By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus superstar Evan Fournier explained his decision to join the Reds and return to Europe after 12 years in the NBA.
“I had already thought about going back to Europe,” Fournier said in an interview with L’Equipe. “If it was to experience something strong, emotions, in a place where it was on fire, it was 100 percent yes. I would have liked to experience more things in the NBA, I only made the playoffs five times. But you don’t control everything about your destiny there. After the Olympic Games, I told my agent that I was keen to [return to Europe]. Olympiakos was my priority.”
Fournier signed a contract with Olympiacos for the next two seasons that includes an option for 2026-27. While a veteran of 724 NBA games and several major FIBA tournaments with the French national team, he’s going to play in the EuroLeague for the first time in his career.
His goal? Going all the way to lifting the EuroLeague trophy with Olympiacos.
“I am aware that it is not the NBA,” Fournier said. “There will be an adaptation period, but every summer, I go back to play in FIBA’s biggest competitions. Here, I could navigate the positions from ‘1’ to ‘3’. It leaves more opportunities to take minutes. The number one thing is that I want to win the EuroLeague.”
The French guard said also he was offered a 2-year contract with the Wizards in the NBA, but he wasn’t interested in a “mentoring role” with the youngsters, “in a losing team”.
Fournier arrived in Athens, Greece for Olympiacos Wednesday (4/9) almost at midnight. He was wearing an Olympiacos shirt with the words “Un Sacre Club” – “A Sacred Club”.
Despite the late hour, thousands of Olympiacos fans went to the airport to welcome Fournier and also club owner Giorgos Aggelopoulos was there. He visibly loved it.
Photo: Olympiacos BC