George Bartzokas talks about superstars, leaders, pressure and coaching philosophy.
Giorgos Bartzokas gave an interview to Vassilis Scoundis for COSMOTE TV’s Pick n Roll, and he talked about his coaching philosophy, the changes he’s made to it over the years, and the ever-present pressure and demand at Olympiakos. The Greek coach also mentioned superstars and leaders.
Bartsokas for basketball: “It doesn’t matter. All coaches have a philosophy. Some people attack differently, some people defend differently. But at the end of the day, in professional sports, what matters is winning in the end.”
to the peak of his basketball career: “Although I have felt it many times, life or basketball comes and chases you and you rethink things. Sometimes there were teams that I coached that performed so satisfactorily on the court that I was happy with. Two or three times in history I had in my mind and Khimki and Maroussi were one that attracted me. able to create style.
For the most hurtful moment of the three lost final fours: “Yulin’s buzzer-beater in theory, because he was in the finals, and according to general admissions and coach Matteo, we’ve been great all year and we were really good that night”.
About his training philosophy: “That has to do with my concept of team play. And in football I always liked teams that moved the ball with passes, like Michaels’ Ajax. It was a first in team sports. A team that passes the ball a lot, defends and attacks together.”
On the changes he has made since becoming the head coach in 2006 till now: “Many times I have changed theories and opinions about basketball. I always talk to people who are experts, because I ask enough, I don’t want to be a storyteller, some people influenced me in my opinions, because I saw that what they were saying was right, I didn’t have a big idea about myself, I couldn’t be wrong. I don’t believe that.
If basketball was a word, what would it be?: “I won’t help you by saying I like something more than others (eg a shot, an extra pass, a contested ball, etc.). I’d say basketball is basically an emotion.”
How emotional he is: “We are human beings, we have feelings. Sometimes we control them, sometimes we don’t. At the end of the day we all suffer from something. Obviously I have made some mistakes in the way I behave, but I have certain principles. I accept certain things from humans and my family, But it’s not about anyone’s big demands.”
On his Olympic feelings: “Whatever team I work for, I try to identify with the culture, with the fans and above all with the owners, because they invest money. Here’s another reason. In football, it shows more. In basketball, I try to be professional.”
for renewing his collaboration with Olympiakos: “I know very well the difficulty of trying. Especially after the year that Panathinaikos won the EuroLeague, we have to respond to the current demands. If we withdraw, nobody will start winning the EuroLeague. Ataman said 8 months ago, I will try to be the best based on the group we have. No one said that, because many times it is also happening in the surrounding atmosphere”.
Superstars to manage: “It depends on how you say it. A superstar is someone who impresses you on the court. Someone who has made a lot of money in their career. Those things usually go together. Let’s say the two big signings we made this year were Vesenkov and Fournier. , I mean, if these are Olympiacos’ superstars, the fans I assure you to be very quiet, because neither of them have such behavior towards their teammates or my partners, they love basketball.
To see if there is one, you must: “There is a need in every section of Olympiakos. There will always be a need.”
What he expects from this year’s team: “We have to play the way we played in the previous three years. Last year showed less success in terms of titles, but with many injuries we managed to go back to the final four and lost the 5th match. Panathinaikos, I didn’t say it was a victory, but we said it was a very difficult year, Because we did a lot.
On the buzz surrounding the term leader: “Each man dubs himself what he likes. My job is to help unity. If it breaks down, I’m the first to step in. So everyone can call themselves the leader. Another is the scoring leader, another is the defense, another in the locker room, everyone names himself, and it’s for the good of the team. When going against, I have to be there.