By Semih Tuna / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce Beko will face Olympiacos in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinal next Friday, May 22, in Athens.
Ahead of the trip to Greece, the reigning EuroLeague champions organized a media day event, where star guard Wade Baldwin spoke to Eurohoops about the team’s growth throughout the season, Sarunas Jasikevicius’ demands, and the mentality needed to defend the title.
Baldwin reflected on Fenerbahce’s rocky start to the campaign, pointing out that heavy losses early in the season helped the team eventually define its identity.
“After a couple of early losses in the season, we faced Valencia, who beat the sh*t out of us, and Real Madrid. We were able to bounce back and go on a very big winning streak. Part of it was establishing roles, understanding the reality of what was going on in our season, what type of team we wanted to be, remembering the expectations that we were champions, and guys coming together and fitting into their roles. What comes with that are the losses and the wins, and once we found that mesh, we went on a crazy, almost historical run, and the roles were set,” Baldwin said.
The experienced guard believes he managed to maintain consistency throughout the season and hopes to raise his level even further during the Final Four.
“I believe I’ve been quite consistent. I think I’ve had a consistent regular season and playoff series against Zalgiris. Hopefully, the next two games in Athens will be that same consistency, but a little bit better. In moments like these, you need to give a little more. You need to give 110%, unlike your 100% in the regular season. I showed that in the four games against Zalgiris, and hopefully for two more in Athens.”
Speaking about the upcoming semifinal against Olympiacos, Baldwin emphasized the importance of balancing tactical preparation, experience and competitive drive.
“It’s a combination of all three. It depends on the team we are playing. For Olympiacos, it’s obviously the tactical approach — how to defend those guys, how to attack them. We’ll hit the film room, practices, and have a ready game plan for that matchup.”
Despite last season’s title, Baldwin made it clear that Fenerbahce’s ambitions have not changed.
“Same target — to win the championship. Those were last year’s teams; this series is an entirely different one. The main goal is to raise another trophy and become back-to-back champions.”
The American guard also pointed to confidence as the key factor in clutch moments.
“I believe it’s confidence. You have to be a crazy motherf*** in a way to step into those moments and have that confidence, whether you had bad or good shooting before, knowing that you have 15,000 people cheering for you or against you. This team has proven to be able to close games out in many different situations, like we did in Game 4 against Zalgiris.”
Baldwin also opened up about the demanding environment under head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius.
“There are a lot of non-negotiables. There’s a whole system of rules — how you defend, what type of player you need to be offensively, what to look for. In a way, it’s like a correctional facility. Everything you do is going to be corrected and improved.”
Finally, Baldwin described the motivation that comes with being just two wins away from another EuroLeague title.
“It’s extra fuel. If you’re a competitor and you have a championship two games away, you need to have that personal edge and fire, that team fire, knowing that you’re that close to a goal you set during the summer while working out hard. When you were doing those sprints, going to training camp to reach this point — you need to remind yourself of those things heading into the Final Four.”
Baldwin also briefly touched on the dramatic playoff series between Panathinaikos and Valencia.
“Anytime you see a team win two games on the road to start a series, it’s a shock to everybody. And then for it to completely flip the other way was mind-boggling. When it came to Game 5, there was no doubt in my mind that Valencia was going to win. It’s very difficult to regain confidence and momentum after losing two home games. Valencia somehow did it, and once they did, it was smooth sailing.”