ISSUE 6 - DECEMBER 2019
The official magazine of Olympiacos B.C.
THE
GIANT THE… OTHER PONDENCE
JACKI GEMELOS INTERVIEW
THE FESTIVE WHEN I WAS 10 ONE TEAM! TAYLOR ROCHESTIE
EDITORIAL
The sixth issue of We Are Olympiacos is on your screens. An issue full of Olympiacos, as well as Christmas. Nikola Milutinov reveals himself in a different interview-photoshoot at the festively decorated park of the Stavros Niarchos institute, Kevin Punter talks about things non-basketball, Taylor Rochestie makes a time travel and the SEF gets revealed through new construction projects. In our new issue, you can learn things you didn’t know about the super-star of the football team, Daniel Pondence, the huge effort Jacki Gemelos made to overcome the obstacles in her career and also photos from the ‘red’ Christmas events. There’s been almost three months since our last issue and many things have changed for our team since then. What hasn’t changed though, even the slightest, is our faith in this “battle” we’ve been fighting. We wish you all a Happy Holiday season, that you have a good read and that you don’t forget. We Keep On Dreaming and Together We Fight, because We Are Olympiacos… Christos G. Bafes
TITLES
ADMINISTRATION
EuroLeague 1997, 2012, 2013
Owners Panagiotis & Giorgos Angelopoulos
Intercontinental Cup 2013 Olympiacos B.C. S.A. Address: Peace and Friendship Stadium Ethnarchou Makariou 1 Ave. Νeo Faliro - Piraeus 185 47 Τel.: 210 45 27 600 Fax: 210 45 27 601 Email: info@olympiacosbc.gr Website: www.olympiacosbc.gr
Greek Championships 1949, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2015, 2016 Greek Cup Winner 1976, 1977, 1978, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2010, 2011
Board Members Georgios Skindilias Dimitrios Prassos
We Are Olympiacos (Official Magazine) Published by Press Office of OLYMPIACOS B.C. Editor in Chief Christos Bafes
General Manager Nikos Lepeniotis
Editors Jenny Gravia Antonis Katsikis
Financial Director Nearchos Riganas
Designer Andreas Saisanas
Marketing & Commercial Development Director Nikos Lepeniotis
Photographic agency Eurokinissi
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CONTEXT
8 INTERVIEW: NIKOLA MILUTINOV The Serbian center un-tangles the skein of his life.
COLUMNS
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WHAT’S TRENDING
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WHEN I WAS TEN
48 QUIZ
ISSUE 6 / DECEMBER 2019
24 THE SEF HAS CHANGED The state-of-the-art Cube and the revamp of the VIP and the Press Rooms.
34 THE FESTIVE ONE TEAM The last practice of 2019 featured Vezenkov, Koniaris and Santa Paul.
38 THE CHRISTMAS EVENT OF OLYMPIACOS BC The photostory of the ‘red’ family Christmas dinner.
43 DANIEL PONDENCE The … other Pondence through 30 questions.
50 JACKI GEMELOS The Greek-American player for Olympiacos talks about herself.
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PHOTOGRAPHERS’ CHOICE The moment… Each team, before coming on the floor to fight their … battle, follows a certain ritual. The waiting time since the moment the coach gives his last directions until the time everyone is ready to come out on the floor is special. In the SEF’s corridors, concentration, mental preparing and the silence that is abruptly broken in a deafening manner, are the dominant elements. All the players become entangled and loudly shout “OLYMPIACOS” following the captain’s directive. The battle is on…
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nikola milutinov THE GIANT An accident at the end of a pool, a failed attempt at skipping a friendly game, a family that never denied him any favors, basketball personalities that believed in him from day one, a lot of hard work and hours of loneliness, made Nikola Milutinov what he is todayL One of the top Euroleague big players! The Olympiacos center tells his story through “We Are Olympiacos� and expresses gratitude to all those that supported him.
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«Basketball player by… accident!»
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ikola Milutinov was the most beautiful... New Year’s present for his parents! Milovan and Veritsa Milutinov welcomed their first born son to the world just before 1994 expired, on December 30. About two years later, their family happiness was completed with the coming of their second son, Branislav. “I was born in Novisad, it’s the second largest city in Serbia. I grew up there and my childhood had been amazing! My parent provided me and brother with everything. There was a lot of love in my family. They were happy years for one more reason though. I had many friends, with who I used to be outside all the time, before and after school. We usually played football, because most of them would be shorter than I was!” His parents originally urged him to engage with another sport. “They wanted me to engage with sports, without though pushing me to that direction. They just wanted me to take up some sport so that my body would develop correctly, given that my height did not come from sudden growth, but it was rather though a consistent developement each year. They themselves had never taken up sports. In my family, I only had an uncle that was a professional goalkeeper. So they thought that swimming would be more beneficial towards the correct developement of my body and that’s how I got started. However, one day I slipped at the pool, broke by jaw and stopped. I was about 6 or 7 when that happened. When I recovered – I don’t remember about it, but my father told me so – I asked him to register me with a basketball team. And he did it. I joined a small school Academy of my city, Kadet, for about seven years. I made a lot of good friends there, while with my then coach, Stevan Vitorovic, who practicially raised me, are still very good friends. He comes to Athens very ofthen, because he loves basketball very much, despite not being involved with it anymore. However, I truly appreciate him though and he had a substantially helped me to evolve. He was something like a big brother to me and helped me in every way possible”. He doesn’t actually remember what led him to basketball, he remembers though the moment that practically defined his professional course. : “I always liked basketball, but since all my friends were playing football and I wanted to be with them, I used to play the goalkeeper position. One day, my then coach saw me at the school yard playing football with my friends, at the time that I should be normally preparing for a friendly game with the basketball team. I didn’t want to go to the friendly game although it was a big game, given that we were a small Aacademy and we were playing against Crvena Zvezda. Like I said before, I didn’t want to go to the game, because I’d rather play football with my friends. But he saw me and made me go. Truth is, I was kind of intimidated by him at the time, so I did what he told be to do. I have to admit that after this game, everything started getting into place and develop in a positive way for me...”.
