It is not very often that a player from another country becomes identified so quickly with a true powerhouse as has Mike Batiste, the Euroleague Basketball MVP for November, with Panathinaikos of Greece. In his fourth season with the Greens, Batiste has become another symbol of the team's unending drive for excellence. Together, he and Panathinaikos have won three Greek League titles, two Greek Cup crowns and a Final Four appearance. Now, with the Final Four coming to their own building, OAKA Olympic Hall, next spring, there is some unfinished business on Batiste's mind. "Every year we set high expectations for each and every player, and for the organization as well," Batiste told Euroleague.net. "And so far we have accomplished almost every expectation given to us. We've really come up short only on the Euroleague since I got here, but hopefully this will be our breakthrough year."
First, congratulations on a great month, Mike. How does it feel to be recognized this way, especially considering that team success is one criteria of this award?
"I feel good about it. This means a lot. I am working hard every day and the team is working hard everyday to try to be the best we can. So, to get this type of compliment is good for both, for me and for my team."
Panathinaikos is only the third team all decade to start the Euroleague regular season going 6-0. Does the way you guys have started prove, once again, this club never shies away from high expectations?
"That's right. Every year we set high expectations for each and every player, and for the organization as well. And so far we have accomplished almost every expectation given to us. We've really come up short only on the Euroleague since I got here, but hopefully this will be our breakthrough year. But every year is a tough year in the Euroleague, because it is very, very difficult to win against such good teams. If we take things one game at time and play to our capabilities, however, I like our chances."
Do you and your teammates feel more eyes upon your team than ever before this season, with the Final Four coming to your own arena?
"Yes and no. At this moment, it's a little early even to worry about that. It's a long season and all we're looking ahead to is Thursday's game against Maccabi."
 In your fourth season with Panathinaikos, you seem to have found a home with the Greens. What makes it such a special club?
"Just the whole organization. It's a family atmosphere, here. The other thing is that the players all get along with one another every year. Especially on the road, I really enjoy the time when we're all eating together, laughing, joking, whatever. It keeps us loose and it's also what makes us have so much fun with one another. Each year there are a couple of new guys who come in - this year there are five, I think - and I've got to give credit to the club for the way they always recruit good guys who come to work hard, have a nice attitude and are easy get along with. That's one of the keys for me coming back every year."
Some people forget that your European career started back in 2000 with Charleroi. You were among the top scorers and rebounders in the Euroleague regular season that year. What were your first impressions of Euroleague Basketball then?
"That I was playing in one of the great leagues on the planet. At the time I first joined the Euroleague, there were guys like Ginobili and Jaric, who soon after went to the NBA, just like each year there are more guys going there from Europe. This just proves that the Euroleague is one of the best in the world. We're almost neck-and-neck with the NBA now. We had CSKA beat the Clippers this preseason, and Barcelona beat the 76ers. All that is good for us. Every year European basketball is trying to improve, and I am just happy to be a part of that improvement."
By now, you are like fixture among the star players in Euroleague Basketball. What is it about this competition that gets you pumped up to play so well?
"The will to win. I think every player in this game wants to be known as a champion and wants to be a winner. That's what I try to do every day, enjoy life and have fun, play to win, play my hardest. Second, we have some of the greatest fans in the world, and they always get me motivated."
Let's talk about this year's Panathinaikos team. The club hired four starters from other Euroleague teams and Tony Delk over the summer. Is it a challenge to blend together all that talent?
"It's not difficult. Coach Obradovic is someone who is going get the right players who are able to fit into the system. I think he and the club did a great job of that this year. During the summer when I was home in America, I saw Lakovic leaving and Spanoulis leaving. They were two key ingredients of our success, so I wondered who we were going to sign to fill those roles. The club again did a good job of signing Tony and the other new players, and they have come here and shown they can be part of this winning tradition."
You mentioned the architect of the team's success, Zeljko Obradovic. What it's like to play for Europe's most successful coach ever, not to mention a guy who's still in his prime?
"It's fun. It's really fun to play for him. At the same time, it's tough, because he's not going to let you play anything less than to the best of your ability. If has to push and yell at you to get you to play your hardest, he's going to do it. And that's what I like about him. As players, he knows each one of us and our talents. He's going to push us to play at the best of our individual abilities, knowing that if he does that, we'll all be successful. He really does a great job with players in that way."
 Your role and your responsibility have gotten bigger each season, but you don't need huge minutes to contribute. Is that one of the secrets to what happens on this team, maximizing each guy's contribution, even when many of you could be playing 35 minutes on other teams?
"Of course, this is why we have a deep team. If my role is to play 20 or 25 minutes, I am going go out there to play the hardest 20 or 25 minutes that I can. This has been a key for us always, with every single player on the team. Each guy knows his minutes and goes out and to give his hardest. Even if it's just two minutes, they are going to be his hardest play for as long as he can be out there. No one has any worries about it. All we care about is working hard and winning games."
Not that you want to look too far ahead, but a lot of fans are wondering: what will the atmosphere in OAKA be like if Panathinaikos reaches the Final Four this year?
"It'll be unbelievable. Last year, we had five soldout games in a row with almost 22,000 people there, and I can only imagine what it will be like if we get there for the Final Four. But like I said earlier, it's too early to think about. We have to worry about Maccabi this week. Our goal comes in May, but this is only December, and there's a lot of work to do in the meantime, a lot of room for improvement. It doesn't matter how good a play or a team is, there is always room to get better. That's what we're trying to do every day in practice and on the court when we play games: get better every time."
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