Real Madrid

How do you feel knowing you are going to play for Real Madrid?

I am happy to be here and I am looking forward to the start of the new season. I've met some great people and have only heard good things about this team. I'm looking forward to proving that I am capable of playing here.

How would you define yourself as a player and what can you contribute to Real Madrid?

I don't know how to describe myself. Honestly, I'll leave it up to you to decide. I have been a winner wherever I have played, so I guess I would call myself just that. I think my best attribute is the energy I bring to the team. No matter who I play for, I always have a good attitude.

Real Madrid is coming off a great season despite not winning a title. Do you think you can handle the pressure of knowing you are expected to win every game?

I'm coming from a city where all the teams are expected to win. Playing here is like playing for the Yankees, a team always expected to win, so you just have to know how to handle that pressure. I want to feel the pressure. It's why I play basketball.

You have been a stand-out player, especially in rebounding, on every team you have played for. You think you can keep it up on Real Madrid?

I'm going to give it all I've got when I'm on the floor. I only want to win. Stats are important, but they only serve to win games.

Your dad Ron Matthias is a New York playground legend, and the playground is where you earned the nickname Terminator 2. What difference is there between T2’s playground basketball and Quinton Hosley’s arena basketball?

My dad holds the record. He won nine New York playground titles. He was a phenomenal player in his day. I just want to follow in his footsteps, but those of my mom as well, as she played basketball, too. My dad never had the chance to play abroad, but I do, and I want to blaze my own trail. There’s one common denominator between my playground days and now. Terminator 2, the Quinton Hosley who played in the streets of New York, is the same who plays in basketball arenas. He plays with the same energy and drive.

After graduating from college, why did you decided to come to Europe rather than try your luck in the NBA?

I thought playing in Europe was a better option than the NBA. I can learn more about basketball here and can grow on a personal level. The NBA will always be there, and although it was my childhood dream, my goals and desires changed as I got older.