By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
London’s Final Four is already past, but a repeat – by any European team – will by remembered for ever. That’s why we asked from journalists around Europe to give us their opinion about Olympiacos winning the title. Here are their contributions.
Luca Chiabotti, Gazzetta Dello Sport
Play the right way
Americans have a saying, a moto: play the right way. It’s what I think about Olympiacos. I mean they play basketball like it is a team sport, without egos, helping each others. They have a good balance between superstars and “regular” players.
For the second time in two years, Olympiacos showed to Europe how you can reach to a success, without exaggerated with money, without having too many stars, with keeping a core of Greek players and add Americans capable of taking the leadership, with maybe hidden but important ways. Olympiacos has many ways to win: at the last Final Four they scored 60 points and they also scored 100 points, by keeping their defense on high levels. They were switching their plays, the way they were playing for many many times during the same game, with patient and concentration.
The world of basketball is totally different now, but I think that the impact of Olympiacos’ success is a new chapter in Euroleague’s history, after Split and Maccabi are the only other teams with a repeat. All Europe must give big credit to Angelopoulos brothers, the staff, and the players for how they won again. I am happy, also, for Christos Stavropoulos, the kind and polite GM of the team, who is always in the shadow, but he has a big knowledge on basketball.
Arnaud Lecomte, L’ Equipe
The key in today’s European basketball
This repeat is one of the biggest surprise in Final Four history, same as Partizan in ’92 and Limoges in ’93 from the team’s consistency point of view. With a perfect leader slash superstar, Vasilis Spanoulis like Young-Dacoury and Danilovic-Djordejvic were at their time, role players who understand their job and phenomenal mental toughness!
The way the team and the club managed this season after Ivkovic left Olympiacos’ is absolutely remarkable, They proved that keeping the same nucleus from year to another is probably the key in today’s European basketball.But in my opinion, this Euroleague’s season is probably one of the weakest of the last decade because:
1) Usual super powers were not as good as last years. CSKA lost Kirilenko, Shved and Siskauskas ; Panathinaïkos lost Obradovic, Batiste and many more; Barcelona was probably not that good comparing to last years, their bench players in London were not so strong with only Sada, Wallace and Jasikevicius (37 years old) being experienced players; same goes for Siena and Maccabi.
2) Turkish teams were as usual disappointment.
3) There were new powers, with the exception maybe of Caja Laboral but they are not exactly a new power.
Gökhan German, Fanatik
Local players create team spirit
Olympiakos proved once again that the most important thing is… to be a real team, to behave like a real team and to fight no matter what (specially, not matter how much money you get). Once again the best team beat a group of stars…
Also important was that Olympiacos have many native players. I always say, you can create a team spirit with native players. İn Olympiakos, the leaders are Spanoulis, Papanikolaou, Printezis, Perperoglu and Sloukas (these 5 player scored 53 points at the final game). The foreigners are in general role players, but they have great personalities. They perform at 1000%.
One of the main reasons for Olympiakos’ success is the dicipline they have on their game. They play 40 minutes at the same level. In any case, when can fall back with 20 points or lead by 20 points. That’s why they came back from 19 points at last year’s final, from 15 points against Anadolu Efes at the fifth game of the play-offs and from 17 points at this year’s final. Also they came back from 10 points at the last 5 minutes against Fenerbahçe Ülker in İstanbul That was a critical game, since it was the one which gave them the home-court advantage at the play-offs. They never give up. And they always have concentration.
Most of the teams, for example Anadolu Efes and Real Madrid, had up and downs at their games. That’s why they couldn’t be able to protect their lead. But Olympiakos’ players, especially in defense, showed a 100% focus and concentration for 40 minutes. They always search for the right shot at the offense, they never make the wrong choice when the games are at the most crucial moment.
As for coach Bartzokas, it was very hard to replace a legend. And it was even harder, due to the fact that Dusan Ivkovic had made Olympiacos Europe champion. On the other hand, it was easy to take a team which had a seated system. He continued this system and reached to the succes. It wasn’t easy to keep the title. But he did a really good job and he showed to his players the way to the top.
Predrag Saric, Sportski Zurnal
Bartzokas’ place in history and the “miracle squad”
First of all, congratulations to the first Greek coach who won the Euroleague’s title. He became a legend, his name is written in the books of European basketball’s history, together with Nikos Galis and Panagiotis Giannakis -as a coach of the national team on 2005.
Once upon a time Zoran Moka Slavnic said that the most important thing for any coach is to recognize the good things he has on his team, so he won’t damage them.
