By George Adamopoulos/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos Aktor captain Kostas Sloukas sat down with Eurohoops to talk about the path to the Final Four of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Back in 2012, the 34-year-old combo guard won the first of three EuroLeague championships. At that particular point, only one of his current teammates was an active professional player, Marius Grigonis. “I did not know that,” he smiled.
“Everybody has his routine. Some players want to rest, others want to practice more. In these games, it is all about mental toughness,” he discussed preparing for the demanding contests in the Final Four.
Building his way up to ten appearances in the championship-crowning tournament of Europe’s premier club continental competition, spread between Olympiacos and Fenerbahce, the approaching Final Four stands out for Sloukas.
“This is the most special Final Four. Panathinaikos returning to the Final Four after 12 years, this is huge,” he explained to Eurohoops.
In a rewind to his decision to move from Olympiacos to the opposite side of the Eternal Derby last summer, he cited a discussion with Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos.
“Most people would think we were crazy, but I really believed Panathinaikos can qualify,” he recalled talking with Giannakopoulos about reaching the Final Four, “We wanted to achieve a solid ranking in the Regular Season and go all-in in the Playoffs, which we did.”
His side is set to face Fenerbahce Beko in the Semifinals of the Final Four on May 24. Concluding the 2023-24 season, first-place and third-place games in Berlin’s Uber Arena follow on May 26.