By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Evan Fournier opened up about the journey that led him from the brink of retirement to becoming a cornerstone of Olympiacos.
Reflecting on the period following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, he admitted he nearly walked away from the game entirely. “I seriously considered retiring after the Paris Olympics,” he revealed in an interview with INFOSPORT+. “I had given myself a little bit of time to think about it. I went to the mountains. And I thought, ‘OK, let’s give it a try. I’ll enjoy it’. I was coming off two difficult seasons with the Knicks, and I deeply love basketball, so I thought, ‘Enjoy yourself, and end your career on that note’.”
That search for enjoyment led the veteran of 723 NBA games back to Europe, specifically to a club he had long admired from across the Atlantic. “When I was in the NBA, I watched the EuroLeague from afar, but there was one team that particularly appealed to me, and that was Olympiacos. The history, the fans, being in Athens, the style of play, the coach, and having Moustapha [Fall] on the team. I truly believe that this was the team made for me,” he explained.
The transition was made easier by a reception he describes as “extraordinary” from the moment he landed at the airport, and a stylistic familiarity with the European game. “The playing style of the NBA and the EuroLeague are often compared. I grew up with the FIBA and international competitions in the summer. So, I didn’t have too many problems to solve. I’m very happy to be here.”
Despite his long tenure in the United States, the 33-year-old wing views his recent success in Greece as a career milestone because of the rarity of silverware in the NBA. “The Greek League is the only title I’ve won. When you play in the NBA for 12 years and you’re not an NBA champion, there’s no title,” he noted.
However, the victory was bittersweet, coming on the heels of a continental setback. “Everything that happened was a major change for me. Just before that, there was the disappointment of losing the EuroLeague. The championship finals took place just a week later. We are champions. We are happy. There is a kind of relief, but there is still this lingering disappointment. That’s why it’s hard for me to say it was one of my best memories.”
Looking ahead, Fournier is realistic about the time he has left on the court. “I don’t want to bring bad luck on myself, but I will soon be retiring. I have two years left, maybe three at most,” he mentioned. His remaining focus is securing the ultimate European prize. “I am lucky to play on a team that fights for the title every year. So, I hope we can win the EuroLeague.”
He credits much of the team’s stability to the leadership of Giorgos Bartzokas. “It is very important to have a core group of players who have been playing together for years, a coach who has been working with the same players for a very long time. We have the best coach in the EuroLeague. We arguably have the best fans. It’s a combination that keeps Olympiacos always in the spotlight,” he said.
Ultimately, it is the visceral intensity of Greek basketball that fuels his final years in the sport. “That’s why I came back to Europe. This rivalry, this competition that exists between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos is so deep and intense. You experience moments you can’t experience anywhere else.”
Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) s’est confié à @infosportplus
Le Français évoque son arrivée à l’Olympiacos, son 1er titre, ses objectifs, la rivalité avec le Panathinaikos. #euroleague #olympiacos #fournier pic.twitter.com/XM6UdDulCI— Julie Yalap (@Julie_Yp) March 12, 2026
Currently, in his second EuroLeague season with the Reds, Fournier is a vital contributor, averaging 11.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 rebounds as the 2025-26 Regular Season heads into the stretch run.