Nikos Economou: “I tried to go back to Panathinaikos, I wasn’t the one I wanted at Olympiacos”

THE Nikos Economou remembers in Man to Man Powered by Stoiximan the importance of courses, changes and decisions in nearly 35 years in basketballas a player and coach.

The ‘signs’, the stories that does not forget by the ‘eternal’ and abroad, his bitterness for Nationalthe new vision of as coach and the assumption that “I would do things differently in my career, as long as it was not at the expense of others. But I wouldn’t change anything, I wouldn’t be sneaky and let me earn more ».

In detail what he said:

To change his game after Ionic: “There was no tall shooting and I wanted to be apt in shots. At first I didn’t even think about shooting from afar, but I survived Panathinaikos in this way. I started working on a face and taking a shot, something that is now given and put a little stone in the “4” position, with a lot of work, though I would like to be athletic tall. “

For the transfer to Panathinaikos and … not Olympiacos: “I was going to school in Piraeus and his classmates were waiting to play at Olympiacos. The desire and dream of Pavlos Giannakopoulos made the transfer and we had no big reason then and we didn’t get the crazy money they said at the time. The Ionic had a history and did not easily leave athletes because of the mentality. “

For the expectations of the Greens: “I had closed 18 and it is difficult to manage the situation ‘the first is the first and the second nothing!’ In the early years they did not go well, but the Giannakopoulos family was next to it and managed to achieve her dream. At 17.5 you can’t manage the pressure because there was a stranger then and we were playing, but the experienced ones pressed us and helped us and were not afraid of their position. “

For the coexistence of Galis-Giannakis and the … burning of talents: “You have to withstand competition and survive, proving that you are better than them … What everyone has said about Galis and Giannakis is true. They still had a thirst for winning and passed it on to us. Having seen Gali-Giannakis, a dream and a … shock to be a teammate when he was heard about Dominic, we had no doubt that Pavlos Giannakopoulos could do it, but when we saw him close we said … Wow! “

For Dominic – Malkovic Relations: “It was a bit exaggerated. Dominic had not learned to prepare in August in the mountains with a harsh man but he was like that and did not discriminate … But when he entered the team, because we played a lot of matches without him, he did what he knew how to do. A very big personality, however, is wronged by Byron Scott, who, along with Dinos Raja, changed the Mentality of Panathinaikos. A guy who influenced us to win the first championship in 1998, as did Dejan Bodiroga. “

For his collaboration with Ecclesiastical Messina in Kinter Bologna: “It is difficult to manage all the pressure and personalities, but at that time I had to look at what I was doing wrong, because players often throw responsibility for the coach … As a human being in a team to” stick “with a coach, but it was a shock. I had learned with the pressure that did not exist in Italy and I wanted pressure, since we were used to playing injuries. There they worshiped the Italians while we saved strangers. “

For the Final Four with Olympiacos: “The 1996 Final Four in Paris was liberating without the ‘eternal’ opponent. It had nothing to do with the league derby. In Tel Aviv, Olympiacos was more full of team, but in Zaragoza we checked the game and made 2-3 three-pointers in 1.5 minutes. The defeat had hurt there. “

For leaving Panathinaikos in 1999: “In such situations, one side is not to blame, but I throw all the blame on me. I was little, but at that time I might not have had people to advise me, because we didn’t have a manager then and we did those contracts of eight years. I do not hide that I wanted and sought to go back to Panathinaikos, I didn’t feel anything bad even though there was a big difference in the financial part. Other athletes left, however, they went back to Panathinaikos. “

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Z3W5_J33E

For his agreement with Olympiacos: “It was a wish of Mr Kokkalis and the coach Elias Zouros. If one believes it was an easy decision … It was not many then the teams in the spotlight would cover our contracts at that time. Only Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK’s “firework” with Batatoudis. What bothers me is that I wasn’t the one I wanted at Olympiacos. The transfer is not easy, it takes time and I left after a year, though I had a three -year contract. Imagine what they would say if they “cut” Spanoulis in the first year from Olympiacos! “

For Barcelona and Coach Rensees: “Awesome clubs and a great coach, a teacher! Spain was very close to the philosophy of the Greek, despite the different and above basketball. I was sorry for not exhausting the contract there and I was lucky to have Efthimi Renzia, who stayed for five years and received recognition. Then the awesome batch with a gassol, Navarro, was getting ready! “

For the continuation and Panionios: “After Barcelona I wanted to play somewhere where I like it and this was done in Olympia Larissa and Dinamo Moscow. The important thing, if you have fallen, is to find the strength to climb again. I didn’t think I would leave Moscow. I left to go to the same player of the… same manager office. There are things you can’t control. Before Panionios may have thought I was over, but I was the top scorer and MVP and was combined with a terrible season, beating Panathinaikos twice in the semifinals.

In the third year, a coach I didn’t know, Pavicevic, told me in August that I couldn’t get into the coach for the preparation. A solution was found and I finished my year and my career in the Panhellenic, although there was a suggestion from PAOK … I would do things differently in my career, as long as it was not at the expense of others. I wouldn’t change anything, I wouldn’t be fucking and let me earn more. “

For his presence in the National and his departure: “There came four or five places that were great successes and hurt us in the Athens World in 1998, but we didn’t play on our own. We got unbeaten to the semifinals, new players came in and I lacked a medal with the Men’s National … In many things you don’t have to know everything, nor to be said when the other side is not here. When I stopped from the National I was her top scorer, playing in the qualifiers and some made decisions without telling me. It was steep, but championship has pain … “.

For the criteria of his decisions and coaching: “I liked to create and I liked the responsibilities. When you play with 5-6 players you can hide behind them, but I wanted to leave my mark, as in Dinamo and Panionio. And as a coach I look at this to create something, like Hermes Schimatari, who is a “child” I got and grow up together, though I had suggestions from overseas teams. “

For the decision to lose the Final Four of the Elite League to be in their daughter’s university swearing -in: “I don’t know if I was in Barcelona if I would. But with what I lived in those days, joy is so great that it doesn’t compare if you bring me another European! It was a huge success for my child and it shouldn’t just, but I wanted to be there. “

For Panagiotis Tzavella, a child with special abilities competing in the Mercury men’s team and Kydon, a team for children in the autism spectrum: “It’s something unmistakable and a life work. I started Kydon with seven-eight children and reached 57-58, which adapted to an environment forbidden for them, with specialized staff and psychologists. Children are so happy about things that are given to us and it is happiness for us too. It is good at some point to understand the problem of your neighbor. “

For new talents, as academies in Chalkida: “I will not say to a parent that his child will become a young Diamantidis. There are some who sell fums and parents go crazy! Every year I see 1,500 children and I don’t see my child being able to stand at the level of Olympic and Panathinaikos. I wanted Toliopoulos to Panionios and people learned at 27 because young children have no space in the groups. So does Larentzakis. The kids themselves have to endure and we are looking for the next one and we throw a big load on the kids! “

For this year’s Stoiximan GBL: “I’m glad for new teams that appear, such as Karditsa. I like Mars, PAOK, Prometheus in recent years. If you have a program, you will be justified in the end. “