By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olimpia Milano center Kyle Hines joined the team as the winningest American player in the modern EuroLeague era. After claiming two EuroLeague championships (2012, 2013) with Olympiacos and another pair (2016, 2019) with CSKA Moscow, the former two-time EuroLeague DPOY looks to help his new team reach success in the competition.
“I can only say how happy I am to be here, how proud I am to be part of the great history of this club, I’m really looking forward to adding more history, adding more titles, championships wins, to the history of this club,” Hines said during a presser for his official presentation by Milano. “It will be a long journey, many games, but I’m really excited to be part of this big project. Coach Messina and the rest of the guys have done a great job in putting this team together, we have great aspirations. Overall, I am just happy to be back in Italy where my career started a long time ago.”
Milano last won the EuroLeague in 1988 and despite recent efforts for a Final Four return, the “Red Shoes” made the playoffs only once (2014) since 1997.
“My motivations are always the same, it has been like this throughout my career and that’s to win championships and titles,” Hines added. “I want to be part of a group that helps bring back EuroLeague glory back to Milan, the success they have had in the past in the Italian league, this is my main motivation. I have great teammates, Davide, Gigi and so other guys that, but that’s my main motivation and the only reason to be here. To be part of this group, of the team that brings titles and wins to Milan.”
The plan for Hines and his team will be to begin creating some necessary chemistry that can ultimately lead to going all the way to the end of the road in EuroLeague.
“The EuroLeague is a goal for everyone. Milan has struggled in the past six-seven years, but the first thing we have to do is to forget about the past. Focus only on the future. The EuroLeague season is a long ride, a long journey, we must focus on short-term goals, the number one is to improve every day. We have a new team and a new group of individuals so it’s going to take some time for us to build a culture, relationships with each other. Once we do that, we’re going to focus on our short term goals – winning and becoming a better team in practice. If we do that every single day, then we’ll have an opportunity at the end to accomplish the big goal and that’s EuroLeague.”
Photo: Olimpia Milano