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«Love at… second sight»
hat happened though in that game? “It was then that some basketball people got to see me. But, apart from that, I began liking basketball even more. If I remember well, we had lost at the last play of the game, but I had loved playing against better players. It was like falling in love with basketball once again and from there on football stop being of interest to me. I began practicing more, I became more focused and everything got on track. When I was 15, we participated a tournament and made the final round, which had been a very important thing for the Academy. We were among the top 8 teams of the country. After that tournament, Hemofarm, Partizan and Red Star took an interest in me. Mostly the first two teams and I was to choose between them”. At somewhere there, he started believing that the ‘orange goddess would become his future. There had
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been someone else though that had been sure of that development way earlier. “Stevan Vitorovic believed in me from moment one and trusted me, although I had been very young. He was the one to ‘push’ me continue playing basketball and being more serious about it”. As for his parents... “They simply wanted me to be involved with sports. They hadn’t thought I could become a high level athlete. And this has only to do with the fact that they were very humble people. They never pressured me about anything. Actually, they told me: “If you become a pro, well that will be great, regardless of the level you will get to play”. However, they never thought at the time that I could be playing for such a great club like Olympiacos. So we took it one step at a time. Of course, I need to say that school always came first, especially for my father. He really loves math, he’s a computer engineer (IT) and for me math was the thing! I like math as well, it was my favorite subject. I wasn’t good at everything, but I was quite good at math thanks to my dad”.
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«Alone, but not at home»
etween Hemofarm and Partizan, the 16 year old “Milu” at the time, chose the Vrsac team, for very specific reasons. “One reason had been my coach, Zarko Curovic. I also knew Luka Mitrovic, who used to play for Red Star and is now in Spain. We were at the Academy together. We grew up together. He had joined Hemofarm one year before I did. I asked him about the team and he told me the best. Also, the coach talked to my family and especially to my mom that was really worried about me leaving home for the first time. “Don’t worry. I’ll be like a father to him. He’s going to have everything”, he told her. That was really important to her, she got convinced and told him: “I trust you. I’m giving you my child”. In light of the incident with his mom, he admits that … “My mom was always very protective of me. Whenever she saw me suffering a minor illness or pain, she always kept me at home and wouldn’t allow me go out. She was so protective that sometimes it made me feel uncomfortable in regard to the other kids”. His new coach though was equally protective. “He had played basketball, he was also tall and knew that I would be suffering a lot of injuries if I pushed myself too much. And that’s because I would constantly grew tallker and my knees would always be hurting. My whole body was hurting at the time. So, he knew what was happening with my body and wanted to protect me, so that we wouldn’t be risking injuries. I really appreciated that and I can say that if my first coach had been like a big brother to me, he had been my basketball father. He helped me a lot
and I keep in touch with him also”. The Serbian center left family comfort behind, however, he found a second family with Hemofarm. “It was very good! All the athletes that weren’t from that town, that’s about two hours away from Novisad, were staying together. Each one had their own small apartment, but they all were in the same building. It was really nice because we were together with my team mates all the time and it was easy for me to adjust. The town was small, you could walk and for me it was really easy to adjust to that way of life. All the more, I knew a lot of my team mates, while my new coach, as I said before, was really good to me. It was then that I started believing I could become a pro. I didn’t know at which level, but I felt I could do it. I was playing well, people started noticing me and say that I could make it at a high level. Before Hemofarm, I never knew how far I could go. However, it was there that I realized basketball was going to become my profession”. He was so sure, that he never thought about an alternative plan for his future. “I was thinking about that since I was a kid. When I wouldn’t be thinking about basketball. When I was about 6 or 7 I thought I would be working with building construction. I thought that my brother would be the architect and we would be working together. I thought about it because my grandfather was working with building construction. But then, I started playing basketball and I never thought about anything else. When I was growing up, I was looking up to Vlade Divac. When I was younger, I would be waking up to watch the Sacramento Kings games. He was a big player and I wanted to be like him. Of course, it’s hard to be like him, because he’s one of a kind!” WE ARE OLYMPIACOS
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«Belgrade, success and books»
mall Vrsac was obviously not keeping him for long. His next stop would be Belgrade and Partizan that never stopped trying to sign him. “It had always been diffucult for mr to change places. I had grown that accustomed to the way of living in Vrsac, I had made friends and moving from such a small place to a big city like Belgrade had been a difficult process for me at the time. When I was with Hemofarm, I knew where I would be going to eat, all my team mates would be with me... However, when I joined Partizan, I had my own apartment and that was it... I had to find solutions for everything else. It took me some time, but then, when I made friends, I started hanging out with my team mates, I got used to it and then it was easy. Despite that, I knew it was time for me to take the next step. Partizan was the biggest team of Serbia at the time, they were playing for the Euroleague, and coach, Dusko Vujosevic, would be trusting young players, would throw them into the ‘fire’”. The city, nevertheless, was not the only difficulty for him to cope with. “With Hemofarm, I wasn’t playing for the men’s team and I suddenly was playing for the men’s team of Partizan, where everyone were stronger and bigger than I was. We had a very young team then. We had Bogdanovic that now plays for the NBA, Westerman that now plays for Fenerbahce, Bertans, he’s with the NBA now, but we were all starting out. At first, we were all trying to get into rhythm, however, during the second half of the season, when we had actually found confidence and had grown a little more, we found chemistry, we upped our performance and won the
