By Vangelis Papadimitriou/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos Athens star guard Kendrick Nunn wants to leave his mark on the team, starting by leading them to the EuroLeague title.
“Ι want to bring a EuroLeague championship here. Multiple of them,” Nunn told Eurohoops.
“It needs one [more banner]. It needs another one up there. 7 – 8 maybe.”
At the same time, Nunn still has eyes on a potential NBA comeback.
“It still is,” Nunn said when asked if returning to the NBA is still his top goal. “I’ll be honored to go back. You never know.” The American guard signed a two-year contract extension with Panathinaikos earlier in May, a deal that became official after the team won in Game 5 of the EuroLeague playoffs against Maccabi Tel Aviv to advance to the Final Four. The contract includes NBA out clauses, under specific conditions.
How easy was it for Nunn to sign that contract?
“It wasn’t hard. It wasn’t hard at all,” Nunn said. “To play here with one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Playing at a high level. With great guys in the locker room that I enjoy playing with and bonding. It wasn’t hard. I love Panathinaikos and Greece.”
“The hardest part was just having that talk with my family about it,” Nunn added. “Bringing them away from home from another couple of years. But it’s to my benefit so they’re happy with it.”
Nunn is averaging 15.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds in his debut EuroLeague season. He had 19.2 points (on 16-31 3-point shooting), 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the playoffs, to lead Panathinaikos towards the team’s first Final Four after 2012.
While Nunn was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team, some believed that he also deserved the MVP award, that went to Mike James.
“I could for sure, I’ve been in that conversation,” Nunn said. “Even without the Final Four I believe I could’ve been in that conversation. He [Mike James] has been deserving of it and I’m happy for him.”