SALT LAKE CITY — After scoring 17 points, igniting the Mavericks’ 3-point shooting and adding three rebounds and a steal to the stat line of his third game with Dallas, Davis Bertans could’ve had plenty to discuss with a smile and satisfaction.
But nothing about his performance or the Mavericks’ 114-109 loss to the Jazz on Friday night felt anywhere near as significant as the global conflict that is unfolding close to his Latvia homeland.
Bertans spent his entire post game interview session Friday speaking thoughtfully and emotionally about the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
The 29-year-old feared for his family’s security, the safety of Ukrainian civilians and the future independence of nearby countries. Though his face was still red from the game, Bertans didn’t pay any mind to on-court matters.
“Basketball is the last thing I want to talk about,” Bertans said. “Seeing what’s happening in Ukraine … [when I’m] on the court, I forget about it, and I just think about basketball, just being out there and playing. But once I’m off the court, I just feel like I want to just [think about] what’s happening there.
“I really hope the Ukrainians stay strong because honestly, they’re the front line, basically, for us, the Baltic states, and the rest of Europe. So I really hope it works out. I hope the rest of the world can help them as much as possible, and we come out of this, and Ukraine is still a free country and the useless bloodshed ends really soon and the Russian occupants return to their country.”
As Russia gathered troops at the Ukrainian border in recent weeks, foreshadowing the attack that started in earnest Thursday, Bertans thought frequently about Latvia’s proximity and past.
Latvia borders Russia to its east, Belarus and Lithuania to its south, Estonia to its north and the Baltic Sea to its west.
The country has endured various changes in governance and Russian control since the early 1900s, too.
Latvia’s latest period of independence started in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the government currently operates as a representative democracy and parliamentary republic.
Similar to Ukraine’s organization.
“It just hits way too close to home since my country has been in that position before,” Bertans said. “Honestly, losing a basketball game right there, if that’s the worst thing that happened to us in the last couple of weeks, we’re really lucky.”
Bertans said he doesn’t personally know of anyone still in Ukraine, “but I’m sure since the country’s not that far away, there might be somebody I know, and I hope they stay safe.”
His parents — Dina and Dainis — remain in Latvia, and his older brother, Dairis, is currently in Belgium, playing for the Latvian men’s basketball national team in a pair of 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying games.
“We’re really closely monitoring to see what to do with our family and if they need to get out or not,” said Bertans, whose wife, Anna, is also from Riga, Latvia.
Kings center Alex Len and Raptors wing Svi Mykhailiuk are the NBA’s only two active players from Ukraine.
They released a statement Thursday condemning Russia’s invasion and received support from many around the league, including when Kings and Nuggets players linked arms to show solidarity during a pregame moment of silence Thursday.
Bertans is one of just six current NBA players — including former Maverick and Latvian trade counterpart Kristaps Porzingis — from the Baltic states.
“I hope the other European countries and us, we can help [Ukraine] as much as possible in this situation,” Bertans said. “I feel like that most of the military people in Russia have no idea what they’re fighting for, and that strength that the Ukrainians have and the will to persevere and fight for their country is going to overcome it, I really hope.”
