Petrusev: “Olympiacos is a family, they gave me time and I found my role”

THE Philip Petrushev enjoys his presence in Olympicas he states in an interview in his hometown.

“Right now I feel good. When I came back from the US I was in bad shape. It took me about a month to come back and adapt to the team and the style of play of Olympiakos, which is recognizable throughout Europe with a lot of movement and quick movement of the ball. It took me time to find my place on a team that has big goals every year, that goes to the Final 4 and contends for titles by having high-level players. In the last month I have found my role and I am helping the team, while my results and performances have been good lately“, said the tall Serb.

“When I decided to return to Europe, Olympiacos moved quickly and welcomed me very well. They knew my situation, were understanding and told me to take my time to get back in shape. I did a lot of training with the trainers and they helped me find myself again. Coach Bartzokas didn’t put pressure on me to come back faster. Everything happened in its own way and led to me finding my place and playing better and better“, he added.

“The coach is very experienced and knows how to manage players who come in the season. He showed patience, Olympiacos when I arrived was not in a very good condition and it was obvious what the team needed. That’s how I found my position, more in the “4” position. The coach uses many players in the rotation, everyone has their role and everything came by itself“, he continued.

For coexistence with him Nikola Milutinov and how much it helped him he said:Very! When you have a compatriot and teammate everything is easier. And the other guys helped me, they’re all great. It’s a matter of culture at Olympiakos, there is a family atmosphere and everyone helps each other. We spend a lot of time together off the pitch, which is not very common in most teams in Europe. Nikola helped me with everything so that I don’t have basketball on my mind all the time».

When asked to compare the derbies of Belgrade with those of the centuries he said: “The atmosphere in the derby with Panathinaikos was very good. I don’t understand the language, which might be a good thing for me. I love playing in games like this, with such intensity and participation from the people. It motivates me. Now we have the derby on March 14 at home.”

For if he would return to the NBA he said: “Maybe there is a fear for players from Europe. We saw Vezenkov and Misic start from scratch in the NBA. For me, the most important thing right now is to play, to have a role, preferably in a team with big goals, like Olympiacos. So now I’m fine. The NBA is not a measure of a player’s quality, whether he is in it or not. You are not automatically a high level player when you play in the NBA. If there was another chance to go to the NBA again, I would, but having spent time in Europe first».