By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a recent and revealing appearance on the Playbook podcast, former Panathinaikos guard Nemanja Nedovic opened up about the fierce rivalry with Olympiacos in Greece, reflecting on his individual brilliance and the bruising defensive treatment he received during the 2022 Greek Cup Final.
The Serbian international recalled channeling an extraordinary solo effort in the opening half of that high-stakes matchup against their archrivals, before tactical adjustments prompted the opposition to deploy premier lockdown defender Thomas Walkup to neutralize him.
“I literally directed all my strength and energy, all my focus into that game and I scored 20 points in the first half, then they put Walkup on me to rough me up in the second half, and I scored five more, but like, I tried to literally beat them by myself, but it just wasn’t going to happen,” he stated, recounting his explosive start and the subsequent defensive shift.
When asked directly if Walkup ranks among the dirtier competitors currently active in the EuroLeague, the veteran guard offered a nuanced perspective on his opponent’s physical brand of basketball, balancing the critique with a nod to the naturalized Greek playmaker’s stellar reputation off the hardwood.
“Yeah, yeah, but he’s a good guy, and so you can’t even get mad at him. These players that drive me absolutely crazy are the ones who hit you, foul you, you lose it because of it, you retaliate, and they don’t react – those are literally the worst to me, but usually they’re like super cool guys off the court and everyone loves them, so chill, everyone always greets them and he’s one of those guys – in the end, he built his whole career on that,” Nedovic elaborated.
Despite the guard’s productive performance, Olympiacos ultimately secured the victory to capture the domestic trophy.
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