By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
“The credit goes to the act of love, yet another, by Mr. Armani and the president Dell’Orco: without them it would not have been possible to bring Nikola Mirotic here. Then the presence of Ettore Messina is important. On the market it makes my job easier. The negotiation was not long or particularly difficult. It was challenging but that’s what happens when you chase a player of this level.” So Christos Stavropoulos introduced Nikola Mirotic in his official presentation.
THE NEGOTIATION – “The first contact was between Christos and my agent, then I spoke with Coach Messina and it was a wonderful conversation. He explained to me how he saw the team and what he would expect from me if I came and what I would find. Then I spoke to Melli, Hines, Shields and Pangos. They welcomed me with open arms and here I am. Milan has a great history and now a company built to stay at the top”.
THE CHOICE OF MILAN – “I wanted a team with the potential to reach the Final Four, we have nothing to hide and then Olimpia deserve to be at the top in Europe. I’ve also talked to former players and only gathered good information. Olimpia has great players, experienced veterans, a great coach, and also a perfect city to live in. For my family, for my children. I don’t like to feel comfortable, I want pressure, there has to be pressure. I’ve been here for ten days and I was impressed by the club, how it works, how many people work to put you in a position to perform at your best. It’s the closest thing to an NBA club I’ve seen in my career. This is a club that players want to come to.”
THE PRESENCE OF MESSINA – “He is a person for whom I want to fight and compete and help win. I want to win for his team. When I was a kid trying to survive in the first team at Real Madrid he gave me a chance. He told me to work hard and be ready for the day when the opportunity to play would present itself. Two months later the opportunity arrived and it’s been downhill ever since. We always kept in touch, we saw each other when we were in the NBA. I think she’s one of the top two or three coaches ever in Europe. I had the feeling that our work together wasn’t finished so I’m happy to be able to play with him again. Now that I’m 32.”
HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED COMPARED TO THE TIMES IN MADRID – “I made my career in the NBA and also in Barcelona. I’m a lucky person, I have a nice family and I play basketball. But I still have the same passion, I still want to chase my dreams, to win. I’m here for this”.
THE ROLE – “The Coach told me about playing minutes as a small forward. I like the idea and we’re already working on it in the gym. With changing defenses you can create important mismatches and have an advantage especially if you also know how to shoot from outside and I know how to do it. In the NBA I’ve played for 3, sometimes I’ve done it at Barcelona and with good results. It is an honor that I have approached Gigi Datome: he is a great champion, a serious person, a legend and he has done so much for Olimpia ”.
THE NEW EUROLEAGUE – “Every year it grows, many teams get stronger, invest like Olimpia did. In the end it will count to be ready at the right time, when there are playoffs and during the year, luck also plays a role. I think about how much this team was affected by injuries last season. But don’t just look at me, many other players will make us better. I agree, you need creative guards who score, but I also think this is a team sport and form and luck are decisive, as it was for Real Madrid last season.”
THE ITALIAN LEAGUE – “It grows year after year, every year strong players arrive, better Americans. It is a competitive league and this helps EuroLeague teams to prepare better. It was like this in Spain too. The championship races prepared us for the European ones. The National League also serves Italian players. The minutes they will have will make us stronger in the EuroLeague. Then I know that this rivalry with Bologna has existed for a few years and I will immediately understand it in the Super Cup semi-final”.
THE SUMMER – “Honestly, I’m the type of person who doesn’t let himself be conditioned by what one says or writes. It doesn’t touch me. I live focused on the present, on this great challenge of playing for Olimpia. That’s all I care about.”
FOOTBALL – “I played with my brother, from six to 13 years of age. I still follow him today, I watch the games, and check the results. Obviously, I know the story of Dejan Savicevic: in Montenegro he is a legendary player. At 13 years old I grew too much in just one summer, I tried basketball and it was love at first sight. I owe everything to Jadran Vujacic, my first coach, who is here today: he taught me everything because I didn’t know how to do anything and in little time brought me to Real Madrid”.