By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Two years ago, when he was coach of Olympiacos, David Blatt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He soon after left the bench of the Greek team and gradually moved away from basketball, but the name of David Blatt has remained one of the most important in the history of the Euroleague and European basketball in general.
The coach has never shied away from speaking openly about his illness, being very emotional at times and, at other times, sending messages of motivation and improvement, as was the case in a recent interview of his with DAZN.
“First of all, never, never give up,” Blatt started, strong and clear. “You wake up in the morning and not every day is the same, not every day is a good day. But you deal with it by facing it, being open, being honest about what you can and cannot do, or how you can push yourself to do a little more, be positive, be proactive about treatment and the different help you can receive. There are many types of multiple sclerosis and I can say that none of them are easy to handle. But a lot happens to a lot of people in life, not just this difficult disease. And the answer is in how you deal with it. ”
Blatt acknowledged that he regularly works out by going to the swimming pool or doing whatever exercise he can to keep himself as strong as possible.
“There is no guaranteed cure for these difficult diseases. It has a lot to do with your motivation and trying to be the best version of yourself. And, as a coach, I have always asked that of my players and now I ask myself.”
The way he started, coach Blatt also finished. Strong.
“Your life doesn’t end with multiple sclerosis. It is just another challenge that you have to face and you have to almost welcome that opportunity to prove yourself and to be your best possible version.”