He spoke about his presence at Panathinaikos, the difficulties he faced when he came to Greece, but also about the fact that he would like to coach a European team in the future. Mike Baptiste.
The veteran center was a guest on his podcast Kyle Hines and made special reference to Obradovic-Itoudi, who helped him a lot, as he pointed out.
In detail what he said:
“In basketball you come full circle. You know the coaches are trying to push you and you think why is he doing this now. But now I understand the caring and the competitive side. I may not be a gamer anymore, but I’m still competitive, even when I play board games with my kids and get upset when I lose. I don’t like giving up. I had that as a player and I still have it in me.
My first years at Panathinaikos were not easy. Coming from the NBA and all that freedom I had, it made it difficult for me to adjust, it wasn’t an easy road. I had some problems during the 9-10 years I was at Panathinaikos, but Obradovic and Itoudis embraced me, kept me on the straight path and this path led to success.
We all saw what happened. As you said, the titles, the personal distinctions. Congratulations to Obradovic and Itoudis, because I know it wasn’t easy and I was giving them a headache. But they got what they wanted from me and I got what I wanted from them. It was the perfect relationship.
I never closed the door on such opportunities (to return to Europe as a coach). My name is always associated with Panathinaikos. You know how that goes. They are rumors though, nothing ever happened either from my side or from theirs. I am open to everything. Watching games in both the NBA and the EuroLeague I recognize a lot of similarities, but I also wonder if things from one league could apply to the other.
So it’s an opportunity I could see myself taking in the future. I don’t know if it will be next year or when I’m 60, I have no idea. To become a head coach anywhere will be a great honor. I’ll keep knocking on doors here (in America) and see how far I can go. If the opportunity does not arise I will see where else I can go with my family.”
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— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 31, 2023
Source: Sport Fm
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