By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Rejoining Vassilis Spanoulis, Peristeri bwin head coach, and enhancing his link to Panionios shaped Dennis Lindsey’s trip to Greece, part of a tour around Europe. Visits to both teams located in Athens were held Friday.
Lindsey, 53, talked with players and coach Spanoulis himself at the Peristeri gym during practice. At the Panionios facilities, he shared his advice with players of the youth team. “Being good teammates and following the team plan of the coaches is important in your lives. This will learn the right values, either as a basketball player or in any other profession,” he told the youngsters.
In his days at the Houston Rockets, Lindsey was behind the decision to acquire the rights of Spanoulis via trade. The Dallas Mavericks picked him 50th overall in the 2004 NBA draft and traded his rights to the Rockets. From Houston to the Utah Jazz, future draft decisions secured the rights of both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
Spanoulis, a three-time EuroLeague champion, made his way to 32 NBA games of the Rockets in the 2006-07 season but family reasons led him back to Europe and further established him as one of the biggest stars ever in the continent. As for the French center and his longtime teammate, they were both traded away from the Jazz last summer signaling intentions to rebuild the squad.
The connection to Panionios was made through Thurl Bailey, a broadcast analyst for Jazz games. The retired NBA player shared information on the team located in Athens, based on his own
Lindsey went from assistant general manager of the Rockets to the same role at the San Antonio Spurs between 2007 and 2012. His executive career grew into the Jazz but he stepped down as executive vice president of basketball operations and transitioned into a role as an advisor during the 2021 offseason.
Photo Credit: Peristeri BC Twitter