Fenerbahce’s Greek magic Kostas Sloukas has had an intense summer. Last season was a successful one on for the 28-year-old guard who played in the EuroLeague final and won the Turkish League title. The little break he had after the season did not last long! After all, we are talking about a guy who is passionately devoted to the game!
Sloukas joined the Greek national team for FIBA Europe Qualifiers in September, and along with his teammates, they booked a place in the FIBA World Championship. Now it’s time for him to try to carry Fenerbahce to the top of Europe once more, being a true leader on the court.
As the season, starts, Kostas adds one more entry on his official blog on Eurohoops!
Hello everyone!
It’s great to be back! What a summer it was! I rested a bit spending some time with family and friends after a long while. It was really fun.
Since I was 10, I was working towards playing for the national team. It’s something that makes me proud.
I am very happy to join the national team and be successful. I must add that the players, who participated in the national team before us during the FIBA Windows, did an amazing job, as well. I mean, the wins they got were crucial while the EuroLeague and NBA players were absent. They played great. And we just finished the job by joining the team. Now we are going to be in the World Championship, of which I am very happy and proud!
Whenever I put my national jersey on, I feel honored. To play for the Greek national team in the World Championship is really important for me. I was working towards playing for the Greek national team since I was 10. It’s an honor for me to represent my country and nation. It will be interesting and entertaining to be a part of the World Championship.
And I should also say something about Papanikolaou’s buzzer beater. AMAZING! At first glance, I thought he didn’t make it in time but, still, I was celebrating. Honestly, we did not play so good in that game. We were trailing by double-digits. It was so difficult to come back from that point. We did our best. Thanks to that critical attempt, we made things right, and it was a brilliant feeling.
Now I have joined Fenerbahce for a new season. We have two new players: Joffrey Lauvergne and Tyler Ennis. I could not practice with them much, because I was in the national team, and yet I kept watching them. Both are very good and quality players. They are so talented, and I believe that they can contribute to our team a lot. I believe in my teammates and staff as well. Of course, they will need some time to completely comprehend the philosophy of the team and coach, but we will do our best to help them. I am sure that they will not have any issues regarding adjusting to the team thanks to their quality.
“We are aware of the fact that everybody has high expectations from us. However, we will work very hard and fight to fill the people believing in us with pride.”
Maintaining the core of our roster is one of our biggest advantages. The core players of our team, including myself, have been playing together for some years. My teammates and the staff is like a family to me. After all, I am spending more time with them than with my family. It’s really important and it will be the key for us to preserve this.
However, the most important thing for us is to be on the same page as a team, which means that we have to execute the plan of the coach on both ends. If this happens, everyone shall put their talents on display. We want just to win and it’s crucial to do it a team.
The upcoming season in the EuroLeague will be a challenging one. All teams made several moves in the summer to strengthen their rosters. It is still early to talk about Final Four once again. We should move step by step. Our primary goal is to finish the regular season at the top. With days and months passing by, we will be trying to realize our goals.
As for the Turkish League, there is a new foreigner rule (ed.note: only five non-local players are allowed to play in each game), and it will be interesting. However, I still believe in my teammates more than anyone. I don’t think that this new rule will have a negative impact on us. Turkish League has always been a challenging one, but we are here to overcome these challenges. Wherever we are, everyone wants to beat the reigning champs.
I have been playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe for four years. Accordingly, I am used to the fact that the opponents have an extra motivation against us, and to play under this pressure. We are brought here to win. Everyone in this club is here to win titles. We came here being aware of this fact, and we should live in the same way. We are aware of the fact that everyone has high expectations from us. However, we will work very hard and fight to fill the people believing in us with pride.”
“We have the best head-coach and general manager at Fenerbahce. I have great teammates, and I feel great here.”
I am really so happy to play for Fenerbahce. I don’t feel I have any reason to leave in the future. We have the best head coach and general manager. I have great teammates and I feel great here. I am happy about the story that we’ve been writing in the recent years.
It’s great to live in Turkey and in Istanbul. I really love the city. It’s a beautiful place. Fenerbahce fans recognize me wherever I go. It’s a nice feeling. I am sure that they’ll be supporting us through the upcoming season, as they have done so far.
So long for now! Take care!
Kostas Sloukas…
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