Thomas: “I’m grateful for this opportunity, I spoke with Walters”

THE Matt Thomas “stepped” on Greek soil, as he arrived in Athens on Friday afternoon (03/02) to be integrated into the whole Panathinaikou.

The American made his first statements after his arrival, stressing that he knows everything about the “greens” and is grateful for the opportunity, while also referring to the people he contacted before joining the Panathinaikos.

In detail, what he stated after his arrival at “El. Venizelos”.



About his agreement with Panathinaikos: “It’s a great opportunity. At this point in my career I was waiting as a free agent and weighing my options in the NBA. But it’s a great opportunity to play in the Euroleague, in such a historic team. I am grateful for this opportunity.”

On the current season of the “clover” and his ambitions: “Throughout my career I want to control everything that passes through my hand and work hard every day. I do what I can to help my teams. On the floor obviously my shooting ability has helped all the teams I’ve been a part of. Defensively I want to be competitive. A high basketball IQ has also helped me. I see things day by day, I never wanted to set high goals. I didn’t think so. If you do the right things every day, the rest comes naturally.”

On being out for a year and whether he’s overstayed his welcome as an NBA prospect: “I don’t believe that. I think I belong in the NBA and that’s why I waited so long. But at the same time I am a professional athlete and I want to compete. As I said earlier, this is a very good opportunity for me, at a very high level. I am happy about this agreement.”

On the fact that he signed for 1.5 years: “Like I said, I think about the present and I want to live in the moment. It’s nice to know that I will be here for 1.5 years. I’m going to enjoy it now, as I always have in my career.”



On the people he talked to before making his decision: “I’ve been in touch with Nate Walters and we talked for a while. But I didn’t talk to anyone else.”

For his former Iowa State teammates who know about the “green” reality: “Yes, yes I know that. I sent some messages with Giorgos Tsalbouris. It’s been a while since we were teammates. He told me that he would come to Athens for the “windows”. He congratulated me on the deal. I didn’t have to ask anyone, I knew I wanted to be here and that this is a great opportunity.”



On what he knows about Panathinaikos’ legacy: “Obviously, when I was here in Europe a few years ago watching the Euroleague, I got to know the history of this team. What she carries with her are victories. He has won six European titles, many Cups, many championships. At the moment I understand why the people and the management are not happy, the current situation is not the normal one for this team. As I said, I will do everything I can to help the team and finish the season strong, with as many wins as possible.”

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