Novak ‘solves’ playing overseas
Tri-State Sports & News Service
As nicknames go, Nick Novak was bestowed a unique and appropriate one by a fan of his in Portugal. “Solve.” Novak thought this to be a bit odd at first — perhaps something was lost in the Portuguese-to-English translation — but a teammate on the Ovarense professional basketball club cleared things up.
“He said it means that, when a play is broken down or if things aren’t going right, I’m always there to solve the problem,” said Novak, a 2009 Franklin Regional High School graduate. “Essentially, I figure things out by making a big play or taking a big shot. If there’s an issue or a concern, I’m there to solve it. That’s why he started calling me Nick ‘Solve’ Novak.”
Solve, er, Novak is a legit favorite in Portugal. So much so that, in an online poll to select all-star game starters, he was the leading vote-getter.
“I really appreciate the support,” he said. “It makes me feel like the hard work is paying off.”
Novak rewarded his followers by scoring 11 points in his North team’s all-star win this past Sunday. The performance was a continuation of a breakout second season for the silky smooth point guard. He leads Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol in assists at 5.9 per game and is second in scoring at 20.7 points. He also averages 4.3 rebounds.
His crisp jump-shot so impressed one coach that it prompted the latter to utter, “You don’t can’t buy a that in a supermarket.”
“It was in broken English,” Novak said, laughing. “But I knew what he meant.”
Novak is conjuring memories of his days at Franklin Regional, where he led the WPIAL in scoring as a senior, and at PittJohnstown, where he amassed 2,023 points and 545 assists.
A consummate winner, he has his Ovarense team (15-13) on pace to qualify for the playoffs next month.
“I’m living out a dream,” Novak said. “And I’m fortunate that it’s going as well as it is for me.”
Fortunate for Ovarense, too. Because Novak has become something of a lategame sniper for the club, in the mold of former NBA star Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry.
Going back to last season, he has hit eight leadchanging shots in the final minute.
“There’s never been a shot I didn’t like,” Novak said, with a laugh. “And because my coaches have faith in me, it gives me confidence to make plays at the end of games.”
As smoothly as things are going for Novak, he nearly “hung up the basketball shoes” seven months ago. Feeling he was underused in his first season, he considered going into business full-time at his dad’s welding supply company, Excelloy Industries.
An unexpected phone call from Ovarense coach Nuno Manarte, an assistant with the team the previous season, re-ignited Novak’s passion for the sport.
“He said, ‘You’re the guy this year — we’re putting the ball in your hands and everything will go through you,’” said Novak, a reserve last season who averaged 12 points and 3 assists. “It was a great sales pitch. And it was what I’d been waiting for. It was someone finally saying, ‘Nick, I believe in you.’ That call changed everything. It made me realize that I should take advantage of this while I can, because I’ll have lots of time in my life not to be a basketball player. I’m so grateful that [Manarte] reached out to me like he did.”
The Portugal experience has been a revelation to Novak, who reports he is progressively learning the language. He and his soonto-be wife, Brianne, have enjoyed good eats (a mixed grill of meats and beans is a favorite) and good travel around Europe, all the while living in an oceanfront apartment.
The next step is landing a lucrative contract, either in Portugal or elsewhere, as he continues with his basketball pursuits.
“I’ll be the first to say that it’s not always glamorous playing at this level,” Novak said. “In some places, the crowds can be smaller than the ones I played in front of in high school. You’re also a long way from home. All of those things can weigh on you. But you have to tell yourself, ‘This is what I love and this is what I want to do.’ So, you figure it out.”
Or, in this case, you “Solve” the problem.