University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Russel Tchewa
February 15, 2024 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Russel Tchewa can speak "four or five" languages. The Georgia men's basketball 7-footer's favorite is French, both because it is a connection to home — French and English are the official languages of his native Cameroon — but also because, to him, it's the most beautiful-sounding language in the world.
And Tchewa has experienced a good bit of the world. Originally from Douala, Cameroon, Tchewa attended a prep school in Italy for three years before moving to Connecticut to finish high school. He then started his collegiate career at Texas Tech, then transferred to South Florida, where he earned a degree in Mathematics, before joining the Bulldogs for his final season.
During a recent Quick Chat, Tchewa talked about the life of a 7-footer, seeing the world, his love of French, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:Â
Frierson: Were you always really tall for your age, or did you have a really big growth spurt at one point?
Tchewa: I was always tall for my age, but it was when I was 17-18 that I really started to grow. My freshman year, when I was at Texas Tech, I wasn't 7 feet. I was 6-7 or 6-8.
Frierson: You probably thought you were done growing by the time you got to college.
Tchewa: I did. Waking up every morning, hitting my head in the house. I remember going home, my mom said, "Russ, you're growing again!" [Laughs].
Frierson: What is life like when you're a 7-footer? What don't we average-sized people understand about it?
Tchewa: I'm not going to lie, man, it's not easy. I love my height, everything like that, but it's not easy. You have to be careful. There have been multiple times when I've had to change my Uber because I couldn't fit in the car.
Frierson: You grew up in Cameroon, you lived in Italy for a while, you went to school in Connecticut, and then you've played at Texas Tech, South Florida, and now Georgia. You're a man of the world. Do you like having had all of these different experiences?
Tchewa: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like the fact that I've been introduced to so many different cultures. I think it's a good thing to sometimes see how different people act and live, and I've really, really enjoyed my experiences.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Tchewa: I don't remember, but it would have to be when I was in Italy. I don't specifically remember the scene or what happened.
Frierson: I think you're the first player I've asked, and I've done dozens of these, that didn't remember their first one. But you've also probably been dunking for so long that it might be a blur.
Tchewa: [Laughs] Exactly. I can remember my first 3-point shot [laughs]!
Frierson: Tell me about that.
Tchewa: My first 3-point shot was when I was at Texas Tech, in an exhibition game. On the pick-and-roll, there were five more seconds on the (shot) clock, and to avoid the turnover I was just like, "Dang, I've got to take the shot." I just rose up and shot it.
Frierson: How did that feel?
Tchewa: I'm not going to like, the three-second gap between the moment when you see that you have to shoot the ball, shooting the ball and the moment when you see the ball go in, there's a lot there [laughs].Â
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Tchewa: Pasta and lasagna. I really like three, four, five different types of pasta. I can go with pesto pasta with chicken, with penne pasta, with spaghetti Bolognese with meatballs and red sauce, with carbonara; I can go with lasagna, rigatoni, fettuccini Alfredo.
Frierson: How many languages do you speak?
Tchewa: I speak four or five.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite?
Tchewa: Oh, yeah, my favorite is French. French is the most beautiful language in the world. It's really difficult to learn, and when you live in Europe, in France, in Cameroon, everyone says you have to learn English because English is the business language. But if I have to choose, I would choose French because I can express myself more in French.
I grew up with French, and I have this strong connection to French.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
