Life in Germany: Trae Bell-Haynes

Written by Danielle McGlenister

After a successful month with the River Lions, point guard Trae Bell-Haynes had just a couple weeks off after the 2020 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Summer Series before heading to Crailsheim, Germany for the 2020-21 season. The Toronto, ON born player has been in Crailsheim over the last six weeks preparing and training for the start of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), so we caught up with him to see how he’s adjusted to life in Germany and what it’s like playing for The Merlins. 

Established in 1966, the BBL is the highest-level of professional basketball in Germany with 18 teams including The Hakro Merlins Crailsheim of which Bell-Haynes is part of. The duration of the season is nine months long and is split into a league stage and a playoff stage where in order to qualify for the playoffs; teams must place in the top eight. With their last pre-season exhibition game on October 11, Bell-Haynes and the Merlins have begun their quest to qualify for the BBL Cup playoffs in May 2021.

Arriving in Crailsheim 

After landing in Frankfurt, Germany, Bell-Haynes was greeted at the airport by a Merlins Manager where they drove about two and a half hours southeast to the town of Crailsheim. Immediately after arriving, Trae was required to take a COVID-19 test and quarantine in his apartment until the results were returned. Luckily enough, quarantine granted Bell-Haynes the opportunity before the season began to meet and bond with his upstairs neighbor and General Manager, Ingo Enskat. The two communicated on opposite sides of Bell-Haynes’s apartment chatting through the window. 

Being on a new team in a foreign country and not knowing the native language can be intimidating, but, fortunately for Bell-Haynes, it has been any easy adjustment. "All Germans know English, especially anyone that’s around my age, so I'm able to easily communicate with all my teammates," said Bell-Haynes. "My coaches are Finnish, and I played in Finland last year, so I've been able to speak to everyone here."

Training with The Merlins

During the first week of practice the team prioritized no-contact drills and focused on getting back into shape, polishing up their skills, and learning the basics of what Head Coach, Tuomas Lisalo, wanted for offence and defense. However, over the following weeks, the team’s training and practice sessions intensified. The team began meeting twice a day, two to three times a week. “We do weights and skills in the morning and get a lot of shots up. In the afternoon, or the second session, we’ll have a live practice with offence, defense and working on transition”, explained Bell-Haynes. Additionally, since the second week of pre-season, the Merlins have played in exhibition games against both teams from within their league, and the second division league, finishing with an even record of three wins and three losses. 

Off the Court with Bell-Haynes

 When not training or practicing, Bell-Haynes can be found watching sports or anime, specifically, Euro League basketball and Premier League soccer. Unfortunately, he often misses NBA games due to the time difference. Aside from the above, Bell-Haynes enjoys hanging out with his teammates whom are between the ages of 23 to 27. Trae noted that this has been a different, but good experience for him because on previous teams, the age range of his teammates was much wider. “The cool thing about this team is we’re all pretty close in the same age range. So, hanging out and being around each other is a lot nicer”. Bell-Haynes has not been able to sightsee much given the busyness of his schedule and COVID-19 restrictions; however, he is looking forward to being able to partake in the local Crailsheim Oktoberfest festivities and maybe even try his first German bier. 

Connecting with Family 

Being over 6000 km away from home, Bell-Haynes prioritizes regularly staying in contact with his family. Trae often communicates with his 13-year old twin brothers once or twice a week either over the phone or through x-box, and makes sure to update his mom more frequently on how things are going 

Moving Forward

With the season just tipping off, Bell-Haynes has set new goals for himself, and is focused on creating more good habits and paying greater attention to the little details on and off the court.

 fter the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim placing third in the 2019-20 BBL season, Bell-Haynes as a new addition to the team is eager to establish his identity and presence on the court. He is motivated and focused in on earning the title of the 2020-21 Baskeball Bundesliga champion. 

The official season begins this Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m ET. Unfortunately, to stream the Merlins' games, a German credit card is required. However, the team’s schedule, roster, and live stats can be found here.