Of our report donor GERBEN OF ' t HEK hoorn-Het feeling that ' the half world for your graces solicits. The seventeen-year-old Robert Krabbendam try bring the hectiek of its life under words. Three years suffered he piddled still without engagement with a basketball on the asphalt of a small square in Hoorn. Now he plays gamegame games with Amsterdam astronaut. “I frequently lie with Joe Spinks on one chamber. With Joe Spinks, man!“

The most beautiful game of its still short life played Krabbendam a couple weeks suffered with astronaut for the European Uleb cup in Frankfurt. In a superb sport hall environments governed which the young Hoorn ear only had of television. “A sold off house and American situations. It seemed to a discotheque so many lamps hung there above those speelvloer. And if you thus once more considerable what gets speelminuten, weet you in fact not what you happen.“

Not the study book but the basketball directs the examination year of vwo-scholier Robert Krabbendam. “I want that absolutely obtain diploma. But if you sit with the plough in milaan or zagreb, and you lie on one chamber with Joe Spinks are it difficult those obtain books from your case. With Spinks talk véél leuker are natural.“

After jaartje at the local hop press he made three seasons suffered the overstap to the Amsterdam astronaut. Gouden the combination of brio and many - a lot of - centimetres the air in was recognised early. With feeling for west-Friese common sense and understatement: “They saw, however, what in me.“

Length Border

The magical length border of seven feet has meanwhile reached Krabbendam, with what he can count himself also in basketball country to the large boys. Two meters ten measure the young Hoorn ear. That also with its other half-measures for seventeen-year-old impressively scores: shoe half-measure fifty and 98 kilos. “Entirely I have developed not yet. Already I do not expect that still much come. I am satisfied this way, be possible as center and as power forward from the feet.“

The career of Krabbendam affected last summer in a flow acceleration then he as only Dutchman an invitation got for Nba-clinic in Italy. With the largest brio of Europe he was taught four days present from the strongest competition in the world. “Train you zomaar with players who you know only of the television. Shining.“

During the clinic in Italy the name of Krabbendam disappeared in opschrijfboekjes of the several scouts who tries their make nose for brio. During the kwalificatietoernooikwalificatietoernooi kwalificatietoernooi with the Oranjejunioren came there vervolgens dikke line under that note to stand. “We do not save it, but I played a complete strong tournament. Became fourth at the topscorers and stood also high on the list at the rebounders.“

When Astronauts-coach Arik Shivek him granted also once more a spot at the first team, Krabbendam suddenly a gewild object on the international market was. With faxes from Greece, offers from Germany and a range full colour brochures of addressing American college teams try bring brokers to the head of the Hoornse basketballers on hol. “You get the feeling that the half world behind you sit at the table. Very unreal all. If I want I next month already prof in Greece or this way.“

The status of amateur becomes Krabbendam however if a valuable treasure nourished. “I want play absolutely in America college. And then you can be no seconde prof are. I can adopt really no penny. There they have a vuistdik book with rules left. Each game that I with astronaut in the europacup play, me produces for example already a game suspension in America. To see them as profbasketbal.“