With the best, against the best!
Hi, to all you fans of basketball and of the Euroleague!
Although it's something completely new to me, something different, my response to Euroleague's request to become one of the bloggers of the competition could only be positive. I feel almost the same for the Euroleague itself, since it's just my second year at Panathinaikos and I have played in 13 games so far - from the first one against Bamberg in OAKA last season to the most recent one, our important victory against Siena last week, also in front of our great fans in OAKA.
I feel lucky that I am part of Panathinaikos and with the fact that I have teammates who belong to the elite of European basketball. And the same goes for the coaches, too. Every day working alongside them is like going to school. Every day I learn something new playing with them in the practices or during games. Most important, however, is that we are talking about amazing people. They are there to help you, they are not egoists. It's something that works out only in a positive way regarding our obligations in Greece and also in Euroleague. It's amazing that you have Jasikevicius, for example, next to you, with everything he has done in his career, to make jokes, to talk all the time, to make comments. And it's not only him; all the guys are like this.
With all this travelling we have during the year, it's essential to have a nice atmosphere among us on the team. Even on these trips, we don't have as much time on our hands as somebody might imagine. Almost as soon as we get to the town we play, we have practice, then team dinner, then we go to sleep. The next day it's practice again, lunch, we go to rest and then we leave for the game. In our free time, we surf on the Internet and we also have the play station that Mike Batiste always brings along. The guys have set up a football tournament, in order to "escape" a little bit. Don't ask how I am doing. I am not on their level yet. The guys are pros! For the moment, I watch and learn. DVD is another solution, to watch a good movie, and also music, especially when we are on the plane.
This is one part; the one that fans don't usually get to see. There is also the other part; what we do not "outside the lines", but when we are inside them. There, one can find a lot of work, practices and the will to become better, to do what's best. That will is all the stronger when it comes to Euroleague, where the competition is tougher this year. We are in a tough group with Siena and Barcelona. I believe that they are two of the best teams this year, along with CSKA Moscow, a team that is steadily among the best. Of course, every year we have a surprise, a team that comes out of… nowhere and turn the things upside down. It's one of the things that makes Euroleague interesting, a plus for the competition.
The biggest plus is the feeling of playing with the best against the best. You feel the excitement, and the atmosphere is truly great almost everywhere, especially when we play at home, in OAKA, because you feel the devotion. The fans are always there, next to us, we feel their support every moment and they help us in every single game, creating the best atmosphere, something that everybody who has played in Athens knows very well.
For the moment, with the break in Euroleague's schedule, our mind will be set for a little while in Greece. We have a Greek Cup game first and then a Greek League game against Olympiacos. It's one of the most important games of the season, since it will probably influence first place in the regular season, along with the game we play against them at Peace and Friendship Stadium later. We know that we must work and try as hard as we can, to prepare ourselves and to be 100-percent ready. That's exactly what we have to do for every single game: in the League, the cup and of course, in the Euroleague!
Thank you for keeping me company through this, take care and we'll "talk" again soon here on www.euroleague.net!
POSTED BY
Stratos Perperoglou, Athens
DATE:
Monday, November 17, 2008