Happy with Olympiacos...
On the eve of the beginning of the TOP-16, Euroleague has chosen Vassilis Spanoulis for a big interview so as to give more clout to the premiere. V-Span spoke to the official competition web page about everyone and everything…
On his transfer to Olympiacos: “It was my decision and I’m happy for my choice. It’s better every day. I thought it would be very good for me to play for this team and when I went there, it was a great motivation to be playing with those team mates. I feel very well with the team. I have a good relationship with everyone here, the players and the coaches, the administration and the fans. This is an extra motive to be doing well”.
On his teammates and his coach: “First of all, I’m healthy and feel very well. Numbers don’t mean anything to me. I try to give my best every time and help my team win. I only have this on my mind, to be a good team mate and to help my team. I feel very well with this team and this has a lot to do with my team mates, who have been helping me a lot. I can do nothing without them, because basketball is a team sport, not an individual one. There is also excellent co-operation with the coach and we trust each other. Apart from those, the important thing is to work hard and to always try to improve. We have a good team”.
On the Olympiacos goals: “We are a new team, with a new coach, many new players and philosophy. It took us time to learn one another in the beginning and adjust to the coach’s philosophy. We are very good in our home court, but we had been having some problems on the road. However, we continued working hard on a daily basis, to see what we did right and what not, and we got better eventually. I believe we are in good shape in view of the TOP-16. Our psychology is great, ideal to play at the top level. Every game is like a final now. We have big goals this year and we are dealing with them seriously”.
On the Euroleague TOP-16: “The TOP-16 is one of the most difficult tournaments I have ever participated in. Many teams, even the favorite ones, face difficulties at this point. You have to remain focused, be in the best possible shape and play at the highest possible level to avoid mishaps. If you lose a game, you can be in trouble. TOP-16 is difficult, yet fascinating”.
On being considered the team leader: “It’s certainly a responsibility and a huge one I have to admit, being a veteran you have to do the right thing for your team. Olympiacos has been trying for years to win titles and of course part of that responsibility falls on my shoulders. You have to help your team from many aspects, in and out of the court, being an experienced player. Thank God we have excellent guys on the team and we all remain focused on the same goal. It’s all of our responsibility to get there”.
On his position on the court: “I have always asked whatever the coach was asking for me. I believe that there is no difference in these positions in modern basketball. It’s almost the same. The only thing for sure is that in order to have more minutes, you have to play different positions. We have already excellent play-makers. It’s the same to me. I do the best I can either as a point-guard or as shooter”.
On his co-operation with Papaloukas and Teodosic: “They are different players, but they also two extraordinary people and great personalities. They are two great guards. They very well know that they have huge responsibilities within the team and that’s why our relationship is very good both inside and outside the court. Each one respects the others and they are focused on helping the team. Not just the guards, but all the players on our roster are good personalities and work hard daily. But I’m thrilled to be working with Teo and Milos. I hope that we all together have a great season”.
On the Dusan Ivkovic chapter: “It’s very nice to work with coach Ivkovic. He’s a basketball legend. Everyone on the team respects him. He has huge experience and he’s a teacher both in and out of the court. We try to follow his instructions and his philosophy, because we know he’s a winner. It’s a great joy to be working under his instructions”.
On the game against Fener and the rest of the quarterfinals challenging teams: “The first game is always difficult. It’s very important for the ranking and especially at the TOP-16 you have no option but to win all the games in your home court. We have great goals and we have started the season well, but we have to keep in mind that we are not going to have an easy time. Fenerbahce has been also having a good season and they want to win as well.
We should work hard on the court to win and we should be well prepared for that. Our big weapon is our fans. We’ll have to play good defense, because Fenerbahce has many creative players, inside and outside the post. They have been doing well up to now and they have won many games. Nevertheless, we play in our home court and we have to control the rhythm to reach victory.
Zalgiris had been among the best Euroleague teams in the first 5-6 games of the regular season. It’s a strong team, especially at home. Valencia, with coach Pesic in the bench is now very strong, plays different basketball compared to the beginning of the season. They have won many games lately and they have managed to qualify despite having been in a tight spot. This makes Valencia all the more dangerous. I believe that our group has the most difficult teams. Every game is like a final, with no tomorrow. If we wish to qualify, we need to think that way”.
On the Final Four: “I have very strong motivation. I want to reach as high as possible and have the best possible season with Olympiacos. Why not make it to the end? My philosophy, however, is that we’ll have to spend many hours practicing and work hard to make it.
It’s not an easy task, because there are many teams with the same ambition. We have to face them and prove we are the best. We cannot make yet another Final Four just with our names. We have to prove at each game that we deserve to make it to the end. The only way is to show it on the court”.