By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
It can’t get much better for Vasilis Spanoulis and that’s obvious by his mood in his video for Eurohoops.net, which was taken during a 3X3 event for young players, sponsored by “Nike”.
Last season’s Euroleague Final Four MVP, the most valuable player of the competition for November, last season’s Greek league MVP and also a candidate for the FIBA Europe’s player of the year award for 2012. He had to accept that the past season was the fullest in his career!
“The truth is that my last season was one of my best, if not the best ever! We stayed healthy and achieved all of our goals (ed.note: he says as his teammate Kostas Papanikolaou behind camera tries to make him laugh). It was a pinnacle season for Olympiacos. Our goal now is to stay consistent and continue that way”.
Spanoulis is the only non NBA player who is candidate for FIBA Europe’s player of year award. Does he believe he has a chance to win against big competition?
“It’s just an honor for me to be between the candidates. It’s also an honor for my team, Olympiacos, and my teammates. Basketball is a team sport. We will see what will happen. I am not the one judging who was the best European player for 2012, not me. My main concern is to have one more successful season with Olympiacos”.
His contract with the Greek team is ending this summer. Many European clubs will try to approach him, but he has clarified many times that his priority will be Olympiacos. What he will do, though, if there is a chance for him to return in the NBA with a totally different role than the one he had in Houston back in 2005-06 season? There are already rumors about NBA teams that are following him closely.
“At this moment I am focus to Olympiacos and our season’s goals. We want to play in Euroleague’s play offs, we want to remain Greek champions and we also want the Greek cup. I don’t know what could happen in the summer. It’s something that I will think about when it would be time to do so”.
Still, does he want to return to the States in order to prove that he can play in the NBA? His answer for the moment is just a big smile! “I will see the offers that will be available and for sure I will examine all of them”.