By Semih Tuna / info@eurohoops.net
Wade Baldwin is preparing for his third season with Fenerbahce after winning the first EuroLeague title of his career in Istanbul. Having already collected numerous individual honors, the 30-year-old guard is now focused primarily on adding more trophies.
Speaking to Eurohoops during Fenerbahce’s media day, Baldwin explained what he still needs to accomplish to secure his place among the competition’s all-time great guards.
“Obviously, the championships. That’s the ultimate goal at this point. A lot of the individual stuff has been taken care of. Now it’s about racking up as many championships as I can,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin has previously been open about testing himself in the NBA if the right opportunity arises. However, when weighing that ambition against the chance to build a historic EuroLeague career, his priorities have become clearer.
“It’s always a good process and a good problem to have. I’ve put myself in this position, and I’m leaning more toward becoming one of the best EuroLeague guards ever.”
His pursuit of more titles will now include a partnership with Shane Larkin, one of his fiercest rivals over the past several seasons.
“He’s been a competitor of mine for seven or eight years in the EuroLeague. You always wanted to prove you were better than Shane Larkin, but now we’re on the same team. I had similar feelings about Nando De Colo. We played against him so many times, and I always wanted to prove that I was a better player. Then I got a wonderful opportunity to play with him on the same team and reach the Final Four. So, we want to find a way to come together as a team and try to accomplish the goal that both of us have: winning the championship and getting back where we belong.”
After years of facing Larkin, Baldwin is excited to experience his qualities from the same side of the court.
“Shane is exactly what you see. We’ve gained a good understanding of who Shane Larkin is over the last eight to ten years that he’s been in the EuroLeague. To be on the same side as him now is something to be very excited about.”
Baldwin also acknowledged that his understanding of the point guard position changed under Sarunas Jasikevicius. The greatest adjustment involved learning how much leadership and responsibility the role requires beyond individual production.
“The expectations of a point guard. I didn’t truly understand how to play just the point guard position and fully understand how to integrate and get everybody involved. This was a big step I took when I came to Fenerbahce: understanding the leadership that goes into it and how the habits you develop each day shape the type of player you are when the game starts.”
His definition of a clutch player has also evolved. Baldwin no longer views decisive contributions as being limited to jump shots at the buzzer.
“Last year, I showed a variety of different game-winners. In both Barcelona games, I won it at the free-throw line. In Game 4 against Zalgiris, I hit the big layup to force overtime. Obviously, there was the game-winner against Panathinaikos, and then we followed it up by winning the championship in Game 4 of the Turkish League Finals.”
The departure of Tarik Biberovic for the NBA carried particular significance for Baldwin, who believed in his former teammate’s potential even before arriving at Fenerbahce.
“So many memories. I was very excited to come and play with Tarik even before I got to Fener. I saw something in him. I believed that he could become a professional player for Real Madrid, succeed outside the EuroLeague and become an NBA talent. It’s very special to me that I got to help his progression toward becoming an NBA player.”
Biberovic is only the latest teammate to make a major leap while playing alongside Baldwin. The Fenerbahce guard takes considerable pride in a pattern that has followed him throughout his career.
“You look at the course of my career. It starts with Bayern. Vladimir Lucic made the All-EuroLeague First Team while playing with me. The next year, Simone Fontecchio was with me at Baskonia, and then he went off to the NBA. I went to Maccabi, and Lorenzo Brown made the All-EuroLeague First Team. They said we couldn’t play together. The next year, we ran it back and were both All-EuroLeague players. The following year, Nigel and Coach were Player and Coach of the Year. Nigel became an MVP-caliber player and the Final Four MVP. Then last year, Horton-Tucker became an All-EuroLeague player, and Tarik went off to the NBA—all while I maintained my own All-EuroLeague status. I take a lot of pride in my teammates, not just in being the guy who receives a lot of the attention.”
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