Blatt: "I feel lucky, proud and happy" (vid)
Olympiacos' coach, David Blatt, arrived Tuesday evening (17/07) at the 'Eleftherios Venizelos' airport, where he was welcomed by the General Director of Olympiacos BC, Christos Stavropoulos.
The coach originally got to check the status of his … Greek, thanking the reporters that honored him with his presence talking in our language and then stated: "It's great that I'm here. You all know that I have a lot of experience in Greece. I have lived here in the past, but the fact that I'm coming to Greece now to become a member of such a special and historical program, like the one of Olympiacos, makes this day for me special. It's going to be a great experience. I feel lucky, proud and happy. I can't wait!"
On whether his decision to sit in the 'reds' bench was easy or not, he replied: "It was very easy! I mean that! I went through a process for the NBA at the end of last season, before I even began talking with other teams in Europe. But the first team I talked with was Olympiacos and actually it was the only team! I realized they were really interested in me and I immediately tried to make it happen. Thankfully, it all worked out. That's the place I wanted to be!"
Asked whether he aims to winning the Euroleague with Olympiacos, he stressed that: "You don't come to a team like this one, without realizing what the expectations are and without being willing to embrace the challenge. I want to tell you that I've always believed in my career, and those who have followed it can understand, that I've been lucky to be a part of many very successful teams in different competitions that have won a multitude of championships, medals… So, it doesn't have to do with the result. It has to do with what you are willing to do to get the results. That's how I see it and I really think that Olympiacos understands it the same way. They couldn't have been that successful by merely setting a goal. That's the easy part. The hard part is the work you need to be doing, your commitment to succeed and every rank and file of the team. The willingness to sacrifice whatever it needs to be sacrificed, that will ultimately lead you to success. That's what drew me to join Olympiacos. I know they are a team that understands which is part of my philosophy".
When asked to give a promise to the Olympiacos fans, he said: "They will be getting my best. That's what I'm promising. I feel very lucky to be part of this tradition, that I will be a member of this special community of fans and members of the team. Of its history… Olympiacos has a special culture, a unique tradition and the fans are a big part of all of that, if not the biggest. I'll do my best to make them happy".
On how many pieces are left till the roster is completed, he made it clear: "After signing Axel Toupane, we are really looking for one more piece of the puzzle. Despite the reports and the names that have seen publicity… It is very probable that most of them are suggested by agents and not by the media. I know how this business works. I've been a coach for a long time. We have been working hard to build the best team possible for the fans and the club. It's true that I have emphasized combining great experience and skill from the players that have already been with the team with youth, athleticism, speed, shooting. Elements that we need incorporating in the team in the following seasons. We will be completing our roster soon and start working. And that's the fun part".
Finally, he was asked to comment on our captain, Vassilis Spanoulis. "The great thing with Vassilis is that he's an up stand guy. Despite his many achievements, his many special moments and the fact that he's a player with an excellent array of plays, he remains humble, simply a basketball player who cares about the team, about its success. He's the leader without any doubts and he's been a star for many years now. It's a joy to be coaching people like him. When you coach experienced players that always think the right thing, it's a great feeling for the coach. I don't think that Printezis is any different, nor Papanikolaou or Mantzaris. They are guys that understand what's right and what the team needs. Because they know that when the team is doing well, everyone is doing well. And that's what we want".