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Adriatic League and the Serbian Championship”. And all of that in his first season! “The feeling of that first titel was incredible. Certainly, each time you win a title, whatever that maybe, you feel wonderful. However, the first one, the Adriatic League for me, is something special. You watch the joy in the fans, you watch the joy in all the team’s people and it’s something you never forget. Only brother was with me at the time, because we hadn’t played in Belgrade, but rather in a small town in Bosnia. However, when you get to see all that joy, you appreciate a lot of things. All the more, the fact that we hadn’t began well, but succeeded in surpssing the obstacles and saw our hard work paying off, made it even more special. I was really happy and I can’t describe how that felt’. Dusko Vujosevc’s presence in the team bench had functioned as a speed learning course for him, and not just basketball wise. The Serbian coach had unique methods and one of them was ‘forcing’ his players read books. “He wanted to show us the right path through this procedure. He would be giving me books and to tell you the truth the whole thing would seem kind of peculiar to me. No one had ever pressured me into doing something like that before. However, I have now understood what he was trying to do and I appreciate it. Vujosevic definitely helped me a lot to improve. He had the biggest impact in my game. He was the one that believed in me when I was 17 years old and my body was really weak. I sincerely was in no condition at the time to compete with the other big players. That had been a tough period for me, but he pushed me a lot to work hard. Many hours of training in the morning, many hours of training in the evening. I was working really hard and some time later my body developed, my game evolved and it was easier for me to play”.
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«2015 - a groundbreaking year»
he problems rocking Partizan were too many during the 2014-15 season which was completed with no titles won. Despite that, ‘Milu’s’ star ‘shone’ over to the other end of the Atlantic, since he was the no 26 pick of the NBA draft. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to live the whole experience up close. In 2015, the system at the embassy collapsed and I wasn’t able to get a visa. This maybe a one in 100 years incident and it happened to me! I was really upset I wasn’t able to travel, because I had expected to be drafted in the first round. I had a lot of meetings before the draft. Scouts were coming to Serbia, I would be talking with many teams, and they were talking to me on skype. Through all that procedure, I realized that San Antonio was the team that was most interested in me, because on a skype conference with them, nine or ten team people were sitting around the office table, whereas with others it had been one or two people. When I saw how many they were, I became nervous!”
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So, due to software mulfunction, he got to watch the procedure from afar. “I watched it with my family and close friends at home. It was very intense, especially for my parents. I was overwhelmed when I saw them crying. I was very happy at first, but when I saw them like that, I realized it really meant a lot to them. Then I felt even happier, but also moved”. That summer, though, he had made one more important decision. He would be ending (in a mutual agreement with the team) the Partizan chapter, despite having a valid contract. “Just like I had felt it with Hemofarm, that it was the right time to for me to take the next step in my career that was the same with Partizan, I felt it was the right moment to move forward. The reason I left had nothing to do with the financial problems the team was facing. I did it because I wanted to do something better and Olympiacos was a step above where I was then. I saw it as a great opportunity. I knew how Olympiacos was working, I was only hearing positive things about the club, I knew its history and that’s why I came here!”
«Olympiacos thanks (also) to Spanoulis - Printezis!»
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he ‘reds’ had not been the only ones to wish to include the promising center in their roster. “I had offers from Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and a few others European teams. Sasha Djordjevic was sitting in the Panathinaikos bench then and wanted to sign me. But I decided that the best thing for me would be to sign with Olympiacos. I talked to my agent, he told the best about the team and the family atmosphere within it. I also really wanted to play with Spanoulis and Printezis. It’s an honor to be playing with them. I saw myself as being a better fit with Olympiacos and I felt that it would help me improve my game more than with any other team”. For someone that doesn’t like changes, the first day at… work is always difficult. Nikola Milutinov, however, was lucky, since he ‘stumbled’ on Giorgos Pritnezis. “Of course I remember my first day! It was a tournament in Croatia, at Zadar. I had just arrived and I immediately got in the room with Printezis. I was quite intimidated, because I was really young and Printezis was already a huge name. He was a player I admired. All the more, everything was new to me and I was filling a little lost. However, I remember that since the first moment, Giorgos made me feel comfortable. He’s the kind of guy that can hang out with everyone! From a one year old kid to a 100 old person! He helped me a lot, just like all the rest of my team mates, especially the Greeks”. The first months were extremely hard for him. There
were many doubters. “I know that there had been doubts at first, however, they were founded. I know I wasn’t playing well and that had to do with me having to adjust. It’s like throwing someone to the unknown. I had no one, I didn’t have my friends, I was alone. It was hard for me to adjust at once. In addition to that, the game here is different, of very high level and all of that made it hard for me. However, when I look back, I feel that that time was a huge experience and I’m now happy about it. I wouldn’t change a thing. Tough moments make you stronger and offer you experience for the next step. Although feeling alone, in reality he was not. Proof enough of the number of people that he admits came close to help him. “Milan Tomic helped me a lot. We come from the same country and we were talking a lot, so he was one of the people that helped me. Greek players helped me a lot also, especially since Kostas (Papanikolaou) returned to the team. He’s an incredible guy and made me feel better in his way. He made me feel part of the family and I will always be grateful. Because he is one of the main reasons I got to feel better. Of course, all the coaches I worked with helped in their way. Coach Sfairopoulos brought me to the team, so I’m grateful to him for giving me the chance to play at the highest level with Olympiacos. Coach Blatt gave me even more minutes and I’m also grateful to him. And now, coach Kemzura is helping me evolve my game even more. I feel grateful for all my coaches and I appreciate all they have done to help me, so that I can be the player I am today”.
