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Zeljko
Obradovic ,
Panathinaikos
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This season marks the end of the second full decade in which European clubs have been using the Final Four to decide a champion. More than half of those Final Fours have had Panathinaikos head coach Zeljko Obradovic as a protagonist. His debut appearance came as a player with Partizan at the very first Final Four in 1988. He didn't win it all, however, until his first Final Four as a coach, also with Partizan, in 1992. Since then, he has proceeded to win four more times with three more teams. His records are unmatched by anyone: 11 Final Four appearances total, 10 as a coach and, of course, five titles won. At just 47 years old, Obradovic has plenty of time to add to his legend. His plan for doing so is the essence of the coaching art: inspiration. "I am sure going to push my players to take advantage of this moment," Obradovic told Euroleague.net. "The career of a player is not very long, as I know from having been a player. They have to enjoy every moment and seize every opportunity."
Coach, congratulations on making the Final Four yet again. Some say that it's more difficult to arrive to a Final Four than to win it. How do you compare those two challenges?
"I think it's all very difficult. First of all getting there, it's more difficult than people think. And then winning is also difficult. With the quality there is in the Euroleague now, with so many teams who can beat you, it takes a strong work ethic to become one of the last four teams. Nothing is easy, but we made it, and we are happy about that. Now, we've got to prepare and think only about the semifinal."
This is your 10th Final Four, more than any coach, and your five titles are also a record, of course. What do those numbers mean for you?
"Just that the work that we do, we take it seriously. Above all, though, I give thanks to the players. I have to say that without their effort it would be impossible to get to the Final Four. It's always important, this year like the others before it, to have a team of people who like the work they do. They enjoy every moment on the court, whether it is practice or games. That is so important. Any success of mine is thanks to the players."
Have being the favorite all during the season and having pressure to excel been good for Panathinaikos?
"You know what? The idea of who is a favorite depends on who is talking. I don't understand it too much. Every team that goes to the Final Four has the same possibilities. That's my experience, and I'm saying it after 10 Final Fours. There are no favorites. I know that before the season people talked about us being favorites, too, but at that time I told my players that we were 10,000 kilometers from reaching Athens. Now we have arrived, but it's the same thing, even though the Final Four is in Athens: there's no favorite for me. All four want to win, first the semifinal and after, if they make it, the final. We'll have to wait until May 4 to know."
Has this season gone according to your plans so far, both in results and in the way the team plays?
"I am very happy about how we have worked and what we have done in our three competitions. We rank first in the Greek League, won the Greek Cup and we qualified for the Final Four. Most important, we were able to do all that despite having five new players. But for me, it's not important only to win, but to play well, like we did all season, and to see the fans enjoying our play. Our level of play is important for me as a coach. This year we've played 40-something games already, and most of them we have played at a high level of quality. That makes me happy."
 You has one of the most experienced teams possible, with 10 players who have been to at lease one Final Four. What role does that experience have once the game starts?
"I think it is very important. Alvertis and Papanikolaou have won before. Now, we have a lot of other guys who want that feeling of winning the Euroleague. So these guys are motivated for sure, which is necessary. Without extra motivation, it can be difficult. Of course, playing at home, our fans will create a great atmosphere, as usual. But playing at home also involves some pressure, and we have to avoid that part of it. It doesn't matter where the Final Four is if you don't go out and play a good game. Most important, always, is who plays well, who concentrates most and who is the most motivated."
What kind of impact do you see the Final Four being in Athens having on your team?
"We're going to try to avoid any problems that having the Final Four in Athens can bring. Right now, we all have people calling asking questions. I'm not talking about the press, because that's part of our job. I mean friends and so on, calling about tickets, favors, questions, whatever. The week before the Final Four, we have to stop that. I will talk with my team about that, because we have to avoid it. In some ways, it is better to play away, because you run into fewer problems like that. Of course, in other ways, playing at home helps. Your players know every spot on the floor, are used to that court, to shooting on those baskets. Some things are plusses and others are minuses. We'll try to do everything possible so that the team understands that the most important thing is to concentrate on the five-against-five game."
Your semifinal opponent, Tau, won a similar game in OAKA last season to reach the Final Four and will try to take confidence from that experience. Can Panathinaikos learn something from looking back on that game?
"The truth is we have talked about that, and there are a lot of differences in the situation. There will be other fans there, and last time it was only our fans. That was a game to get to the Final Four, and Tau played it great. So they have that experience, they know the atmosphere. It makes you think this is very similar, but in other ways it is not. There are some new players on each team. They have a new coach. Those are important differences. And this is the Final Four. So I don't think there are so many similarities to worry about."
 Given that Panathinaikos and Tau are both teams with deep benches who play at a very high tempo, can any single player decide things or is it more probably that a certain combination of five will be the key?
"Without doubt, we know each other well. They know us and we know them. To spring a surprise tactic is very difficult at this time of the season. Everything depends on the quality of the players, their inspiration for that one game, and their concentration. Can one guy decide it? I think so, yes. There are a lot of quality players on both teams. On Tau, there is talent absolutely everywhere, and on my team, too. Talent and quality. We'll see what happens, but I am sure going to push my players to take advantage of this moment. The career of a player is not very long, as I know from having been a player. They have to enjoy every moment and seize every opportunity."
Of course, the semifinal also features the two winningest coaches in Final Four history, you and Boza Maljkovic of Tau. Do you think much about who is sitting on the other bench?
"Not so much. Basically, these situations happen fairly often. We have played against each other before, and we'll do it again. There are lots of games every season, and all four of these coaches run into each other often enough. Because of the way the semifinals were structured, it will be Boza this time, and he's a great coach. It's not the first time we face each other, and it won't be the last if we both keep on the same path we have been on until now."
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Friday, April 27, 2007
Frank Lawlor, Euroleague.net
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