By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
For the past few days Giannis is in Greece enjoying three things that he can rarely find in Milwaukee. The sun, his old and everlasting friends and plenty of free time!
This summer Eurohoops will bring you some reading with unique extracts in the context of Giannis’s Official Blog, but before Milwaukee’s Greek ace writes on his personal blog, we’ll warm you up with an exclusive interview. The first in any medium since he got back, and out and about on his old stomping grounds.
– Giannis what do you think of the weather? How are you spending the first days of your vacation in Greece?
“It’s the perfect weather. In Milwaukee it’s cold! I’m enjoying it. It’s like we say… it’s not cold in Greece, it was never cold (laughs)!”
– When you’re out in the street do you see any differences in how people react compared to last summer?
“Yes, wherever we go with Thanasis, my family or even my friends, people recognize us. Even more people know us. Usually they say hello and say nice things. It’s nice, this contact with people.”
– Do you have any plans for your vacation?
“I’m back in Greece so I can wind down and recharge my batteries. It won’t be long before I have to go back to the USA, to start training again and focus on my individual improvement. I’m going to work with my brothers as well, Kostas and Thanasis.”
– What do you think is going to happen in terms of basketball with Thanasis and Kostas next season?
“The one thing I know and am positive about is that they will be better. It’s up to them to prove it. Kostas is slowly coming to realize that his body is made to play in the NBA. He’s realizing his skills and is starting to cultivate his body and the basics of basketball. Thanasis always worked hard. He will continue to do so until he achieves his goals!”
– You know, Thanasis said at one point that as soon as Kostas starts playing basketball professionally, people will forget about you two!
“I wish! I want him to be the best. Basically my dream is each time the youngest to be the best. Kostas better than me and the youngest, Alexis, better than Kostas!”
– Next season is very important for you. What are your priorities, which elements of your game do you have in mind to work more on in order to improve them?
“The same things I worked hard on in the season that just ended, and even more. I believe I can do everything on the court. I aim to further improve my body, get stronger. Also, I’m going to work hard on improving my shot. Another aspect that is scheduled to work on in individual training is to introduce more moves in the low post. If the opponent learns a move in the low post and he’s ready to stop you, you have to dig up a new one you’ve worked on and surprise him.”
– Most people that started following you this year because of the buzz surrounding your name are under the impression that you don’t have any talent in shooting. We all know you from your first years in basketball and we know that you can shoot from a distance. Why did you attempt three-pointers so rarely this year?
“I didn’t shoot because coach Kidd didn’t want me to shoot! Ultimately, this was of great help! I understood that at this stage I have to start my offensive moves from deeper in the court. Three-pointers and lay-ups I attempted mostly in my first season in the NBA.
Now I’ve already added a low post game and I’m at a very good level in drives. Within the season I added the mid-distance shot. Next season I’ll add the three-pointer too. I don’t have to start shooting a lot of three-pointers. From now on, when I’m free I’ll execute. When I decide to add an element to my game and I set that as a goal, I’ll manage it, without a doubt.”
– Which means that in the near future we will get to enjoy more… perimeter elements that your basketball instincts contain?
“What happened this year was this. Coach Kidd trusted me and I trusted him. At the beginning, when he told me not to shoot I didn’t particularly like that. I wanted to shoot! But he was right. Everything has to happen in the right timing. At some point at the end of the season he said to me, Giannis, now you can shoot. You’re ready. I told him that now I don’t want to (laughs!). I told my coach, don’t worry. Next season I’ll get it out on my own on the court, spontaneously. It’ll come from my game and the work I do every day.”
– Giannis the press is hunting you… A lot of people in Greece believe you are over-promoted by the Greek media. They are not aware that in the USA, where the media have a huge impact, they are doing the same thing and that the NBA organization is promoting you (in a positive way) regularly as well. Can you manage that? It doesn’t take much for someone to get lost.
