By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
In May 2022, Evan Fournier attended the EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade after completing a record-breaking season with the New York Knicks. Awe-struck by the noise and atmosphere that Olympiacos Piraeus fans were creating in the arena, the French superstar declared that if he ever returned to Europe, then the Reds would be a priority for him.
It proved to be some sort of premonition. Realistically speaking, it was probably difficult back then to imagine that two years later Fournier would indeed sign with Olympiacos. For the player himself, there was also something karmic at play.
“It’s like every planet has aligned for me to come here,” Fournier told Eurohoops.
“Sometimes there’s things you can’t explain. It’s like when you find your wife – you can’t explain. I’ve always looked at Olympiacos like a club that means something to me. I don’t know why,” Fournier also said.
Fournier signed with Olympiacos not long after helping France win the silver medal in the Olympic Games. It was an overall highly rejuvenating experience for him after a frustrating last year in the NBA. “Going from Detroit to the Olympics gave me life. I want to continue like this,” he mentioned.
In a conversation with Eurohoops, Fournier explained the reasons he joined Olympiacos, how he fits the team’s system, and why he’s not that bothered with the kind of role he’ll have on offense.
He also discussed his thirst to be competitive at a club level, how he came to a place where he didn’t enjoy basketball, and one of the “dark sides” of the NBA.
“I think one of the dark sides of the NBA is when teams are losing on purpose to get the higher Draft picks”