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«Τhe Euroleague dream»
sually, titles are engraved in the memory of most athletes as their best moments. But this is not the case for Milutinov. “My best moment was definitely when we went to the Euroleague Final Four. It was something unique, despite the fact that we did not get to win the title. However, this experience was the greatest thing that has happened to me and I’m always keeping it in my mind”. Asked about his worst moment, he said: “The first 4-5 months had been really difficult for me. I was alone and I would never want to feel again like I had felt at the time. So, I choose that adjustment period for me, which had been the first time I had gotten to spend time outside of my country. Now though, it’s the exact opposite. I really enjoy my life in Greece, I love this city, I love this team, I love my team mates and the friends I have made on and off the court”. Olympiacos has not had an equally successful course during the past two years, at least according to expectations and what the weight of its jersey requires. Nevertheless, he is considered one of the top centers in europe, if not the top one. “It’s true that I feel a greater responsibility now. It’s always tough when the team does not have the course you expect and want. Last year especially, we started out very well, we were playing excellent basketball and then we suddenly collapsed in the second half of the season. It was very bad, because we deserved to be in the TOP 8. But that’s how it happened, we can’t change that and I’m now only thiking about this season. It’s true we did not start well, however, we have began playing better now. Despite having lost some games we shouldn’t or could have won, I think we have improved and taken steps forward. We have begun finding chemistry and I hope we are going to be getting better every day, so that we make the playoffs. I’m always optimistic. In my life I generally am not a negative person. I always think positively and try to find something good, even if everything seems to be goig wrong. My dream is to win the Euroleague, if that’s possible. I know it’s hard, that are many quality teams in the competition and that each year Euroleague becomes all the more difficult. But I would love to win the title with Olympiacos. I would love that we could do that this year! However, I’m grounded. I know it’s not easy, but we’ll see. What we need to do is to always look at the next game and on how we are going to improve”. In November 2017, the Serbian center signed his contract extension, a signature that kept him in Piraeus this season as well, despite the loud “sirens” from Moscow. “After our Final Four participation in the 2016-17 season, Olympiacos had wanted to extend our collaboration and I had wanted to stay here because I knew I would be improving my game even more. I would be gaining experience and it would be good for me to remain in an environment that makes me feel good. I’m really very happy to have done it!” Last summer, CSKA offered the ‘reds’ … gold to let him go, but they received a negative answer. Many things were told and even more were written about this case. But what does he have to say? “I had the offer on the table. The administration decided to keep me, I was bound by contract, so I stayed. I know very well what I signed after we renewed our cooperation following the Final Four. I’m a professional and when I sign something, I honor it. That’s what I did and this moment that we are talking I’m very happy with Olympiacos. The only thing I’m thinking about is my team and nothing else!”
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«I’m blessed»
is presence at Piraeus did not only have an impact on his game, but also in his thinking. “To be completely honest, when I signed with Olympiacos, the only thing I was thinking about was when I was going to so to the Spurs. Now, I’m not that crazy about the idea of joining the NBA. If I have the chance to do it, I’ll go. But if I don’t have a role and the circumstances are not the proper ones, I’m not going there just to be sitting in the bench. I want to be playing, that’s what I like and there’s no way
I’m going there simply to be watching”. So, what does Olympiacos mean for Milutinov? “A lot! It’s the team that helped me evolve as a player. It’s the team where I got to meet so many good people and made friends for life, on whom I can depend. Sasha Vezenkov is one of them! He’s my best friend. We not only spend countless hours at practice together, but also off the court. We are doing almost everything together. He’s like a brother to me! I’m generally blessed to be here! When my career is over, I’m going to be able to tell to people that I had managed to play with Spanoulis, Printezis and Papanikolaou! I’m blessed!”
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«Milu off the court»
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e and the fans: “If they ask for a photo or anything else, I always try to make them happy. That’s because they are the ones that are by our side, they support us and their support means a lot not just for the team, but also for me personally. I never found myself in any ugly situations, neither with the fans of opposing teams”. Nikola or better Nikolas as in Greek! “I love almost everyhting about Greece! The weather, the food, the city, the islands... Everything! There is nothing I don’t like”. In his free time... “I play tennis. I know I’m not good, but I like playing. I like playing at the playstation with my friends. I’m good at FIFA. There’s also one more game, that’s my favorite. I’m talking about football manager, however, it stresses me out and that’s why I stop after a few weeks!” His biggest non basketball dream, is basically a basketball one! “At this moment, my life is absolutely entwined with basketball. So, everything has to do with it and with my family. My goal therefore is to succeed as much as I can and spend as much time possible with my family”.
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he game against Zalgiris Kaunas was definitely a special one for the ‘reds’ since they were playing with their backs against the wall and victory was a one way street. Kestutis Kemzura’s players did not allow any lee way for the coach’s co-patriots to react, celebrating an important victory at the end. The most important thing however, was that they gave Giorgos Printezis the chance to enjoy a special night for him. It may be that Vassilis Spanoulis is close to writing history surpassing Juan Carlos Navarro in the 22 OLYMPIACOSBC.GR
history of Euroleague scorers but Giorgos Printezis got to write his own history as well. “Print” needed only two points to reach 3000 in the competition and only one to surpass Felipe Reyes, with whom he had been tied at third place. The end of the game found him having scored 10 points and having succeeded in both his goals in a truly remarkable night that everyone will get to remember. Olympiacos can now be proud that it will be very soon to have the first and the third scorer of the competition on its roster.
