Isaiah Canaan ready to be the leader of Crvena Zvezda: I hated guarding Teodosić

“The coach talked a lot with me, explaining how he wanted to build the team and what his expectations were,” said Isaiah Canaan, Crvena Zvezda’s new acquisition.

One of the main goals for the Serbian club this season is to make progress in the EuroLeague, aiming for a spot in the play-in, something that has eluded them in recent seasons. To achieve this, experienced players like Nikola Kalinić, Kodi Miller-McIntyre, and, most importantly, Isaiah Canaan, who was a key player for Olympiacos in recent years, were brought in. Coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos highlighted the significance of Canaan’s signing.

“It’s not easy to bring in a player who played in the Final Four. I talked to him and explained that we want to be competitive in the EuroLeague, and he understood and accepted the challenge,” Sfairopoulos said.

Canaan explained that the coach’s vision played a big role in his decision to leave Athens for Belgrade. “The coach spoke a lot with me. He convinced me with his ideas and goals, which align with mine: I want to win. He did a great job in assembling the team and building chemistry among the players.”

With a decade of experience in both the NBA and Europe, Canaan is ready to be one of the leaders of Crvena Zvezda. “I’ve only been here for about a week and a half, and I’m still getting used to the guys and the coach. As you said, the fans drive this bus called Crvena Zvezda, and everything runs on their support and energy. I’m grateful for the warm welcome and can’t wait to get started.”

When asked about his new teammates, two names stood out: Miloš Teodosić and Nemanja Nedović. “I hated guarding Teodosić. No matter what I tried, I could never throw him off. His skills are obvious. He always finds his teammates, and as a shooter, I can only be grateful. Playing with someone like him is a dream come true.”

Canaan also joked about Nedović, recalling some on-court tension when they played against each other. “Haha, that’s normal on the court. Someone must’ve started it, but it wasn’t me!” he laughed.

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