Bartzokas showed he is very clever and used all the good things they were already there and he improved them, with Perperoglou’s addition. He got a great help the coaches he had on the court: Spanoulis and Law. Also he knew how to get the best from Sloukas, Printezis and Papanikolau, who already had experiences on how you can get a trophy.
The biggest thing for Olympiacos’ and his success is team spirit. They play the kind of defense only families can play, only teams with great competitors. When they reached to -17, it was like the got rid of the pressure, like they got an extra motivation to show that they really deserve the nickname “miracle squad”. And when you have this kind of a team, the best thing you can do is to give them the freedom to do their best-together with all the knowledge.
Tvrtko Puljic, Sportske Novosti
True grit makes everything possible
Back to back for Olympiacos is good story for sport in general, not only for basketball. If you have chemistry, if you have good coach (Bartzokas definitely is very good coach), and if you have players with true grit, like Spanoulis, you don’t need big budgets like CSKA, Barca or Real.
Olympiacos during this season was better than last year. Perperoglou is a better player than Keselj, Hines is more mature than one year ago, same goes for Law. OK, Powell is not Dorsey, but at the end of the day, who cares. OK, Bartzokas is not Ivkovic, but again, who cares?
Greek coaches have proved they are very good. Not only Bartzokas, but also Katsikaris, Zouros, Pedoulakis, and probably Itoudis. They learned everything from ex-Yugoslavia’s coaches, and they are in position to be on the elit for many many years.
I cannot know how Olympiacos will be next season. If they lose Spanoulis, Law, Hines, Papanikolaou they’ll never be the same team. But chemistry may stay over there. That is the important for me. If you got grit, everything is possible. And if you trust what you have. Not only in basketball.
Simonas Baranauskas, Lithuania Basket
Divine intervention by Spanoulis and co
Like everyone else, I didn’t expect much from Olympiacos, when I was boarding for London early on Friday morning. The magical comeback from last year was a distant memory by now, time and time again misplaced to the science-fiction section of Euroleague library by the unacquainted reader. “With a favorable tailwind”, “with luck on their side” ‒ that was the main narrative in Istanbul, following CSKA’s historic collapse. There are upsets in sports, underdogs sometime win. And in many ways, I think that’s what the majority of us thought it was ‒ a fluke, something that will not and cannot repeat itself.
People like to draw parallels between the two triumphs, especially as Olympiacos once again looked far from a title contender. They did have a solid run throughout the year. But solid is not elite. Solid doesn’t win you championships. In comparison to the deep pockets of CSKA, Real Madrid and Barcelona, there is no way a team like Olympiacos has a chance, you thought. Especially not after a generally unconvincing performance and the visible troubles in the playoff series against ‒ in my opinion, a rather underrated ‒ Anadolu Efes.
Even despite their triumph last year, it seemed logical that Olympiacos was the underdog once again. It seemed logical to rule them out of contention, paradoxically, perhaps even more so, because they had lifted the Euroleague trophy in Istanbul merely twelve months ago. Surely, miracles simply cannot happen THIS frequently, can they? I still find it hard to comprehend, but apparently they can. However, what impressed me even more than the fact they managed to repeat last year’s road to victory, was the fashion they did it in. Olympiacos was a different beast in London, right from the tip-off of the semi-final against CSKA they were the aggressor ‒ strong, dominant, convincing. No longer could you say that they were at luck because the other side simply imploded, they came and they took the Euroleague title. They were the best team on the court, the were the best team in the Final Four.
And yes, the O2 Arena was awfully quiet in the first quarter in the final against Real Madrid, but there was never any panic from Olympiacos, as coach Georgios Bartzokas paced the sideline just as calmly, as he usually does, with his arms tightly clenched on his chest. Mirza Begic’s phenomenal defense fueled Real Madrid’s spectacular offensive machine, while Greek journalists seated beside me kept shrugging their shoulders with Vassilis Spanoulis missing shot after shot and Olympiacos turning over one ball after another. This is getting out of hand, you thought, as the scoreboard read 27-10 in favor of the Spaniards, but Olympiacos knew this one was far from over. This year, we knew it too.
With the start of the second period, we saw a different team ‒ a team that sent the €50 million budget of CSKA down the drain after dominating for 40 minutes, a team that went on to dominate for the remaining 30 minutes of the final. Unlike last year, this team took what was theirs. Last year’s triumph might have been just a last-second stroke of fortune, this year’s trophy was the crown of Europe, as the entire continent bowed to the champions.
In the press-conference following the final, one journalist asked coach Bartzokas whether the victory was a divine intervention. Having met the question with a chuckle, I’ve come to realize that it actually is the case, except that the gods are none other than Vassilis Spanoulis, Kyle Hines, Acie Law, Giorgios Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou, Stratos Peperoglou, Pero Antic, Kostas Sloukas and the rest of the players, with Bartzokas as the king of Mount Olympus.
