parents. As a parent myself, I found this to be incredibly heartwarming.
I then asked Max what his favorite aspect of playing in Cleveland is. It didn’t take him long to mention the fans. He mentioned how die-hard Cleveland sports fans are, and how great they make the atmosphere at every game.
One question I couldn’t wait to ask was about the game-winner that Max hit against the Mavericks in 2024. I asked if the end-of-game sequence had ever been practiced. Max told me that it was basically ad-libbed. He told me that due to foul trouble, Donovan Mitchell was off the court. After the Mavericks made a basket, Max passed the ball to Evan Mobley. He told me he expected Evan to take a few dribbles and launch the shot himself, but instead he passed the ball back to Max. He told me that the shot felt good out of his hands. Max admitted that if you watch him right after he shot the ball, he is already jogging back towards the Cavaliers’ bench to celebrate.
I wrapped up the interview by asking Max about his foundation and basketball camps. He explained all of the work that his foundation does to uplift communities and specifically kids. He said that at his basketball camps he makes an effort to interact with everyone, because that is what he would have wanted as a kid at a basketball camp.
I wanted to be respectful of Max’s time, so I wrapped up the interview at about the 14-minute mark. I am still a bit bummed that I wasn’t able to record the audio, but it was still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hope to do more interviews like this in the future, and hopefully have a better handle on the technical side of things.
I think one of the best things about sports is the stories. Max Strus has had an incredible story, and it is not finished yet.