Walkup: “Proud to have played for Greece – I want to be there next year too”

Proud of the effort of the National Team, despite the heavy defeat by Lithuania and the substantial exclusion from World Cupstated Thomas Walkup. His guard Olympiakou enjoyed his first experience with the Greek team and made it clear that he really wants to be present in their next attempt, in Pre-Olympic Tournament.

In detail, the 31-year-old ace spoke to Basketnews about:

– the defeat of the national team by Lithuania: “I’m disappointed with the result, but happy with the battle we fought. When we put on this shirt, we went out and fought and we can be proud of the effort we made.”

-the bad second half: “We’re stuck! Their toughness, their height, made us slower in attack and at the same time they put in a lot of shots. They played very organized offensively and beat us on both sides of the floor. Everything went well for them after halftime.”

-his performance in the first half, where he had 15 points: “It’s not that I was the only one who took initiatives, but I was on point and that’s why I decided to attack. But we had 11 players who can play. I was just on point tonight.”

-Yokubaitis performance: “I love this kid, I’ve watched him develop for six years, since he was a teenager. He is very happy to see him improve and mature, grow from a boy to a man. I wish him success, health and happiness.”

-the feeling of facing players who are his friends: “It’s special, but I also recently played against the USA, so I’m already used to that feeling.”

-whether he would like to represent Greece again next year: “Of course! I am proud to wear this shirt. It is a huge honor and a great experience for me. A lot of my friends and family members can’t believe that I’m in Manila playing for the Greek team against teams like Lithuania, USA, Jordan and New Zealand. The memories of this will last forever. When you’re from the US, you don’t grow up waiting for an opportunity like this. I am happy that the Greek federation gave me this opportunity”.

-the favorites he sees for the World Cup: “To be honest, I don’t have a favorite. There are 6-7 teams that will claim it, maybe 1-2 favourites, but there are many teams that can win the World Cup.”

-Lithuania and if it can beat the USA: “He has a good chance of winning on Sunday and going far in the event. Lithuania stands out for its size and toughness, which may allow it to struggle against the Americans. And Montenegro made it very difficult for the USA and even though they lost, the way they fought can be a useful guide.”