We have seen Olympiacos come a full circle from a rich, money-burning franchise featuring the likes of Linas Kleiza and Josh Childress to a real basketball team with the heart of a lion, which has happened to become the strongest team in Europe for the second year in a row. What happens next? Only the gods know the answer…
Arale Weisberg, Israel Hayom
Law & Order
December 22nd, 2011. Partizan Belgrade hosts Armani Milan, knowing that a four-point loss will be enough to make the Top 16. At the last minute of the game, Acie Law misses two free throws – one of them with only 6.8 seconds remaining. Those two shots were everything that Partizan was missing. The Serbians are eliminated with a 66-72 loss. Law pays the failure’s price and he is cut from the team.
Basketball, though, is a crazy game. Six months later, Law became the Euroleague champion with Olympiacos. One more year later, he made the repeat; On his way to the podium, he had index rating of 31 – the highest score in a Euroleague final in the last five years. And in those final he combined two missed free throws again – but in 13 shots. Go figure…
Olympiacos is much more than figures, numbers and players. Except for one hero, Vassilis Spanoulis. Three years ago, he chose to abandon the comfort life in OAKA. He should have won dozens of different trophies, but only as the Dimitris Diamantidis’ helper. And he wanted more. He knew that he is worth more. He knew that he was born to lead.
Olympiacos, the big rival of Panathinaikos, had won two Greek cups in the 13 seasons without him. With him – they already have two European titles, a national championship and a cup in less than three seasons. Nikos Galis was the first hero of Greek basketball, Diamantidis was second, and now you have number three but not last – Vassilis “Kill Bill” Spanoulis.
Esteban Apraez, ESPN
Fantastic and legendary
I was very pleased to see them win back to back titles. It’s fantastic. I have a lot of respect for the entire organization. When we were in Athens shooting the documentary “Basketball cities”, we had an opportunity to see it first hand. A wonderful experience. I also think this is great for Basketball, for Athens and Greece as a whole. Two consecutive come from behind championships. That’s the stuff of legend.
Jorge Sierra, Hoopshype.com
Respect and objections…
On talent alone, I think they were the worst team at the Final Four. But they played together, played hard and played gutsy and that takes you a long way. Especially with a star in Europe like Vassilis Spanoulis on your side. More troubling: Olympiakos mounted its comeback vs. Real Madrid with extremely physical play that usually gets rewarded in FIBA ball. It keeps happening and I don’t think that’s good for the show. But all in all, Olympiakos was the best team and they are the rightful champions.
Maria Pilar Casado, Cope Radio
Spanoulis is a genius
It was a great Final Four. Aggelopoulos brothers cut their budget to 30% two seasons ago and another 20% last summer, but they did an excellent job at organizing things. Olympiacos is a great team. A huge team. They know how to suffer, to get well soon enough and to break everybody down. They fight like animals, till the end. This team is build on how to handle the time and their opponents’ anxiety. And they have a genius player, like Spanoulis is.
There aren’t too many players with his basketball IQ. Maybe only at the NBA. He is priceless and he lifts all his teammates a level up. You can see in his eyes his desire and his certainty for victory. Only Navarro and Spanoulis can do that: to create fear only with their presence on the court! I wonder why Real and Barcelona haven’t offer him a contract already. But he is Olympiacos’ heart. And the only way for him to leave is to… give him a blank check.
They demolished CSKA from the start to the end. And they frightened Real Madrid to the point that Pablo Laso’s players collapsed. The Reds are playing with discipline and they convince every one of their opponents that they have to chance to win. They had by far the strongest mentality and they were the best in physical game. It’s amazing what they achieved again. They advanced to a myth. They never give up and at the same time, they stay humble.
All Bartzokas’ players gave something. Papanikolaou has huge possibilities and a great talent, Sloukas is a real worker and even though they don’t have a real center -like Real- they hide this disadvantage with a team work. Perperoglou ate alive Rudy and all together they got Real’s body and soul. They were playing like a computer. It was only fair to take the trophy. Real played at the final like they were at the playground and Olympiacos reached 100 points. I guess now everybody knows that you cannot take a trophy without a plan, without thinking and acting like a warrior and without full time concentration. Everything that Olympiacos had.
Johnny Rogers, Euroleague
I never seen anything like this
Olympiacos is truly a special team with a lot of character. They have given Europe a lesson during the last 2 seasons about the importance of chemistry between the players and importance to battle on the court and never stop fighting. Their performance in the semifinals was so dominate and impressive. In the Finals they scored 90 points in the last 30 min of the game. I have never seen anything like this team.