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he greatest basketball player in the history of Olympiacos, one of the greatest basketball players of all times has given one more huge performance, this time against Armani Milano and got to write another golden page in his career. Vassilis Spanoulis has reached one more top in his huge career and is now the top scorer in the Index Rating category of the competition surpassing Juan Carlos Navarro. Against the Italians, the Olympiacos’ captain has amassed 17 points in the PIR system of the Euroleague, reaching a total of 3900 and surpassing Juan Carlos Navarro. Following his top seed with assists, minutes played, free throws made, free throws won and fouls won, Vassilis now tops the index rating as well. Soon he will be the top scorer in the history of the competition. Congrats captain.
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The Peace and Friendship Stadium has changed...
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t may be that the first season game was in October and the season practically began with the team’s first practice mid-August, but during the whole summer the construction works at the Peace and Friendship Stadium did not stop even for a minute and that’s because Olympiacos BC has tried to change the arena’s image with three innovative projects. The new cube, the New Press Room and the new VIP room that now adorn the Peace and Friendship Stadium. 24 OLYMPIACOSBC.GR
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Τhe SEF’s gem
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he SEF’s roof has changedand the cube has added a different glamour to the home of the ‘reds’ since the first game of the season against Valencia. It’s a system that includes not just the four classing digital projection surfaces, but an upper and down ring, just like in the NBA. The image analysis is 4K and the dimensions of the main surfaces are 7.5m X 3.90m. It’s a business collaboration between OLYMPIACOS BC and the biggest Sports Technology Provider in the world, TGI Worldwide (www.worldwidetgi. com) a company that started from Chicago in 1997, when Michael Jordan was at the peak of his career, and conquered the world! This collaboration began last season with the installation of the first ‘curved’ perimeter system of sponsorship projection in Europe and is expanding this season with the installation of a state of the art interactive CUBE system, updating the outlook of not only the Olympiacos’ games but also the Peace and Friendship Stadium itself. The two organizations will not be stopping here and have been planning to expand their collaboration in other areas as well so as to offer the
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most contemporary services to the fans. Τhe CUBE has established a new environment for Olympaicos’ home games, since it will be displaying game plays, feed from the tribunes, videos of the Olympiacos’ sponsors, live contests, feed from other games that are being played at the same time in other arenas, videos with the Olympiacos players, content from the Official Olympiacos TV Channel, feed from the locker rooms and many other videos and highlights that will be creating a unique atmosphere in the Peace and Friendship Stadium, worthy of both Olympiacos and the Euroleague! Τhe We Are Olympiacos e-magazine is attempting to convey the materialization of the project with photos from the first day of construction through the first jump ball. For fifteen days, SEF’s floor turned into a construction site and the ‘building’ of the cube was really exciting, especially for those who had the chance to watch how works were progressing on a daily basis.
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SEF’s historic studio becomes a Press Room
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new creation of the Club at the SEF, is also the new Press Room. The historic studio of the arena, where the national public TV was broadcasting from in 1987 on a daily basis during the Eurobasket and hosted the company of Galis, Giannakis and their team mates, the new Press Room of the team is now hosted with a double function. This historic site, which was being used as a storage room during recent years, has been now transformed into probably the most contemporary work station for the media that can also serve as a Press Conference Room.
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The new VIP lounge
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n recent years, Olympiacos BC would be using the lounge of the entrance to the VIP Gate at the SEF to host its VIP’s both before the jump ball of the games as well as during half time. In collaboration with BWIN, we have created a special Lounge where our guests can enjoy special services, watch the rest of the Euroleague games played at the time, have meetings, enjoy unique flavors provided by the “Depnosofisterio’ restaurant and of course taste a cool EZA beer. And all of that, enjoying intense highlights from Olympiacos’ history.
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WHAT’S TRENDING?
Let’s meet the Olympiacos players off court. What they eat, what kind of music they listen to, the places they frequent when they go out…
ΚΕVIN PUNTER YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AT THE TIME? «The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air».
DO YOU FOLLOW FASHION? WHICH CURRENTLY FASHIONABLE ITEM YOU LIKE? «Not that much. In reality, I only buy what I like».
WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO WEAR?
«I love sweat pants. They are extremely comfortable. Long pants and shorts».
IF YOU WERE ABLE, WHAT KIND OF SHOES WOULD YOU ALWAYS WEAR? WHICH ONES MAKE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE? NETFLIX or AMAZON? «I’ll choose NETFLIX».
WHICH MOVIE YOU WATCHED RECENTLY THAT YOU LIKED?
«It’s been a long time since I watched a movie. My favorite is ‘Βoyz n the hood’».
«Sneakers. For sure NIKE! I always wear them. For me, they are the most comfortable shoes».
HOW DO YOU USUALLY MATCH THEM? «Tracksuits and jeans».
DO YOU WEAR ANY EXTRAS?
«My favorite accessories are earrings. I have some bracelets also, but I always wear my earrings».
WHICH ONE OF YOUR TEAM MATES IS THE BEST DRESSER?
«Vassilis. He’s one of the best dressed. He doesn’t dress better than I do, but he’s got a lot of swag pieces».
WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DO YOU USE? «Twitter and Instagram».
