By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
James Feldeine agreed to continue his career with Panathinaikos and who better to talk about the greens’ new acquisition than Andy Panko, who played with Feldeine these past two years in Fuenlabrada and Vaqueros and who’s also wore the jersey with the clover.
The veteran bomber will be 38 years old in three months, but he continues to play undaunted and indeed at a high level. After yet another successful season in Spain, during which he was the top scorer with Fuenlabrada, Panko decided to keep on playing at the start of the summer. He got a transfer to Puerto Rico and played in Vaqueros de Bayamon until the end of the season.
One day after he signed with Vaqueros, a former teammate from his time with Fuenlabrada followed him to Puerto Rico, James Feldeine. The two of them played together in the Spanish team in the 2013-14 season and then they met up once again in another team, on another continent. They completed the season together and shortly thereafter each one made their way in different directions.
Andy Panko reached an agreement with Nancy and James Feldeine accepted Panathinaikos’s proposition and will make his debut in the Euroleague. Who else then, other than the former Panathinaikos player, would be more suited to talk about the greens’ new acquisition?
Eurohoops.net got in touch with the 37-year-old American and asked him, first of all, about Feldeine’s athletic credentials. “He’s an athletic player, very explosive on the open court. He can run really fast in transition and get easy points on the break. He can shoot the ball, while he’s also a good handler of the ball. Also, he can play the pick-and-roll well. He can score from anywhere but this doesn’t mean that he neglects his defensive duties. He tries and has the ability to mark the opposing point guards and shooting guards.”
But what are the elements of his game that can help Panathinaikos? What can he contribute to the greens according to Panko, based on the characteristics of the other players on the team? “Feldeine is definitely a very good addition for Panathinaikos. He brings something different that the team needs. He’s an athletic scorer from the perimeter and it’s just a matter of adjusting to Greek basketball and the Euroleague. I think it will take time for him to adjust but once he does he’ll bring a lot of things to Panathinaikos.”
The Dominican Backcourt player who was born in the United States has spent his entire career in medium-sized teams. Do you think that this is the chance he has been waiting for in the last years to make the leap in his career? What was his teammate Andy Panko’s experience of him? “Absolutely. I think it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to play for such a prestigious club! He’s a smart guy and I think he knows what it means to play there. It’s a great opportunity for him.”
Lastly, Andy Panko has competed alongside so many players in the 15 different teams in which he has played, enough to be able to assess the personality of his teammates rather well. So, what kind of a person is Feldeine? “He’s a great guy, a really really good guy, great teammate. He’s very easygoing. I loved playing with him in Fuenlabrada and this past summer in Puerto Rico.”