By Artem Komarov
The first one was not actually interesting. It is always like this when there are two sides and they need to say something right before the most crucial game of the season. All they can say is these we-will-fight-until-the-end and we-will-give-our-best speeches.
But there was one highlight. When I asked Vitor Benite what he thought about playing in front of the fans, he opened up. ”It is just amazing now, in more than a year, see people in our jerseys on the stands. I hope that tomorrow we will give them an opportunity to drink some vodka”, he said.
Haha, good joke, Vitor! … I mean, it was a joke, right?..
Vitor Benite on the importance of the fans in Nizhny during the #Final8 of the #BasketballCL:
– It’s just amazing to see people on the stands in our jerseys. […] I hope that tomorrow we will give them an opportunity to drink some vodka.
???
— Artem Komarov (@art_basket) May 8, 2021
Well… Do you know how we say in Russia? Nobody needs a reason to drink vodka, you can just drink (kids, do not listen to me).
And then there was a presser with Patrick Comninos. This one was way more interesting, you can check it out:
The Basketball Champions League making a bold new step
Patrick Comninos: Our next goal is to solidify BCL as a top-tier competition
My goal is not to tell you what Mr. Comninos said, because it is already well-known. I will tell you a feeling I caught myself on during our talk.
We used to think that FIBA and Euroleague are two enemies which just can’t stand each other. What I heard today is a very clear point: there are two organizations, and they just see the eco-system differently. It does not necessarily mean that BCL hates Euroleague, it just means they are different and they are not ready to cooperate in a question that is crucial for both of them.
This question is very simple: what is bigger, brands or results?
Basketball Champions League CEO Patrick Comninos to me and @art_basket on the Euroleague:
"We have different philosophical approaches. We are for inclusiveness, giving more opportunities vs excluding. The more league is closed, the more difficult it is to get an organic growth"
— Dmitry Planidin (@DmitryPlanidin) May 8, 2021
On my way back to the hotel, I saw a few Karsiyaka fans having a good time in the center of Nizhny Novgorod. Their team is clearly doing a good job this season, and a few last seasons overall. But could they be here if not BCL basing on results? I highly doubt.
Probably there are those who think differently, and they have their points, too. But BCL is here for a reason, no doubt.
The city is preparing for the last day of the competition. And it is very symbolic that tomorrow is a Victory Day, one of the greatest celebrations in Russia. I do not know if it is going to be Burgos or Karsiyaka, but for one of them tomorrow will be victorious, too.
Who you got?