By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Prior to becoming the head coach of Olympiacos David Blatt had faced three-time EuroLeague champion and Final Four MVP Vassilis Spanoulis as an opponent many times throughout his career. Not anymore though, since starting from the upcoming season, the two European basketball greats will work together with the Reds.
For Blatt, coaching Spanoulis instead of having to strategize plans to stop him, is a kind of relief.
“I had the fortune and the misfortune of coaching against Vassilis (Spanoulis) for many years. I can tell you, it’s a lot nicer to be on his side than to be against him,” Blatt said to Greek Nova Sports. “He’s one of the greatest players in European basketball history. He’s a special and a great guy. That’s the right things. Those are the guys that you want to coach. And those are the guys that the other players want to play with. It’s great being here and it’s great coaching Spanoulis.”
Spanoulis had one of his numerous memorable EuroLeague performances against a team coached by David Blatt back in 2013. During Round 5 of the EuroLeague Top 16, Spanoulis scored 24 points and dished out 4 assists to lead Olympiacos to a crucial road win over Maccabi Tel Aviv. It was a key result that helped the Greek team bounce back from a 1-3 entrance in the Top 16 and launch a turn of the tide en route to winning the back-to-back EuroLeague title.