By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos head coach Rick Pitino has now been at the helm of the Greek team for over two months. Thus he’s now acquired a pretty good idea of European basketball is about and what distinguishes it from the NBA.
When asked about the differences he’s found between European and American basketball in an interview by La Provincia, Pitino answered: “The game style in EuroLeague is the closest thing to what people called ‘basketball’. What you learn since childhood. But this happens with all the players of the competition, whether they are 25 or 35 years old.”
“The game in the EuroLeague is more physical than the NBA,” Pitino added.
“I have to be a different coach here,” Pitino also mentioned after a question on what Europe has taught him. “In Europe, the lifestyle is very different from the one I had in the United States. I have even learned of the rivalry that exists among fans. Something not seen in the USA.”
“For me, now Olympiacos is the one I have to have a real hatred towards to because Panathinaikos always has to beat them,” Pitino joked.
Pitino also commented on Luka Doncic. “He’s a fantastic player and it’s only his first year. It’s clear that he can do all the things he’s demonstrating in Dallas because he has a great talent. I think the good players in EuroLeague can do well in the NBA. And well, those who don’t reach that level can always enjoy this competition [EuroLeague] which is the NBA in Europe. It’s a phenomenal league.”