Katsikaris: “I haven’t ruled out a return to Greece – they tell me I’m the only one who refused to Real”

THE Fotis Katsikaris Hosted at Stoiximan GBL’s podcast and shared experiences and lessons for more than four decades in basketball as player and coach.

The start at Nicethe bonding with the AEKthe advice of the Chocic, Ivkovicthe honesty of Yatzoglou And the coaching trip to Spain, to the NBA, are just some of the issues it raises!

In detail what he said:

For the start in Nice: “Better I didn’t follow my grandfather’s rebetius and my mother’s singer! When I started, basketball was not professional. I had no special talent to invest in it and in the college in America it was not playing basketball, but I was studying financially. But when I watched Panagiotis Giannakis in a Ionian match with Olympiacos, I was fascinated and he even cooked me first, he gave me a jersey and wrote the No. 5 with a marker! “

For the transfer to AEK, the role of Krezimir Chocic and the return as a coach: “There was a dilemma to stop basketball and devote myself to studies. Chocic had seen me in a Sporting match against Panionios and said for the first time the word “roller”. I left my studies and I was talking to my father for months! In times when we were unpaid, we rely on strong friendships and what we loved … I didn’t want to leave in 1996, I thought they were chrying the pill when Granitsa told me that the door was always open, but I eventually returned as a coach. “

For coexistence with Rolando Blackman: “We didn’t believe that we had a teammate … NBA legend, All Star, we saw him do the first training on his own in the cold” George Moschos “and we didn’t think he was so simple, receptive, no distant. He has told me that “we left with a boat from Panama and went to America. I don’t forget where I am and that’s why I can talk the same as a homeless and the US president. ” I don’t forget that. “

For the transition from player to coach, in his 31st: “I had an injury in Heraklion and started watching basketball next to coach George Kalafatakis. I was lucky enough to be with great people, initially with Chicic, then with Costas Politis, Ivkovic and Sakota and it was a new challenge to learn to become a coach … Dunda was rigorous, relaxing rarely and told me ” Good English, you are a smart kid with your glasses and you have to be a manager. ” But he respected that I wanted to be a coach. “

To overturn from 0-2 to the finals with Olympiacos and the title of 2002: “We relaxed by Olympiacos’ punishments and lost the first two games. Olympiacos had brought champagne to the third final, we reduced to 2-1 and then … magical things, with two lost Tomic shots, we equalized. At 0-2, we used to say “shame”, the Municipality of Dikoudis called me 2 at night, leading to Athens alone! We cut Chris Caris, who had spoiled the climate in the team, and in the 5th match we said “we don’t lose it”!

For the (just) three months on Mars: “I have saddened Mars in the past. When Yiannis Damianidis took me I was fired from Spain and had panic. I wanted to get back into the space, then I didn’t have the experience of managing it … The timing was wrong with Mars, because I too was not 100% aware, with all respect for the club. I have not ruled out the possibility of returning to Greece. “

For this year’s Stoiximan GBL: ‘The Greek Championship is very interesting, with every game-“final” for all teams. There is a great job in teams such as, for example, in Karditsa and may not be as quality as they used to, but they are competitive and has players that even makes Spain have open antennas in Greece, which they respect. “

For Bilbao’s “Fairy Tale” and the double “no” in Real: “I didn’t want that tale to end in 2011 and that’s why I said no to Real. People learned from Pablo Lasso’s book that there was interest in 2014, but then I felt, I didn’t think about what people say that “trains are leaving”. Real’s general manager still tells me that I am the only coach to refuse. You don’t say it easily not to Real … “.

If he did something differently on the bench of the National: “I had a dream to coach the national team. I don’t change it with anything and it’s the absolute pride! But in 2014 I was in a good “year -round” in coaching and that decision brought me back. There was a conversation with Basconia and Real, but I couldn’t leave the National. The patriotic feeling was such that it was above all, but as coach Fotis, the timing was not the best to go to the National. “

For the 2018-19 season as Assistant to Utah Jazz: “I had a very good suggestion from Malaga. I discussed with my wife, since I had a dream of living this experience and probably ending in the NBA the coaching and that’s why they gave me a three -year contract … another world in the NBA and if I was younger I might have been there. The next summer came the proposal of Gran Canaria, my head was … Pelttes and I wanted to become a Had coach again. “

For a lesson he received as a player and transmits as a coach: “Doug Collins had said ‘Learn your role, accept your role and dominate him.’ I played basketball with a role and accepted the one that Chosic changed me. Wakap in Germany shoots everywhere, but at Olympiacos changed a role and became a star for him for a team playing in titles. This was an example to me and I want to pass it on to the players. My titles are the challenge to persuade the player to change and improve and this is not seen in a cup that you will raise … “.