By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
DeShaun Thomas has played 101 EuroLeague games so far throughout his career with various teams and the clashes against Panathinaikos were inevitable. He came to know the atmosphere which PAO fans create every time and now that he is on their side, he can’t be more proud:
“I was on the other side, I was against them. Now I’m on this side and I’m proud to be on this side with the fans. The good thing is they know the game, they are out there cheering. And, you know, the fans get really loud and crazy, and that’s a good thing. I’m glad to be on this side, to be a part of that.”
Whoever joins Panathinaikos must be ready for the fiery derby against Olympiacos and, Thomas is not only ready but also has an extra motive against the ‘Reds’. In fact, his teams were eliminated twice by them in the EuroLeague quarterfinals (Barcelona, 2014-15; Efes, 2016-17), so, he might be looking for a payback:
“Yes, I’m ready. If you think about it, Olympiacos put me out of the playoffs when I played with Barca, when I played with Efes, so, it’s a derby for me no matter what. It’s in the back of your mind. You had a chance to go to the Final Four with Barcelona, you had a chance with Efes. I just feel like I have to get over that. If we meet against them, we’ll just have to fight and get over that.”
Thomas also talked about his previous experience with coach Xavi Pascual, how he feels playing beside Nick Calathes, about his role in the lineup and much more. Here is the full interview: