By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
We assembled our version of the Euroleague Avengers but we wanted a seal of approval. That’s why we got in contact with Nick Fury himself, a.k.a. CSKA‘s guard Aaron Jackson, on the matter. As “Ajax” put it, CSKA can be this season’s Euroleague Avengers, taking their blood back for everything that happened last season in Milan and finally winning the trophy. After all, that’s why CSKA Moscow was created…
– Are you the Euroleague Avengers?
“Yes, I think we have a group of guys who can probably be compared to the Euroleague Avengers. We have players that have super-roles, do super-things and we can be the Euroleague Avengers. That’s a pretty cool name actually, the Euroleague Avengers!”
– So what would be your super power?
“I guess mine would be to battle adversity and whatever situation comes, I can adapt to and do whatever it takes to make the team to win. There will be bad moments and good moments so I think that’s my best quality, to adapt”.
– We typecast you as Nick Fury…
“(Laughs) I would take Nick Furry, I am cool with that”.
– What did you learned from Milan?
“We learned that anything can happen in any given moment. And in the end of the game everything counts, from loose balls to who wins the tip off. Every possession, defense, offense, every foul. I think Maccabi did a good job showing that to us. They stole the game in the end”.
– Is it our idea or do you enjoy more playing as a unit this year?
“I think you guys can definitely see it. We share each other qualities. We are doing a good job in playing team basketball and we are always push each other, on and off the court both in practices and in games. We definitely enjoy it more”.
– It was just a matter of time to get to such a chemistry, or something just clicked this year?
“I think it was not a matter of building a chemistry. Something clicked. Coach Itoudis did a really good job and the president Vatutin created a group of nice guys. Then the coach said “I have confidence at you guys” and things just clicked”.
– How so many good players and so many egos became a unit?
“I think at the start of the season it was tough, but we became a unit because we can see the bigger picture. At one time we have won like 30 games in a row and we think about it and said, you know that’s cool, we all have fun but let’s get something at the end of the season. That’s when we started defining our roles and being unselfish. There’s a bigger goal”.
– Many people say that for CSKA the season really starts in the Final Four. Is it a challenge, or adds more pressure?
“It’s something that we like. We do take every game seriously, coach is doing a very good job at that but this is what we want more than anything. We want to win the Final Four and this is why we all came here for”.