By Giorgos Papageorgiou/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos clinched a berth in the 2025 Final Four of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on Thursday.
The Reds already returned to Greece with celebrations extending from the locker room in Movistar Arena to the Athens International Airport ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’ on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Thomas Walkup talked to Eurohoops about helping the storied Greek club advance to the championship-crowning tournament of Europe’s premier club continental competition for a fourth year in a row, with himself in the squad across the streak.
“The first time we went, we were so excited to go,” the 32-year-old point guard recalled getting the job done in 2022, “You have to celebrate the wins throughout the season. This is something to celebrate, but not something to be overjoyed about.”
“We know we have two more to get. If we become satisfied now and leave those two wins on the table, then I think we will leave the season being unfulfilled,” he added, focusing on Final Four action in Abu Dhabi between May 23 and 25.
“We can’t promise anything, expect that we will come in fearless,” he firmly set his sights on the next continental challenge, “We will be dogs out on the court. We’re back into being hungry dogs.”
Due to a back injury, Walkup has been limited to 24 appearances in the 2024-25 edition of the EuroLeague.
“As soon as I started having back problems, at some point it crossed my mind that maybe I wouldn’t be part of something special this season. It was terrifying to me. I really wanted to be a part of this group of guys,” he told Eurohoops, “I know that this is a special group. I know that we can achieve great things. To be able to play in this series, help win some games, it’s everything to me.”
In the series against Real Madrid, the former Stephen F. Austin standout averaged 2.0 points, 4.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per contest.