Fournier: The last two years in NBA have been so boring for me…Now I want to win the Euroleague

After twelve years in the NBA (career-averages of 13.6 points and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 37% from long range), Evan Fournier has signed a multi-year deal with Olympiacos and is expected to arrive in Greece tonight, where thousands of Reds fans will welcome him.

The French guard spoke with L’Equipe about the reasons behind his decision to return to Europe.

“I didn’t want to go through what I experienced in the last two years in the NBA anymore. I was extremely bored… I had already thought about returning to Europe. I wanted a strong, exciting experience.. I would have liked to have more experiences in the NBA; I only reached the playoffs five times. But you can’t control your destiny there. After the Olympics, I told my agent that Olympiacos was my priority… I had contacts with some NBA contenders, particularly Milwaukee. There was real interest from them, but it didn’t materialize. And I received a two-year offer from a team that didn’t interest me, where they wanted me to mentor young players (most likely the Wizards, who have on the roster two talented Frenchmen like Coulibaly and Sarr. But that’s something I no longer want to do.”

Fournier is well aware that he will need to adjust to a different style of basketball than what he’s used to in the NBA.

“I’m aware of that..There will be an adjustment period, but I have played FIBA basketball almost every summer in the most important competitions. Here, I believe I’ll be able to play across the three perimeter positions and have more opportunities to get minutes. But the most important thing is that I want to win the EuroLeague.”