Saturday night (16/09) was special, as was today (17/09) for the Vasilis Spanoulisas the Olympic will retire the jersey of – probably – the best basketball player in his history.
In the Gala in honor of V-Span distinguished personalities of the sport were found and one of them was Panagiotis Giannakis. The “dragon” of Greek basketball gave statements and spoke in the best words about Spanoulis, he remembered the moments they worked together, emphasizing the huge appetite he had for hard work.
The statements of Panagiotis Giannakis in detail:
On the great night for Spanoulis: “I think one night is not enough. He has done so many great things and is a kid who has made us proud and motivated our kids to be involved in the sport.
He has done incredible things in his career, we thank him very much, but not only for the basketball he played, but also the way he stood on the courts and worked with the people around him».
On how important it is for Greek basketball to have personalities like Spanoulis: “Vassilis has done things that are difficult for anyone to predict, although from a young age – because I was his supporter in his first steps – he was a child who had passion, faith, worked hard and listened silently to things that would help him reach high, . It didn’t just reach high, it went beyond the sky. I think he is not only a role model for what he did as an athlete, but also as a family man».
For the moment that lasts from their coexistence: “There are many moments, but definitely the first year we were in Marousi, he showed how he can lead basketball and any team. That Maroussi claimed the championship of Greece».
For the retirement of his shirt: “The least that could be done was to retire the shirt. Kudos to the people who realize that this should be done for a kid who started timidly, far from the center of basketball and started to compete with the best in the world and make us rejoice in the successes».
On whether there was a moment when Spanoulis remembers bending: “It never bent. He never stopped dreaming and believing and that was his biggest motivation. Every day he was on the field, giving his best and wanting to realize that goal».
On whether he expected when he had him as a player that such a moment would arrive: “I thought it would never stop. I had a lot of faith in Vassilis from the beginning, so you’re asking the wrong person».
On whether there are players with Spanoulis’ data: “To get to the end so quickly it is too early to start with the new kids. These guys need to understand that qualifications are not enough and you have to understand the game, but hard work, because without hard work you will not reach even 1/10 of what Vassilis did».
On the fact that young children do not follow sports because they do not have support: “The truth is that we need to support our children. There’s no problem in losing, but it’s a problem if we don’t try every day to be better than yesterday.
For us, in order to reach the heights of basketball, there were periods of bad competition. But we didn’t stop training, working and not losing our faith in the opportunity. The young guys what they need to understand that every day is a new day and give more than the previous one».
Source: Sport Fm
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