By Niki Bakouli/ bakouli@eurohoops.net
On Saturday we had the chance to go up to the mountains and visit Karpenisi, where the Greek National Team is taking care of the first stage of their preparation for Eurobasket of Slovenia. Τhat means that we also had the chance to enjoy one more long conversation with Andrea Trinchieri – the word “interview” is just not the proper one for personalities like him.
– How are the first days of you actually get to know the Greek spirit, while you are working with Greek national players?
“Excellent. To tell you the truth, I didn’t expect anything different. I am very positive. The things are going in the right way. But it is very rare things go wrong at the beginning! I tried to prepare myself for this moment and for sure every day is a lesson. I can learn from these guys every day. When they ask me if I am ready, I always say “you are not ready enough, never” and that is why we have to work very hard every day”.
– What is the grade you give to these guys for their ability to learn from you?
“This team is a smart team. Basketball wise, it is a very smart team. The key is to find the system would fit to them. To tell you the truth I don’t believe it will be so hard”.
– Last year, at Las Vegas, when I asked you about the countless hours you have to work to build Cantu from scratch, so your team is good enough to be competitive at the top level, you told me “I am not working at a coal mine”. How are things this summer?
“I feel a great sense of responsibility. The players are giving me their best at this moment. At the same time, together with the great sense of responsibility I feel a great sense of urgency to do all things in the right way. It is a huge opportunity. We have a good team. But we had also a good team against Nigeria… And I believe as far as this team remembers you cannot take anything for granted, we can have a reason to be joyful”.
– Greece hasn’t got a medal for four years and for our basketball team this is too long.
“Everybody can say we want a medal, I can say Ι want a medal but the main thing is to make a transition between words and reality. Between talking and doing. This is the essential difference. If we want a medal we should do everything it have that medal. Nobody will give it to us for free”.
– It is too early to talk about Greece’s opponents at Slovenia, but what can you say as a first comment?
“This group can do but we have to go everyday over our individual limits to set the tone of this team”.
– Yeah, but you have been labeled as “favorites” already…
“Favorites? No, I have to disagree and not only because… I have to since this is my job, but I can name other teams which have the same label, they have the same opportunity. France, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy which will have 3 NBA players and we have none, Russia. I believe the team which will face adversity in the best way, will be the one will go through”.
– Russia at this moment, officialy doesn’t even have a coach…
“Sometimes this is even better. They get together for one month, they feel good, nobody is bothering them and they play with the right feelings”.
– You been the Unics Kazan’s head coach means you have to work all day to make things done.
“It is not a parallel thing, because I was lucky enough to almost complete the roster before I came to Greece. I already organized the things for Unics and I can focus on the Greek national team”.
– And at the same time you are a family man. You would need a day with 30 hours?
“This is not like a job. This is my passion. And that is why I don’t feel tired when I do this. It is funny cause my oldest son (he is a 2-year old) is asking me “where are you? Grecia?”. We talk a lot and they will come”.