By Semih Tuna/ stuna@eurohoops.net
After a season which cemented his reputation in Europe, Wanamaker was on the verge of signing in the NBA. When this didn’t happen, he took the next best option, which was joining Fenerbahce.
While he only has good things to say about coach Blatt and his former team, the challenge of playing for Obradovic and the EuroLeague champions is obvious and he welcomes it. Just don’t compare him with Bogdan Bogdanovic. As he said: “I am going to be goddamn Brad Wanamaker”.
-It has been a long story and you ended up in here. What happened, did it take so long to sign with Fenerbahce because of the NBA?
“Yes. My main goal during last season was trying to make the NBA jump. It was my childhood dream since I started basketball. But once there was an ambition… Fenerbahce was the right club for me. Great organization, great club… Great fans”.
-Did you get any other offer from Euroleague teams? For example did Real Madrid called you after Llull’s injury?
“There was interest by many clubs. I don’t want to mention teams but Fenerbahce was the right place for me”.
-What about Dacka and working with Blatt? Playing in the EuroCup instead of the EuroLeague was a factor?
“Coach Blatt man… Last year was great. We had a great team. It was great working with him. He is a tremendous basketball mind. He knows the game. He knows how to put players in the best position. Obviously this year was tough for me going back, playing in the Eurocup. Regardless the level”.
– Have you adapt to your new team and new teammates? How is team chemistry at this point?
“It is going well. We have five newcomers in the team. The team won the championship ladt year. Obviously it takes time. We had 6 games in 6 days. It helped a lot. We are practising hard, being focused. We have a great group of guys. It makes it lot easier to adjust”.
-Are you excited to work with Zeljko Obradovic? What are your thoughts about him?
“It’s very exciting. He is a European legend. Even an American knows who he is. He has tremendous amounts of Euroleague title. I am excited at this moment. He can help me to get my own. It has been greatk working with him. He is a great basketball mind. All the team can benefit”.
-You are going to try to fill for Bogdanovic’s absence. He was fan favorite. You are different player, you have a different style but there will be some comparisons. Are you ready for this kind of pressure?
“Nah man, there’s no pressure.
I am going to be goddamn Brad Wanamaker. I’m not here to replace Bogdan Bogdanovic. He was great for Fener. I was fan of his game. He had a tremendous season. But, you know, I’m here to be me, not Bogdan.
I’m pretty sure throughout the season there’ll be comparisons. Just because we’re kind of playing the same position, I’m gonna run similar offensive sets but I’m here to be Brad Wanamaker”.
-Fenerbahce Doğuş has Bobby Dixon, Marko Guduric, Sinan Guler, James Nunnally and Kostas Sloukas in the back court. It’s one of the best in Europe. Are you ready for this challange?
“Yeah, definitely. As I said, this a great group of guys. We constantly talk with each other, talking about how to benefit from each other, how to help each other out. Everyday in the practice, we’re guarding each other. We’re making each other better. So, it’s a plus in order to reach at the top”.
-Every team will be highly motivated when they play against you. Do you think this is good or bad for you and why?
“I think it’s a great thing. Because, you can take no days off. Every game you have to be mentally prepared. Honestly, it will be a long season. Physically it will not be the same every night but mentally you gotta be mentally focused so that you can win those games. If you don’t, you lose”.
-Which of your abilities will help you most in Obradovic’s system?
“I hope all my abilities. Obviously last season I scored high points, the season before I was creating more for my sharp-shooting teammates. I can fit into any system”.
-What would you like to say about Fenerbahçe Doğuş fans? Do you have any message for them?
“To the Fenerbahce fans, thank you for all the welcome messages. I received tons of messages on Twitter, Instagram. I’m excited for this season and want to get the trophy in these colors”.
-There were some rumors about you becoming naturalized player for Turkish national team. Did you get any offer about it? What would you like to say about playing for Turkey?
“At this moment, there’s nothing new about me joining the Turkish National Team. Who knows what happens in the future?”
-What about your future? Do you have going back to NBA in your mind?
“It’ll always be in my mind. It was a childhood dream. So, that’s something always going over my mind. But now I’m with Fenerbahçe and that’s the most important thing”.