Beyond the enormous stakes, this magnificent semi-final between Greece and Slovenia will be particularly special for Luka Doncicsince he will challenge his idol and his model Vassilis Spanoulisthe coach of Greece. If the Slovenian wears the numbers 7 and 77 for club and country, it is in reference to Spanoulis, when he was the leader of Olympiakos.
“It's an honor to hear one of the greatest players in the world say he played basketball because of me.” had recognized the former leader of Greece in 2022. “My kids watch him, I'm very happy to have inspired such a phenomenal player like him.”
For the Greek coach, Saturday's duel is an opportunity to pay tribute to the two superstars.
“Actually, I haven't seen Luka yet,” Vassilis Spanoulis admitted. “Our relationship is first based on great respect, first as a person and as an athlete. I don’t have much to say about him in terms of his game. Everyone knows him. He’s a great person and an idol for many kids. It’s important these days to have these kinds of idols. I’m also happy that we also have a great superstar like Giannis on our team. He’s a great person, a great leader and an idol for many kids. We need these kinds of examples in our society.”
Vassilis Spanoulis crossed paths with Luka Doncic in 2017, when the Slovenian was starting to cause problems for the best defenses in Europe. At just 17 years old. Here is what he had to say about it at the time: “I’ve never seen a player this young play at this level. Luka Doncic is a phenomenon. I think he’s the kind of player you only see once every 50 years. Everything about him is impressive. His maturity, his talent, his evolution and his progress.”
Beyond this “match within the match”, Vassilis Spanoulis does not lose sight of his main objective, even if he has not revealed anything about his strategy to try to get the better of Slovenia.
“We have plans, but I'm going to keep them for my players. Of course, there's Luka, who is the main player. But there are also other players who can play good basketball,” he added. “We have very good defenders on the ball. That's a big advantage for us. But defense is not just about individuals, but also about the team. We have to be able to cover every mistake on the ball carrier, be ready to send the right rotations, and defend cleanly.”
