By Nikos Varlas
He was undersized and… underdog for the bulk of his sports life! This is the story of Kyle Hines, but with a big difference now… He plays in a European powerhouse and with the consistency that he has in his game, he changes level and knocks the door of the European elite!
You can find him in twitter as “Sir Hines” and his coach, Dusan Ivkovic, in his Euroleague.net interview said that his player has great character and called him the Charles Barkley of Europe!
“If Barkley had a great career in the NBA as a power forward, then Kyle can do the same as a center in Europe”, was the… assist from Duda. Hines received it and dunks through Eurohoops!
“That was my nickname in college! I am used to it! Barkley is a great player. It’s an honor for me to have my game compared to the game of a player like Barkley”.
Hines, for many, should be a Euroleague All Star nominee because of his achievements and his consistency throughout the season. What his opinion? “All the All Star Euroleague nominees are great players. They have long, great careers in the league and great achievements. They have prove it many times and they deserve to be there. Someday I would like to see my name on that list, but maybe it’s too early! I am not angry, or irritated for not being between those ten players. I can understand the way the voters think and their decision”.
Hines has a contract with Olympiacos until the summer of 2013 with a team option for early termination after the end of the current season. “It’s a decision of the team if they want me here for the next season. I want very much to stay! I love my team, I am bound to my teammates. I think that it would be the best for the core of the team to stay together, work more on our chemistry and our efficiency as a unit. To win even more”!
He feels already ready to play against Barcelona: “They are a great team with a great front line. The have big bodies and very versatile players, that can shot from outside. I never fear any battle, I have learned to play against taller opponents, it’s my way of life. I been doing this all my life”.
And he knows that if he develop his outside shooting, his career will… explode: “I talk a lot with my coaches and they constantly say to me that it’s very important to have an outside threat and be an efficient outside shooter. I know I can shoot and I try to improve my shooting abilities. It’s not the same think to do it on practice and to be comfortable with it in the games. I work in order to cover this distance and to became a well rounded player”.