By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Joey Dorsey packed his stuff from Greece in order to continue his basketball career in Turkey and to be more specific in Gaziantepspor. However his brief stop at Olympiacos will not be forgotten easily and he will also not forget the miracle of last season. This is what he had to say in Eurohoops which tracked him down in Turkey after the official announcement of his new team.
– How do you feel about the new chapter in your career with Gaziantepspor?
“I am really looking forward to playing basketball again. Really. The time that I stayed out, made me realize how much I love basketball and I just want to go out and prove to everybody that I can make a difference and help any team get better. Turkey is one of the strongest league in Europe , I know I am going to a team that has not started well, but they look like a well organized club, with ambitions to improve and I want to help them as much as I can. Some people may think that I am not motivated, because it is not a Euroleague team, but trust me, I am more hungry than ever to succeed”.
– Why you didn’t return to US and decided to stay in Europe and sign to a non Euroleague team?
“I wanted to clear my head and focus on basketball only. I worked out individually and it did me a lot of good. I am feeling better both physically and mentally. Also had a chance to do a little bit of sightseeing in Athens , it is a great city and also interacted with a lot of people. All of them were very warm to me, received a lot of love. This helped me a lot, made my even more motivated to show everybody the best of myself”.
– Last year you left in the middle of the season from Caja to Olympiacos. This year you changed teams even earlier. It’s your… fate in Europe?
“This is professional basketball. I keep always the good things in my mind and move on to my new challenge. It is always a nice thing to go to new places and meet new people, Europe is a different place from country to country and I am looking forward for my new destination. You never know how things will end up, but I am always happy to be able to play basketball”.
– You won two titles in Olympiacos and you were part of last season’s incredible Euroleague run. What do you keep from that experience?
“It was a great experience. I am sure nobody believed that this season would end like this when I first came to the team. I am really happy that I had a major impact and helped change Olympiacos to the better. The fans waiting for us after coming back from Istanbul is a moment that will be never forgotten, the parade from the airport to the gym, getting on top of the bus, truly unique experience”.
– Have you regretted your behavior after Olympiacos’ home defeat by Zalgiris? You signed a two years contract, you seemed to have a future in the team and suddenly everything changed and you have to start over again. How do you comment all that happened now that some days have passed and you are a lot calmer?
“As I said before, I cannot change what has been done. Sometimes things don’t go the way you plan or want. What is important is to get up and get going after you fall. And I am ready to start over, I really want to play well and come back to the highest level. I know I can play much better and I want to show that to everybody and help my new team achieve its goals”.
– You made a lot of personal fans in Greece. You stayed only 10 months in Olympiacos, but you will not be easily forgotten. Is it important for you to have that kind of response from the fans and tell us what you will never forget from them? Can you put a title on those last 10 months?
“You put a title when something ends, so I am not ready to do this now, I still got many years of good basketball. For sure, Greece will always be very special to me. Few days ago I was training in a track & field course in Faliro and some guys were playing 4 vs 4 in open court next to it and they asked me to play with them. It was quite fan to do this, after the game we sat down and talked, they were both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos fans and it was really nice to see the appreciation I got from both of them. I believe the passion of the fans in Greece is definitely something that I will always remember. I got a lot of love and I am thankful for this”.
– After what happened with Olympiacos, did you considered changing sports and play football?
“Some teams called me, but I didn’t think about it. I had played in university and I was good, but I am focused on basketball and what I know to do best. I don’t have anything else in my mind than to become a better player and return to the highest level”.