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? «I listen to all genres. Rap, R&B, Soul… everything! It depends on how I feel at the moment».
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WHAT KIND OF MUSIC THE MAJORITY OF YOUR TEAM MATES LISTEN TO?
«I listen to a lot of Greek music; it’s not that bad, but mostly rap».
WHEN YOU GO OUT, WHERE DO YOU USUALLY HANG OUT?
«I don’t go out! But if I do, then some chill places, nothing crazy».
WHICH ONE OF YOUR TEAM MATES HAS THE BEST DANCE MOVES?
«To be honest, no one on the team dances. I probably am the best dance, with the best moves!».
WHICH VIDEO GAME YOU PLAY THE MOST? «I don’t like video games. If I play some, it’s going to be 2Κ, but I generally don’t like them».
FIFA or PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER? «Neither».
WHO’S THE BEST AT FIFA/PES AND WHO’S THE WORST?
«I really don’t have a clue about these games and I don’t know who’s good and who’s bad».
WHO PLAYS THE MOST VIDEO GAMES ON THE TEAM? «Wade (Baldwin). I think he constantly plays fortnite».
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WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE EXPRESSION?
«What’s up fool? I say that and Kostas (Papanikolaou) says that also. We basically say that to one another all the time».
WHICH FOOD YOU EAT NOW THAT YOU COULDN’T STAND A FEW YEARS AGO? «Whatever I used to eat before, I eat now. I haven’t changes by habits».
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ARE YOU CONTENT WITH YOUR HAIR STYLE AT THE MOMENT?
«Yes. I think this cut becomes me and I think of keeping it».
IS THERE ANYONE THAT ADVISES YOU ON YOUR HAIR STYLE?
«No, never, I think I’m doing a pretty good job with that».
WE ARE OLYMPIACOS ©2019 COCA-COLA and the CONTOUR BOTTLE are registered trademarks of The Coca Cola Company.
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Santa Claus is coming to… ONE TEAM!
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anta Claus did not get down from the chimney to visit the last ONE TEAM practice for 2019, but rather through the auxiliary gym’s door at the SEF! Brandon Paul disguised into the most lovable fixture of the holiday season! He wore the red velour suit, white beard and even a fake belly (!) and gave out gifts and smiles to the students of the Special Technical Schools of Piraeus. The Olympiacos’ ambassador for Euroleague’s ONE TEAM, Sasha Vezenkov was also there, together with the ‘reds’ guard, Antonis Koniaris. They both participated practice that, like always, combined entertainment with learning! After the end, everyone exchanged wishes and renewed their appointment for the New Year! HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON EVERYONE!!!
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Τhe «red» Christmas dinner! You can’t have a holiday season without a family feast! Despite the heavy schedule, Olympiacos BC organized a Christmas event at the well known Athens hotel, for the families of the players, the coaches and the employees! “Thryleon” (i.e. the team mascot) played the role of Santa, giving gifts to the little ones. Older kids also got to get gifts though! A family trip to St. Petersburg, a two day trip in Paris and a NIKE gift card were given to the lucky winners of a gift lottery!
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the other daniel pondence How removed is being the top football player in the world from working at a fast-food joint? In Daniel Pondence’s mind, not that much! The Portuguese midfielder for Olympiacos, unfolds his … other self through “We Are Olympiacos”.
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1
If you were a cartoon character, who would you be and why? «Songoku. Because he tele-transports, he flies, he’s the strongest and he’s very funny».
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Which animal would you be and why? «A lion, he’s the kind of the jungle and the most beautiful animal».
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What would you do for a living, were you not a football player? «I would be working at a McDonald’s or I would be doing some other sport».
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Village or city? «City».
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Portuguese songs or foreign ones? «Both».
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A bike or a car and which brand? «A car. A Ferrari».
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On the mountain or at the sea? «At the sea».
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Do you believe in aliens? «No».
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Do you believe in the zodiac signs? «Some things yes, but I’m not particularly into them».
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Do you believe in ghosts? «I don’t know».
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If you could change something about you, what would it be and why? «I wouldn’t be changing a thing».
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If you could turn back in time, what would you be changing about your life? «Only a few games I played or some game I didn’t play».
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Are you a mama’s boy? «No».
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A goal or an assist? «A goal».
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Bouzoukia (i.e. popular Greek music outing) or a movie at home? «At a club».
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What’s your most extreme football dream? «Becoming the best in the world».
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Tell us the most bizarre incident you had with a fan. «I was at the super market and a fan came to me to ask me if I was Pondence. I said yes, and a couple of minutes later he came back and gave me his phone so I could talk to his best friend who wouldn’t believe him that he saw me».
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If you could choose between flying and being invisible, what would you choose? «Being invisible».
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What do you love and what do you hate about your profession? «I hate losing, either at practice or at a game».
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Your most extreme dream in general. «A big and happy family».
Blondes, brunettes, auburn or redheads? «It’s the same to me».
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If you could choose only one song that would be playing for the rest of your life when you entered a room, what would it be? «The Champions League theme music».
When you’re dealing with a problem, do you try to solve it by yourself or do you ask for help? «I solve it. When I can’t then I try harder».
What do you think is the meaning of life? «Playing footbal».
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If you were a painter, what colors would you use for your life’s canvas? «Red, grey, black and light blue».
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Do you care about what people think? «No».
When people talk about you, what would you like them to say? «A very good guy, funny and happy».
How do you imagine yourself to be in ten years from now? «I can’t imagine that».
What are you afraid of? «Getting old».
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When people stop you in the street to talk to you, does it feel awkward? «At the beginning of my career it did, now no».
