By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Partizan big man Mathias Lessort is having a breakout season in Belgrade. He is one of the leaders in Zeljko Obradovic’s squad in the battle for the playoff sport. As he stated, Zeljko’s trust in him helped the French center this season.
“I can’t say that I expected something like this. I came to Partizan to have a new challenge in the Eurocup. I got the opportunity for a Euroleague experience at Maccabi, but unfortunately, we parted for several reasons. When I signed here, my goal was to help the team get back to the Euroleague, either through the Eurocup or the ABA League. We didn’t succeed in that, but we still returned to the Euroleague. I am happy to be a part of this team and to have the opportunity to play for coach Obradovic in front of these fans, at least in the Eurocup” said Lessor for the Partizan TV channel.
He talked about the Euroleague:
“That’s the best thing I could have wished for. I feel like I never got a chance to prove myself in the Euroleague. I always had fewer minutes or something like that. I understand my role and responsibility toward the team. I can only wish for something like this. It’s not like I’m playing for some small coach, but for the best who ever worked on this continent. Maybe the best ever“.
The connection between Obradovic and Lessort is a special one.
“He came back here and accepted a new challenge, new pressure on himself. He won nine Euroleagues, there is no need to prove himself to anyone. Of course, people in Serbia would go crazy if he won the tenth. But it doesn’t change anything about his CV. Nine or ten titles, it’s not a big difference. He gave me the opportunity to play for him and be a part of his story. That’s a big deal for me. We got along really well, on and off the field. We trust each other. He believes in me like no one before him. Many doubted that I was right for the role of the first center in the Euroleague. But he has knowledge and faith in me, and I try to repay him every day, in every training session, in every match. Just to pay him back“.