By Bilal Baran Yardimci / info@eurohoops.net
Entering his first EuroLeague season with Fenerbahce, Wade Baldwin IV has significantly helped the yellow-and-blue side get to a perfect 2-0 run, beating both Olympiacos at home and Anadolu Efes on the road, winning the Istanbul derby.
After beating the domestic rivals in the EuroLeague Round 2, the former Maccabi Tel Aviv superstar spoke to Eurohoops Turkiye’s Bilal Baran Yardimci. “It was a great game. We have so many things to get better at, so much more direction that we need, so many new guys. It’s early in the season, it’s only Round 2. We’re happy we’re winning these tough games, showing the character that we have”, he said.
“We need to keep building, day by day, week by week, game by game on how to become a better team. The expectations for this year are really high”, the 28-year-old guard commented. He’s averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. “We’re playing our basketball. We’re trying to play smart, and physical, and trying to win games. We have a great coach and system”, he also said.
Later on, he was asked about his approach towards his first season in Turkey. “My mentality is to kill my opponent and kill the game. I take the game very seriously, I try to play as aggressively as possible. I’ve built a career out here being a playmaker and I just want to keep building on that, feeding in with our team’s concept”, he commented about Sarunas Jasikevicius’ team.
“I’m gonna have good and bad games: it’s part of the process of being on a very good team. I came to Fenerbahce to win the championship. What comes to that is being alongside a lot of great players”, Wade Baldwin IV also followed, anticipating what was coming next.
Moreover, the American guard is eager for revenge after coming inches away from the EuroLeague Final Four with Bayern Munich in 2021 and with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023 and 2024. “I’ve been at three Game 5 in my career, it all came down to the fourth quarter. I felt all three of them”, he recalled.
“When you go to the summer and finish out your season, looking back is more hunger, adversity, and motivation to come back next ear and be the champion. It’s not only being in the Final Four but being the last man standing. I want that for myself and for my team”, Wade Baldwin IV concluded.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague