By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Milos Teodosic is preparing for the 4th final four of his career and what he misses the most is a Euroleague trophy. The Serbian point guard for the second consecutive year is a member of the All Euroleague team, in 2009-10 he was the season MVP, but the puzzle will be completed only when he wins the title.
His experience last season in the final against his old team was really painful, but the new challenge is ahead of him and he speaks to Eurohoops.net about the upcoming Final Four and this season’s CSKA. He gives a 25% chances to every team competing for the title, he considers Spanoulis the top Greek player at the moment and he confesses that after last year’s final he lost his sleep for a long time.
– Milos, last season you faced Olympiacos in the final and now you are facing the Reds in semifinal. When you left the summer of 2011, did you expected something like this to happen?
“Very few people expected that Olympiacos will evolve this way after that summer and I am happy that the team remained in the top level. They had the quality to be again in the Final Four and they proved it on the court. I didn’t expect something like that, specially last season. Coach Ivkovic did a great job, they have a lot of good players and we must admit that they did something really great”.
-Last season CSKA was considered the big favorite. What’s you take for this year’s Final Four?
“There isn’t a big favorite this season. Every team has the same chances to win the title. It’s going to be really interesting. You can’t say that there is a team above the rest of the competition and that was evident throughout the season. The experience, the momentum and also luck will define the outcome and the new Euroleague champion”.
-Which version of CSKA do you consider best? This year’s or last year’s team?
“It’s not easy to answer this particular question. Both seasons we have a good roster and we are a real team. This season we had many injury problems. Also, we have some new members and we needed time in order to find each other and perform as a unit. In the last weeks are playing like we should and our level is good. We lost key players like Kirilenko, Shved and Siskauskas. We did had the best talent last season, but we didn’t have the luck on our side and we lost the final”.
– However, this season’s versatile Khryapa does a really good job of providing also what Kirilenko gave to the team. Do you agree?
“Khyrapa has a great season so far. He is incredible. He is more than valuable to the team. Of course, it’s not easy to replace Kirilenko, but what you say it’s true. Kryapa does everything on the court, he doesn’t care about his numbers, the only thing he wants is to win. He is the best team player in the league this season. For me personally, his presence makes everything more easy. He understands basketball really well and he knows how to be the catalyst for his teammates and CSKA Moscow”.
-This Euroleague season is different. There were more games and more traveling around Europe. Do you like the new format?
“For sure it’s better for the fans, for everyone loving basketball and for everyone who wants to see many games on the television. But for the players it was a harder season. With the new Top16 format every team in the end gets what it really deserves. The same applies to the play offs but in the Final Four we still have knock out games and anything can happen. The best team can’t be sure about the outcome because of the format”.
-Who is your best friend in CSKA?
“We are hanging out a lot with Krstic, because we know each other for years, we play together in the national team and we are close friends. The same applies to my other countrymen, Micov and Erceg. I know Papaloukas from Olympiacos, all the Russian players are good guys and I think that we have some great atmosphere in the locker rooms. We have good relationships, we are having fan and that’s also helps us on the court”.
-How do you feel about Olympiacos?
“I feel bad, because we had many chances to win important titles but didn’t do it, despite the fact that we deserved them at least on some cases and we were really close in winning them”.
-Are you kind of bitter for the way you left?
“I don’t like not being sincere. Yes, I didn’t left the way I wanted from Olympiacos and now I understand that many people doesn’t know the exact facts about what happened back then. It’s not the right timing to speak more about this. And of course that doesn’t change the fact that I still love the team”.
-Have you rewatched last season’s Final in Istanbul? Was it the most cruel moment of your career?
“No, never! What happened was really cruel. That game and the lost semifinal against Turkey in Mundobasket 2010 are the two losses that hurt me the most”.
– Some players of CSKA after the game went out for a drink, but you were not among them. Did you managed to sleep?
“How could I sleep? Of course, not. Not even for a second. I always have a hard time sleeping after big games, so think how I felt after this one”.
-How long you were distressed like this?
“This game is still on my mind. This was not the only night I had trouble sleeping because of the game. There were also many other nights. Really, it was a long time before I could manage to sleep in peace again. The first days I could sleep only for some minutes. I will never forget that final. Even now, if it crosses my mind, I try to change quickly images and thoughts. It still hurts”.
-What happened was really strange. You played in Olympiacos for years, you had those players as teammates and you were sharing with them your time, your personal life, your dreams and your goals. And when your friends finally realized their dreams, it was a nightmare for you…
“I will tell you what I think now, after all this time has gone by. I know very well what this title ment for Olympiacos, for everyone on the team and for the fans. Only me, I know the way I felt. Now, I say that if my fate was to experience something so dreadful and painful, at least the winner was Olympiacos. If someone had to beat me like this, it’s good that it was Olympiacos…”
-Ivkovic or Messina? What is their difference?
“I don’t want to compare the coaches, it’s not right. Everyone was saying that because of my character and my style I would have a problem with coach Messina and our collaboration will have a lot of bumps along the road. However, it’s now proven that we understand each other really well and we have build a very good relationship. He is a top class coach and he is brilliant”.
-What’s your relationship with Papaloukas? A lot of stuff were heard when you were playing together and because the tv cameras caught you yelling on each other on the court. A lot of people believe that you don’t have a good relationship…
“The public believes a lot of thinks, while having the wrong impression. I am very happy that Theo is here, even for some months. We have a great friendship. It’s logical some times to argue with your teammates. If you don’t speak out, if you don’t have some kind of disputes, then you are not interested on the team. As for Theo, it’s important to have such a player on the court and specially in a team in which he has a great history. He is a huge name in Russia and everyone here loves him. He helps us with his experience. He worked hard and he is more ready than ever to help us”.
-Who is the best Greek player according to Milos?
“The last decade Greece produced three really important players for European basketball, Papaloukas, Diamantidis and Spanoulis. At this moment, I think it’s clear that Spanoulis is the best”.
-What do you miss the most from Greece?
“The sun and my friends!”
-Μilos, one last question about the Serbian national team. Your generation had an ideal start in 2009, but since then things are really different. Will you come back with a vengeance in this year’s Eurobasket?
“It was a great disappointment to miss the London Olympiacos. There are reasons about what happened, things didn’t go like we wanted to and like the fans in my country expected to… We have to prove that we have the talent and also the team for something great. It will not be easy, because we may have some important absences this year. I am always ready to play for the national team and I hope that we can be all present”.