By Can Bedel / info@eurohoops.net
Eurohoops caught up with Andrew Goudelock of Reyer Venezia, who spoke about working with the late Kobe Bryant, his thoughts on “The Last Dance” documentary, and looked back to his time in Turkey with Fenerbahce and working with Zeljko Obradovic, among others things.
Eurohoops: First of all, as a former Lakers player, what would you say about Kobe Bryant, do you have a memory of him you can’t forget?
Andrew Goudelock: First off, Rest In Peace to Kobe and Gigi and all involved in the crash. Kobe was a great mentor to me and had a great influence on the way I approached the game even still until this day. He will always be one of my favorite players and the most talented player I have ever personally played with. I have a lot of memories but my favorite is when he injured his right hand and proceeded to destroy us in practice with his left hand only. Jump shots, fade-aways, everything with the left hand.
EH: The Last Dance documentary is very popular right now. What are your thoughts on it?
AG: I have definitely been tuned in to The Last Dance documentary. In my opinion, it’s the best documentary I have seen on a player. Although we already knew Jordan was a beast it’s fun for all the fans to see an even deeper look into his situations in Chicago. I don’t think many people knew the turmoil that they had, anyhow Jordan’s killer instinct was something to marvel at and he remains the best player of all time.
EH: You were among the names that fans loved when you played in Fenerbahçe. What do you think of Fenerbahçe? Are you still following the club? And what do you miss the most from your time in Turkey?
AG: I loved my time in Fener and I’m glad the fans appreciated what I did when I was there. They are some of the best fans I have played for thus far in my career. I still follow for sure. The thing I miss most in Turkey is the food, my family and I fell in love with Turkish cuisine.
EH: You have worked with Pianigiani and Obradovic. What do you have to say about them?
AG: Obradovic continues to be one of the best coaches in the history of basketball and one of my personal favorites. The knowledge of the game that I picked up while playing for him has been instilled in my brain and I still use his teachings almost like a guide.
EH: Shane Larkin broke your three-points record in the EuroLeague this season. How do you evaluate the performance of Larkin and Anadolu Efes?
AG: It is true Larkin tied my three-point record twice! It is an amazing feat and he has been amazing in the past two seasons. I really enjoy watching him and Efes.
EH: Do you agree with EuroLeague’s decision to cancel the season?
AG: The EuroLeague made the right decision to cancel the season and restart next year
EH: You said that he had received offers from Galatasaray before but did not accept it after threats of Fenerbahce fans. When you look back today, would you regret this decision, or what would your attitude be like if you experienced such a thing today?
AG: I don’t regret my decision to go to Galatasaray, I did what I thought was best for me and my family and I made the right decision. If that happened again today I would do the same thing. I have nothing but respect for their organization.
EH: What is your next goal in your career? Do you want to go back to the NBA?
AG: My next goal in my career is to find security with a team but overall I really just want to get back to hooping and trying to become a better player every day!