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WHEN I WAS10 Taylor Rochestie I used to live…
«We got to move from Houston Texas to Santa Barbara California when I was ten».
I used to play basketball for…
«An All Star team, AAU. We were representing Santa Barbara».
The team I was rooting for…
I lived with…
«I originally was kind of backing the Houston Rockets, however, I changed at ten and began supporting the Lakers, because thanks to our moving to Santa Barbara I was going to watch their games».
The pets we had at the time…
My favorite player was…
«My mother, my father and my brother Alex». «We had a dog. He was a Welsh corgi and his name was Scort!».
My school was…
«Montecito Union School. It was a local elementary school close to home».
«I never had a favorite player. I simply had always liked to watch basketball and I was trying to imitate all the players».
My favorite TV show was… «I did not have a favorite show, because I was always outside the house playing».
My breakfast would be… «My mom would always be making eggs with something on the side… Eggs with toast, eggs with croissant, eggs and waffles, eggs and something else!».
I was vacationing at… «Always at Kennebunkport Maine, a little town by the sea. We would go there every summer with my mother and brother».
My best friend was…
«I didn’t have one, but rather three best friends! One was from Texas, Jimmy and I made two more best friends in Santa Barbara, Buck and Grant. We are still in touch».
People used to call me… «Τ or Τ-Bone or Τaylor».
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I would have in my wallet…
«I had nothing, because I didn’t have a wallet! I would have five bucks in my pocket at the most».
I would be in bed by…
«My parents used to think I was in bed by ten, but the truth is it was at twelve».
What I loved doing was… «Sports. That’s what I always loved doing».
I was expecting for dinner to be…
«I was never expecting anything special. Whatever was on the table, I would eat. I love most foods, so I wasn’t complaining».
Apart from sports, I loved…
«Watching movies, going to the beach and being with friends».
If I had 100 euro, I would have spend them…
«Definitely on baseball and basketball cards. I was collecting them».
Τhe “silliest” thing I had done…
«I’ve done a lot of silly staff, because I was kind of a ‘crazy’ kid… So to find the right answer to this question, we need to ask my parents».
The person I was ‘copying” was…
«Definitely my brother, Alex. He’s 2.5 years older than I am and whatever it was he was doing, I would be doing it as well. He used to play basketball for a while, but he would be trying at every sport and that’s what I would be doing also».
My favorite place on earth is… «Santa Barbara. It’s my home».
Olympiacos used to mean to me…
«It meant nothing at the time, but growing up I got to realize what a great club it is».
Other sports that I used to like…
«Almost all! I was very competitive and I was trying to be the best at everything when I was a kid. If someone was better than I was, I continued being involved with said sport so as to become the best!».
My worst habit was… «I would always say ‘no’ to my parents».
My favorite toy was…
«Whatever had to do with sports gear. I wasn’t really into toys, but rather going out and play. I loved all kinds of sports, hockey, baseball, basketball, tennis, everything».
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WHICH SEASON? (5 points)
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1. Olympiacos played against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. 2. Arturas Karnisovas was one of the two foreigners playing for Olympiacos. 3. Partizan eliminated Olympiacos for the Champions Cup Winners competition.
2 TO WHOM IT BELONGS? (10 points) Which Olympiacos’ player has this tattoo?
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FACESWAP (10 points) Name the two players that hide behind this face.
THE HISTORIAN (2 points for each correct answer) 1. He’s the record holder for most points scored in an Olympiacos’ European game. Right or wrong? 2. Which number was he wearing when playing for Olympiacos? 3. He’s Serbian. Right or wrong? 4. For how many other Greek teams he got to play? 5. He played for four seasons with Olympiacos. Right or wrong? 48 WE ARE OLYMPIACOS
5 SNEAKERS CORNER (10 points) To whom this pair belongs?
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FIND THE 5 DIFFERENCES (2 points for each one) The right photo has five differences in regard to the left one. Can you find them?
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FAMOUS ‘REDS’ (10 points)
WHO SCORED THE BUZZER BEATER? (10 points)
1. She’s a champion.
The fourth final against Panathinaikos at the OAKA in 2016 has been engraved in everyone’s memory thanks to Spanoulis’ buzzer beater at the end of the overtime. However, for the game to go to the extra five minutes, it took a three at the end of the regulation. Who was the scorer?
2. She comes to the SEF whenever she finds the time. 3. Her first name is Maria.
OLYMPIACOS’ ARCHIVES (5 points for each correct answer)
1. How many Final Fours has Olympiacos participated?
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2. Who scored Olympiacos’ first basket for the new Euroleague in 2000? 3. Who was the coach for the Olympiacos’ team that made the TOP6 of Europe in 1979?
10 WHO AM I? (10 points) 1. He wore the jersey with number 5. 2. Ηe was a play maker. 3. He did not win a title while with Olympiacos. 4. Dusan Ivkovic was his coach. 5. He played for the ‘reds’ for one season.
