Lakers Rookie Svi Mykhailiuk Talks Viral Shooting Video, Klay Thompson Comparisons

Svi Mykhailiuk was surprised.

The L.A. Lakers rookie was not surprised by the fact that he had just hit 20 threes in a row.

No. No.

He was surprised by the media coverage around it, the retweets, reposts and commentary. More than that, the 6-8 scorer was surprised that he didn’t make the 21st attempt.

“I was mad I missed,” says Mykhailiuk, “cause that last one was a good shot.”

This video is not edited. This kid is an amazing shooter. Cameo by LeBron toward the end. pic.twitter.com/xXwSzwrHgE

— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) September 26, 2018

Mykhailiuk, who says for the record that he once hit 49 threes in a row, was nationally known in college for his jumper. This past July, though, he let people know he was more than a 3-no-D. Over the course of 7 games in the Las Vegas Summer League, Mykhailiuk averaged 16.6 points, 4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

“I showed I can do a lot more than shooting,” says Mykhailiuk. “I showed just ’cause I shoot well doesn’t mean I can’t do anything else.”

Over the course of a recent conversation, one that centered around tales of his Call of Duty prowess, Mykhailiuk dropped some dimes proving, yet again, that’s he more than your average 47th pick.

You’re living that Cali life now, but where did you grow up?

Svi Mykhailiuk: I grew up in Ukraine, in a small city called Cherkasy. That’s where I’m originally from.

What was that like?

SM: It was cool, a lot different from the United States [laughs]. That and the US are like two different worlds, and coming here [for college] was a little bit of an adjustment. I like it there, though. I go home about once a year. I go, see my friends, my relatives.

When did you start playing basketball?

SM: I think I was 7, so the second grade.

How did you get into it?

SM: One time, in school, my teacher came and asked if anybody wanted to play basketball. I ended up playing three times a week after school. That’s how it all started.

You fall in love with hoops right away?

SM: It took some time. The main sport there was soccer and, like everybody else, I was playing soccer. I wanted something different, and doing it three times a week became a routine.

I bet your soccer game is pretty nice.

SM: [laughs] I would say it’s pretty good.

No doubt you’re the best soccer player on the L.A. Lakers.

SM: Probably [laughs].

LeBron doesn’t want to see you in soccer [laughs].

SM: Probably [laughs].

Far as what your hometown was like, did you have TVs, video games, all that stuff?

SM: Oh, yeah. I grew up playing games on the PC. That’s where I still play. I didn’t have money to get an Xbox or Playstation, and in Europe I would say PCs are more popular for games. So, yeah, I always had a desktop and I always played games on it.

FIFA is really popular now in the US, but I bet you grew up on it.

SM: For sure! I had a cousin who I hung with. We would play real life soccer and then come back and play FIFA.

As you got older, did you move into RPGs and first-person shooter games like Call of Duty?

SM: Definitely RPG games, but Call of Duty I didn’t get into until I was kind’ve older, like sixth grade. I feel like you have to be a little bit older to understand the game, but I appreciated the story mode and then the World War-based ones.

So you’ve been playing since you were young!

SM: Yeah, for sure. I’ve been playing my whole life.

You have to be nice on the sticks, then.

SM: On the keyboard [laughs].

Did you play COD with your teammates while at Kansas?

SM: We played, mostly online, almost every day.

On the court, you’re a sniper. What about in the game?

SM: I like to be fast and run around, but it really depends on the map and my teammates.

Do you have a favorite version of the game, like favorite time period?

SM: I liked them all, but I was into the—not ancient ones—but 1940, WII games. I like history, and I always learned a little from the game.

Do you have a favorite period in history?

SM: Yeah. I really like the 9th and 10th century.

You also into basketball history?

SM: If you play ball, you have to know some of that.

Did you watch a lot of games growing up?

SM: I was able to watch some. I watched MJ, the Finals—that kind of stuff was always on TV.

When you were young and in the gym, which one of the game’s OGs were you pretending to be?

SM: Honestly, I wasn’t pretending to be anybody. Low key, I was just being me, playing how I know. I didn’t think about who I wanted to be. All I was trying to do was hoop and hoop, and become a better version of myself.

And how old were you when you realized that that version of yourself was nice at hoops?

SM: I would say 12, 13. People started realizing I had talent, and told me I could be good a basketball player.

Now you’ve made it, and you’re repping Ukraine and Kansas. So when you’re on the court, you talking shit in English or Ukrainian?

SM: I’m the type of person, I don’t really talk. I try to keep it cool. That’s my swag—I don’t talk and just do my thing. I think that makes me different.

What about in Call of Duty. Do you have a headset on to smack talk?

SM: Not really. I’m just doing my thing, killing people [laughs].

Speaking of killing people, a video from camp went viral yesterday. In it, you hit about 20 shots in a row. What was your reaction when you picked up your phone and saw hundreds of notifications?

SM: I hadn’t realized until then how many people had posted and shared it—it was crazy.

If I had to guess, 20 makes in a row isn’t that rare for you.

SM: Not really. I was mad I missed, though, cause that last one was a good shot. It is what it is [laughs].

You had a dope Summer League and people took notice of you. Did that help your confidence or did it just help people see what you already knew.

SM: It just showed people what I can do. People saw how I play and what type of game I have. I think people thought I was just a shooter, but I showed I can do a lot more than shooting. I showed just cause I shoot well doesn’t mean I can’t do anything else.

https://youtu.be/gh6l3wQdHNU

After Summer League, people were comparing a little to Klay Thompson. What did you think about that?

SM: It was cool, cause he’s one of the best players in the world and one of the best shooters. I think we have some similarities, and I think to be compared to him during my rookie year is cool.

You played a little with him at the end of the summer, and now you’re playing with LeBron, Rajon Rondo, etc. Anything surprise you about those special talents?

SM: I’m used to seeing these guys on TV, so it’s cool come close to them, to play on the same team and see how good they are, how smart they are.

Has anything in particular struck you in camp? Anything like, Damn, that’s why these guys are so good?

SM: I would say Rondo, LeBron and how good their leadership is. They talk every drill and every play to everybody. They know the game so well, so they make the job easier for everybody else.

Everybody talks about LeBron obviously, but Rondo, too, is a many-time All-Star.

SM: I like him a lot as a basketball player. He’s really smart, he knows what he’s doing and he doesn’t really care about scoring. He cares about making his teammates better, about getting other people open shots. He just makes the game easier for everybody on the court. Everybody.

If you’re a scorer, he’s a dream to play with cause if you’re open, he’ll find you.

SM: That’s for sure. He’s got great court vision, and I think he’s one of the best passers in the NBA.

What’s your goal for the season? What are you envisioning and trying to manifest?

SM: Just be a great person, great teammate. Rookie year is always tough for everybody: you don’t know if you’re going to play or not going to play, so I just want to stay focused, stay locked in, work on my game, work more than anybody else, and just be ready.

—

Tzvi Twersky is the Head of Basketball at Stance Socks and a Contributing Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @ttwersky.

Photos via Getty Images