ChannelDescription http://www.euroleague.net/rssfeed/fr/832/2624.xml fr Wed, 07 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT A basketball team can never have too many points. With Alphonso Ford around, too few is rarely a problem. Ford has led the Euroleague in scoring across several phases the last three seasons and did the same in the Greek League before switching to Montepaschi Siena last summer. To say that Ford only scores, however, is a dangerous simplification for any opponent. His game also consists of as many assists and rebounds as almost any shooting guard, even if his scoring remains the primary concern of the unlucky player assigned to defend him. Now, Ford is making his Final Four debut, and in a video interview with Euroleague.net on his first night in town, Wednesday, he couldn't have been happier about that. "It's good to finally be here," Ford said. "This is a dream. Everybody who plays in Europe wants to make it here." http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/10786/2616/final-four-interview-alphonso-ford-montepaschi http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/10786/2616/final-four-interview-alphonso-ford-montepaschi Wed, 07 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT A rookie in name only, Darius Songaila has been a steady frontcourt performer all season for CSKA Moscow. Now, he comes to the Final Four as any number of young talents - including a couple more on his own team - who will soon be very well-known throughout European basketball. Songaila, from Lithuania, took his career to the NCAA at Wake Forest University, but after being selected in the second round of the last NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, returned to Europe to join a team turnaround at CSKA. That rebirth has led all the way to the Final Four, here in Barcelona, where Euroleague.net met up with Songaila for a video interview. "In the beginning of the season maybe I was surprised how well we were doing," Songaila said. "But now after a while, we've been together a few months, so it's not a surprise to me that we made it so far. You know, we're a pretty good team." http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/10852/2616/final-four-interview-darius-songaila-cska-moscow http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/10852/2616/final-four-interview-darius-songaila-cska-moscow Wed, 07 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT At 53, Svetislav Pesic has already won almost every other title possible, a list headed by the current world and European crowns he achieved as head coach of Yugoslavia. Even before those two triumphs, Pesic's curriculum bristled with titles: with Yugoslavia, the European cadets and juniors (1985, 1986) and the world juniors (1987); with Bosna Sarajevo, the Yugoslav League (1983) and Cup (1984); with Alba Berlin, the German League four times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) and Cup twice (1997, 1999), plus the Korac Cup (1995). He also won the Euroleague as a player, in 1979 with Bosna Sarajevo. This week, however, Pesic faces his first Final Four as a head coach. His attempts to reach the summit with Alba Berlin failed in earlier rounds. In truth, however, Pesic's first strong Final Four opportunity came this season with FC Barcelona, and he seized it. In addition, Barca has already won the Spanish King's Cup and has led the Spanish League throughout the regular season. Now aiming Barcelona for the only prize it has never won, Pesic told Euroleague.net this week that this year's Euroleague really has impressed him. http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/81692/2616/final-four-interview-head-coach-svetislav-pesic http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/81692/2616/final-four-interview-head-coach-svetislav-pesic Mon, 05 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT Dusan Ivkovic has won everything, or almost everything, in his long career as a coach. He was three-time European champion with the Yugoslav national team (1989, 1991, 1995), world champion in 1990 and an Olympic silver medallist in 1988. There were also another European (1997) and another world title (1998) shared with his friend and protege Zeljko Obradovic when the latter was head coach and Ivkovic team selector for Yugoslavia. At the club level, Ivkovic is one of only two coaches to have lifted the three European trophies: the Euroleague with Olympiacos (1997), the Saporta Cup with AEK (2000 and 2001) and the Korac Cup with Partizan (1979). He has also won national club titles in Greece and Yugoslavia, and is heading for another in a new country, Russia, this season. When last summer, after a year's sabbatical, Ivkovic signed with CSKA Moscow, he said he believes in the talent of Russian basketball and the tradition of that great club. Now, Ivkovic and CSKA have the chance to add to their already mighty credentials at the Final Four in Barcelona. http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/81693/2616/final-four-interview-head-coach-dusan-ivkovic http://www.euroleague.net/features/interviews/euroleague-2002-03/i/81693/2616/final-four-interview-head-coach-dusan-ivkovic Sun, 04 May 2003 00:00:00 GMT