By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Neven Spahija saw many CSKA Moscow players hurting Maccabi Tel Aviv tonight but no one inflicted as much damage as a person he knows more than well. Nando De Colo.
De Colo was coached by Spahija back during 2008 – 2010 in Valencia and was an integral player in the team’s run towards the 2010 EuroCup title. Spahija was pretty much the one who facilitated the French guard’s entrance to the big stage of European basketball by bringing him to Valencia from French club Cholet.
Following the loss to CSKA, the Croatian coach was asked about his former player’s quality and why Nando didn’t manage to establish himself in the NBA.
“He’s a big-time player. An important part of my trophies,” Spahija said in the post-game press conference. “He’s one of the best players in Europe right now. In the NBA the position was a little bit questionable, his experience and also and his athleticism.
Spahija served as an assistant coach in the Atlanta Hawks from 2014 to 2017 before signing with Maccabi this summer and believes that his former protege can succeed in a potential second NBA stint.
“I think that if he continues having such performances and if he stays healthy, he can go back. He can go back and in the second time he can show to everybody that he’s good enough to play in the NBA.”