“Definitely. It doesn’t take much to get bigheaded. I don’t really concern myself with that too much. I’m not really pursuing the publicity. I try to avoid it, but it’s not easy. I know that I have to be careful and focus only on basketball.”
– In the next few years and with the possible progress that you might have based on your prospects, the situation might become even more intense. Will you be ready to remain loyal exclusively to basketball, faithful to your work ethic, and in this way to manage to get the most out of your talent and your God-given gift to the full extent?
“I’m going to try as hard as I can. I like to think that for every success, for every kind of hype, for every person that might approach me about Antetokounmpo and not about Giannis, I will remain faithful to basketball. I will add more work, more concentration. Even bigger devotion to my family and the people that were there for me when only few knew about me and I was struggling to sustain myself.”
– Do you have time to follow the Euroleague at all? The Final Four is coming up next week.
“I usually check out the scores and the highlights. I don’t have a lot of time because of the time difference and the consecutive games. I know we have a Greek team in Madrid. Thumbs up to Olympiacos. Honestly, what they achieved is so hard. I wish them the best. You should know that I watch a lot of AEK and Kamperidis!”
– How do you judge the fact that Greek teams and Greek players are consistently at the top level of the Euroleague?
“We have basketball in our blood! I read that Spanoulis got into the best five of the tournament and that he’s in the Top 10 players for the 7th time. It’s a big thing to have longevity in sports. I like Tomic, Bjelica and Printezis. Giorgos I believe is among the best 3 power forwards in Europe. Also, Saric. He has a lot of talent and experience for a kid his age.”
– Do you see yourself ever playing in Europe?
“Maybe, when I’m forty… Seriously, I’ve thought about it! To take teams from the A2 to the A1. I’ll come and play in Greece after 40. I’ll be able to manage a good 20 minutes. I’ll sit at the low post and score 10 points, get 10 rebounds and distribute 5-6 assists.
I might even be the team’s president (bursts into laughter)! But I want you to know that I won’t mess up the balances in the team. I’ll be fair. We’ll be presidents with Thanasis! Well, he’ll still be playing when he’s 45 with the body that he has. The good thing if I’m in charge of the team will be that nobody will be able to pull me out of the game! But don’t worry, I’m not going to be awful. I’ll still be able to contribute with the mindset and the experience that I will have. Of course, if people start coming down on me then I’ll become president only when I stop playing. Until then, I’ll fight hard for my place in the team!”
– What do you think about the national team? The team is coming back from many setbacks and if they don’t go far in the Eurobasket then we will lose our place in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. This will most likely mean the departure of important players like Spanoulis and Zisis.
“I’m waiting for the moment when the time of the national team comes. I wish all the older guys are there, if it’s possible. I’m 20 years old. Whatever I have achieved in the NBA until now, I have a lot to learn from players like Spanoulis and Zisis. It really helped me that I was in the same room with Zisis in the summer.
I saw Nikos (Zisis) crying when we lost to Serbia, like he was a small child. At that moment I realized that the national team is for those that can take the pressure and the wear. The physical and the mental. That’s when I felt I got infected with the virus of the national team. You have to be present and give everything you’ve got every time. In order to give joy to people.
A lot of players haven’t gone on vacations with their families for many years, except for a few days. For the national team you have to sacrifice. I hope we do well. To qualify for the Olympic Games so all the older guys have the chance to compete in the Olympics if they want to.”
– Some people are concerned whether in the future, after a long period in the NBA, you won’t come to the national team anymore.
“What I feel now is that I want to play in the national team. Maybe at some point my legs won’t hold. Maybe I’ll feel a lot of wear and tear, have injury problems. You can never know what condition you are going to be in every time when the years are going by. For as long as I feel that I can endure, though, I’ll always be present. I know that one day, I’ll be an important part of the national team and that the team will need me. Then and now, I have to live up to the expectations and act exactly like the old guys who have honored this jersey so much.”