1. 1997-98 2. Will Cherry 3. Brandon Paul – Willie Reed 4. Right – No 8 – Wrong, Montenegro – Τhree – Wrong 5. Willie Reed 6. No Turkish Airlines logo – No ΝΙΚΕ logo on Rochestie’s shoes – Letter L is missing from the banner at the top of the photo – The sole on Kemzura’s shoes is blue – The white logo on the ref’s jersey is missing 7. Maria Sakkari 8. Vangelis Mantzaris 9. Ten – Dino Radja – Kostas Mourouzis 10. Μichael Hawkins ANSWERS
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«Jacki Gemelos Reveals Herself…» «It’s special to be a part of the Olympiacos club»
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The women’s basketball team of Olympiacos member talked about her experience wearing the red jersey so far, the invincible holders of double titles in Greece (Championship and Greek Cup), the Piraeus fans, as well as about her favorite players in Kestutis Kemzura’s team! She came to Piraeus in the summer, returning to her beloved Greece. Jacki Gemelos is a role model athlete for women’s basketball and beyond, since she succeeded in overcoming the huge injury problems she was faced with and continues playing at a top level. She wasn’t scared, she did not give up, and she stood up and on her feet stronger than ever. Only a few people have the courage to come out unscathed from that kind of problems and hardships. She was one of them. “I enjoy every day playing the game I love and being part of something as significant as Olympiacos. I had suffered so many injuries in the pat, that I had thought would have made me quit everything and practically deprive me of this love. I don’t take anything in life for granted anymore and the only thing I think about is to be playing basketball, because it fulfills me and makes me happy” the player of the Olympiacos’ women’s basketball team stressed talking to “We Are Olympiacos” in regard to her passion of the sport and everything she has experienced in her route up to today. She went on to say: “I’m happy with Olympiacos and I feel excited from the first moment I stepped foot here. Everyone embraced me from moment one and I’m so happy to be back in my country. Playing for the top club in Greece is something special. To belong in this family and with the best women’s basketball team in the country. I’m honored”. The ‘reds’ are undefeated in Greece. Their streak goes bigger by the day and they are making history with women’s basketball. Jacki Gemelos came to Olympiacos this season and is in the pleasant position to be a part of this team.
How does she feel about the fact that her name will be always entwined with these historic moments? «This winning streak for Olympiacos has come through many years of team work. It’s really something fantastic, I had never been part of a team with so many consecutive victories and it’s really special, something that I will probably never experience again in my career”, the player of the four times winner of the double Greek titles pointed out. And went on to say “It’s a beautiful feeling to begin a game for the Greek League knowing you belong with the top team and that no one can … touch you. That’s the feeling teams of that level share. It is only a fact that everyone wants to beat us and stop this streak. But inside, they know that they stand no chance of doing it. For me, it’s a perfect feeling and something that we now hold as a principle in our minds. We start every game knowing that the opponent wants to put a stop to our streak and that keeps us alert». Olympiacos’ women’s basketball team did not succeed to qualify for the group face of the Women’s Euroleague. They got disqualified by Montpelier in the qualifying rounds, but continue their European journey with the Eurocup. Gemelos is among the protagonists of the team under the directions of Giorgos Pantelakis and feels content by her experience in Piraeus in terms of the Eurocup competition. “We are doing OK with Eurocup up to now. I can’t say perfect, we have played against two good European teams, Montpelier and Valencia and were not able to win. Playing a Greek game has nothing to do with playing a Eurocup game”, she said at first and continued “I believe we did a good job in the group and could have won the game against Valencia at the SEF. But we are learning through these defeats and we get to know what it is we shouldn’t be doing in the future. The important thing for us is that we want to continue with the competition and make our fans happy”. She’s a top level athlete and the fans get to recognize her when they her on the street. Not just due to her talent but also thanks to her passion, her love for the sport and her general stance when playing in the red jersey. “Where ever I go, there are Olympiacos fans. That’s awesome” she says. “It’s very important for them too that the team is successful. It’s something that always follows you when you are on a team, with the clout and the winner’s mentality Olympiacos brings. It’s something you cannot experience elsewhere. Personally, I have experience from many teams in my career, in many countries and there is a huge distance in that aspect. It uplifts you to have such fans and that means a lot to any athlete. So, the Olympiacos’ fans play a huge part in the success this club has had and this team also, and without them, we wouldn’t be here right now. I feel so lucky and blessed to have all these people when playing on the road, when playing at home and it’s a beautiful feeling to feel gratitude for being a part of this club and its program”.
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Whenever she can, she steals some time to watch basketball, although she recently experienced the atmosphere at the “Georgios Karaiskakis” as well. However, she’s a regular at the SEF, for Olympiaco’s home Euroleague games. “Yes, I go and watch as many Olympiacos’ games as I can. I watched the game against PAOK at the “Karaiskakis”. The football game I watched was so special to me. I’m never forgetting about it in my life. I’ve always wanted to watch a huge football game and that’s something that is going to stay with me for ever. The passion, the atmosphere our fans make. You know, they drive you to play better. They give you courage and energy to lift your self up when you are trailing the score and it’s something you don’t get to see in the States as much. Here, this team is their life. They live for it, they are involved with it on a daily basis. For me, it’s so exciting to watch them. How the stadium is set on … fire, it’s not something that you get to see every day”. It was impressive. Just like at the SEF, where I have watched the men’s team compete. That’s also exceptional and suspenseful. I wish I could watch every game here, because I love watching basketball. Especially of that kind of level, like the ones for the Euroleague. It’s perfect being inside the arena and watch them fight”. As for who are the players that stand out for her from Kemzura’s team? Her choices are two. The captains, Vassilis Spanoulis and Giorgos Printezis. The reasons? Totally different ones… With her distinctive smile on, Gemelos answers our last question saying: “Giorgos Printezis is one of my favorites for his tattoos; I also have a lot of them (laughing). Ok, if we are talking about the game, then it’s Vassilis Spanoulis. His expe-
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rience, his knowledge, his wisdom and how he understands the game. His level is above any other player. He knows when to pass and when to score. He’s amazing…”
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OFFICIAL PARTNERS | SEASON 2019-2020
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