By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
ATHENS — Zaragoza big man Jason Thompson will be drawing some game-winning inspiration from the legacy of the late Kobe Bryant, less than 24 hours before his team meets AEK Athens in the second of the two Basketball Champions League semifinals Friday (2/10).
“Dylan [Ennis] has some Kobe shoes – God rest his soul, RIP. And just like Kobe said: Job not finished,” Thompson said after his team’s thrilling win over fellow Spanish team Iberostar Tenerife in the last of the four quarterfinals. It was a reference to one of the many classic Kobe Bryant moments.
In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers started the series with a 2-0 score against the Orlando Magic. After the Game 2 win, Kobe appeared in the post-game interview completely smileless and without showing even a glimpse of satisfaction.
When he was asked about the reasons behind his emotionless expression and if he’s not happy with the 2-0 advantage, Bryant replied: “What’s to be happy about? Job’s not finished.” The famous Mamba Mentality.
The Lakers were defeated in Game 3 but when won two straight to claim their first of two back-to-back championships.
Thompson knows that he and his teammates have to carry the same mindset and embrace this kind of approach ahead of what is expected to be a tough semifinal clash against tournament hosts and 2018 champions AEK. “We are feeling good but we got to be able to get ready for tomorrow,” Thompson, himself an NBA veteran of 598 games, said.
“Usually you have a day in between to prepare but the other team doesn’t have it as well,” Thompson mentioned on the match against AEK. “We are very fortunate that they don’t have any fans. They would have homecourt advantage with the fans,” he added. In the 2018 Final Four, the Greek side was supported by thousands and thousands of supporters that flooded the OAKA Arena.
“We got nothing to lose,” Dylan Ennis said on the semifinal. “They are the home team. People have them as favorites. But we’ve always been an underdog and I think we feed off of that. Anything can happen in tournaments like this.”
AEK is featuring such battle-hardened and experienced players as Tyrese Rice, Keith Langford, Nikos Zisis, Jonas Maciulis, among others. Thompson puts his faith in teamwork to be able to reduce the damage that they can inflict.
“We know individual players. We know that you can’t stop certain guys but you got to be able to contain. When you win or lose, it comes down to team things,” Thompson said.
“They have stars from EuroLeague. Some played in EuroLeague some months ago,” Zaragoza coach Diego Ocampo was commenting in the post-game presser. “For sure they are the favorite of the tournament.”
Photo: Basketball Champions League