By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
The head coach of Valencia Basket, Pedro Martínez, responded with caution and firmness to recent remarks made by Ergin Ataman, who claimed that, at their current level of play, the Spanish side could even defeat the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rather than embracing the comparison, Martínez downplayed the statement and stressed the responsibility that comes with his role. “You ask me that, but I hope you understand the responsibility we have as coaches,” he said, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of generating bold headlines. “Do you want me to give you one? It’s not a compliment, it’s an inappropriate comment. It doesn’t make any sense.”
The Valencia coach emphasized the team’s humility, noting that many of his players are experiencing the competition for the first time. “We’re a humble team; almost all of us are making our debut in this competition. For things like that to be said…” he remarked, before underlining his respect for his counterpart. “Maximum respect for the opposing coach, everyone can say what they want.”
Martínez also pointed to recent results to provide context and temper expectations. “We’re the same team that lost to Barça. We’re not an unbeatable team,” he warned, rejecting any kind of overconfidence.
While he praised the effort and ambition of his squad, he made it clear he would not be carried away by hype. “We have very good players who work hard and have the highest ambitions. But I won’t be the one getting ahead of ourselves,” he stated. “Everyone can do what they want, but don’t expect me to go along with it. It’s not my character, and I don’t think it’s the smart thing to do.”
Addressing Ataman’s comments directly, Martínez dismissed them as unnecessary. “I don’t want to give any airtime to a comment that is basically about accepting defeat,” he said.
Finally, he acknowledged the significance of the recent win over Panathinaikos, while once again urging caution. “We’re very happy to have beaten them, but that doesn’t mean we would beat them again the day after tomorrow. They’re a great team with outstanding players,” he concluded.