By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz is in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs, and a big reason for this success is Toko Shengelia. The 26-year old forward had a great month of March, and was named EuroLeague’s MVP, averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2,8 assists leading his team to six consecutive victories. In 28 games so far this season, he has been averaging 13.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
In an interview, he had with EuroLeague.net, he stated that his team plays with a lot of aggressiveness, and did not give up when the playoffs seemed way out of hand.
Congratulations on becoming the EuroLeague’s MVP for March. Baskonia was the first team to get six wins in one month! What does this award mean to you?
“Thanks a lot. It means a lot for us. It gives us a lot of confidence as a team, that little boost that we need to go to the playoffs. No matter who we face in the playoffs, they will have much respect for us, especially when we play at home. It is all positive things coming out of it.”
Your great March led the team to the EuroLeague playoffs. How satisfying is this for you, personally, and the club?
“Of course, especially this year it was tough for us. Especially in the beginning after losing so many games in a row, and our schedule was not that easy either. Not a lot of people believed that we would make it to the playoffs, but we fought for it and never gave up, and we are one of the top eight teams in the EuroLeague, which is great for us, for the city and our fans.”
Baskonia is the first team to make it to the playoffs after a 0-4 start. How were you able to turn the situation around the way you did?
“Our coach did an amazing job for us. He changed our mindset and there is no need to explain that Pedro [Martinez] had a big influence on what happened to this team. As for us, the players, we started to enjoy a lot more, every offensive possession, every defensive possession. We started to enjoy a lot and you can tell by watching our games. Every win we got gave us more positivity in the locker room and on the court, and this is why we started getting the results that we got.”
Click here for the whole interview.
For more EuroLeague news, click here!