Great interview on As gave the Juancho Hernangomet declaring himself completely justified in the choice he made to go to Panathinaikos although – as he said – he had proposals from almost all Euroleague teams. The Spanish power forward said he was impressed by the love of the world and impatient to defend the titles he won this year with the “green” in the new season. At the same time, he spoke with the best words about him Lorenzo Brown, who will now be his teammate in the “clover”. In detail, the 28-year-old ace spoke about:
-if he rested: “I didn’t get to rest much, but let’s celebrate enough. Now it’s back to work and I’m looking forward to the Pre-Olympic Tournament. It’s a new challenge, a new experience. We’ll try to do well and give Rudy the farewell he deserves.”
-his relationship with Rudy: “He has been a cornerstone of the national team for as many years as I have been in it. He is our leader, I love and respect him a lot. I wish him the best. It will be the perfect way to close his career if we go to the Olympics. He was the mentor for all of us, he is the last of the golden generation to leave.”
-the dream to be in the Olympic Games: “Maybe I was the only one who went to the Olympics and didn’t participate (the Timberwolves had him banned due to an injury). It’s a thorn in my career and that’s why I really want to go to Paris. In 2021 I was in the parade, in the Olympic Village, but I didn’t play at all. It was difficult for me, probably one of the biggest disappointments in my career. I have an extra motivation.”
– the season at Panathinaikos: “The season had many ups and downs, many emotions, many experiences. I played well, I played bad, I had injuries, difficult times, especially at the beginning. And then I tried to find my place and role. Then we won, I played and became important. We managed to win the Euroleague, which Panathinaikos had to conquer for many years and that is why it was built. And we got the championship the way we got it: it was an epic experience, from 0-2 down to come back and win it. It is something that Panathinaikos had never achieved”.
-the celebrations of: “I enjoyed every moment. I enjoyed every celebration, every match, every moment when we played to a full OAKA. Going to Berlin and feeling like we were playing at home was incredible. I had by my side my family, my friends, who were by my side at every moment. I felt very supported and proud of myself for never giving up. When I was injured, I worked even harder, put in long hours to prepare for the good times to come.”
– his impressions of Greek basketball: “I’ve been to World Cup finals, Eurobasket, NBA playoffs, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. Even the day I signed I couldn’t believe it. From the airport where 5-10 thousand people were waiting for me, to the first derby we won with Olympiacos. The behavior I had in every restaurant, in every cafe, on the road, at the traffic lights… And beyond all that, winning the titles. We looked like Greek Gods. It’s a delicate balance, because if you lose, you’re the enemy. It’s great when you win, but when you lose…watch out. Now we’re in a moment where we’re enjoying it, like Gods.”
-the titles with Panathinaikos: “It is one of the things I am most proud of in my career. I put my name in Panathinaikos’ seventh Euroleague and when you do that, they remember you forever. It’s something historic that will last a lifetime. I’m proud of the season I’ve had and I’m looking forward to the next one.”
-if he felt pressure: “No, because in the end it was a team built to win the Euroleague. If we hadn’t won the Euroleague and the championship, we would have felt more pressure because we needed a title. We started the season losing the Super Cup and the Cup, we knew we had to win the Euroleague and the championship. Qualifying to the Final 4 was good, but we hadn’t won a title. It is very difficult to even reach the Final 4 and to conquer the Euroleague in such a competitive competition even more difficult. I’m looking forward to the new season so I can feel what I felt in Berlin again.”
-Lorenzo Brown: “I am very happy that he will be with me at Panathinaikos. He is a great player, one of the best in Europe. He dominates the game. Maccabi came close to eliminating us in the playoffs mainly thanks to him. He had other teammates, but Baldwin was injured and Brown did incredible things. Other than that, he is a great teammate and friend. I am very happy that he will be in my team. We will have to see how we will play, because we have many stars and it is clear that not everyone can have the ball. You have to adapt, but it’s a great transfer. We got one of the two best point guards in the EuroLeague along with Campacho.”
-if he regretted his years in the NBA: “Not at all. I do not regret it. Even if things went bad with injuries and bad times or going to a team that didn’t work out for me. It’s all experiences that made me who I am as a player. I had beautiful moments in the NBA, which is a dream for every player. You must stay there as many years as you can. Both me and my brother lived every child’s dream and no one will deprive us of that. We sat there for seven years, which is very difficult when you think that every year there are so many new players. I’m proud of that. And now we’re back in the Euroleague to enjoy basketball, which we deserve.”
-the interest from Spain last year: “I had an offer from Barcelona and I had also spoken with Real, while I also had a conversation with Zeljko Obradović at Partizan. Last year I had offers from all the teams, practically there was interest from all the teams in Europe. In the end, I did the right thing by choosing Panathinaikos. It was a team that would contend for the Euroleague. Last year, too, I didn’t see Barcelona at Real’s level and at Real I didn’t see the space to play and develop. Panathinaikos bet a lot on me and I decided to go to Greece, to become a leader there, with a big contract. Everything went well after we won the Euroleague.
-whether he would return to Estudiantes: “I want to retire there. I hope they are in the ACB then, otherwise I will go back to the division they play in and try to help them get promoted. I want to spend another 2-3 years there before I retire, to give back the love I received and thank the people who made me love basketball. They haven’t done well in recent years, but they’re close to getting back to where they deserve to be. I will always be a friend of Estudiantes for its culture and audience.”
Source: Sport Fm
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
