“I feel very welcome”
Jean Montero was one of Olympiacos’ biggest moves of the summer after emerging as one of the best players in the EuroLeague last season.
The Dominican guard spoke exclusively to SPORT24 about his first impressions in Piraeus.
“It’s incredible! The team operates very professionally. My teammates are all very good and have been playing together for many years. It’s easy to understand that Olympiacos is a real team”.
Montero also highlighted the welcome he has received from the group.
“Yes, definitely. I feel very welcome and the guys on the team are helping a lot with that”.
“I’m here because I wanted to be”
Despite receiving offers from several other EuroLeague clubs, Montero chose Olympiacos.
“I’m here because I wanted to be. I wanted to be on a team like Olympiacos, where you really feel that you are playing basketball. They have dominated Europe many times. Now we are also the European champions and I really believe the team deserves it. It deserves to have players come to a team like Olympiacos, and now that I’m here, I can see from the inside how professionally the team operates”.
“I want to be 1% better every day”
Montero’s first priority for the new season is to stay healthy while continuing to improve.
“Basically, I want to be healthy throughout the entire season and, of course, be there to compete in every game. At the end of the day, the goal is the same for everyone: to win the EuroLeague trophy”.
He then explained his personal approach:
“I want to be better every day. I want to be 1% better day by day, so that when the end of the season comes, I can be in the best possible shape. The initial goal is to reach the playoffs”.
And on the possibility of going back-to-back:
“It would be amazing for me and for the club. For the team it would be the second consecutive trophy, but for me it would be the first”.
First impressions of Bartzokas
Montero’s first training session under Georgios Bartzokas was affected by jet lag.
“The first practice was a little strange because of the jet lag. I came directly from the Dominican Republic, with a seven-hour time difference. But in the first game I felt very good. It was really nice”.
On Olympiacos’ system:
“The team’s system is interesting. There are still many things we can improve because we haven’t been able to be together for enough days. But I feel great”.
“The system is incredible”
Montero revealed that he has been following Olympiacos for several years.
“The system is incredible. As I told you, I have been following this team for three years. I really believe we can do good things this year as well”.
“We have to play together and not be selfish”
The depth of Olympiacos’ backcourt could become one of the team’s biggest weapons, according to Montero.
“There are so many good players and so much talent on the team that you have to have the right mentality to all play together in the same way and not be selfish. That is one of the things we have to do. Helping our teammates is also very important”.
“I’m closer to Miller-McIntyre and Joseph”
Montero has already started building relationships with his new teammates.
“I can say that I’ve talked to everyone. But I’m closer to Cody (Miller-McIntyre) and Joseph, whose wife is Dominican, and we talk a little about the country and all that. So I would say those two. But everyone is very cool. I can say they are all very humble and good people”.
“I’ll always give my best for this jersey”
Finally, Montero sent a message to the Olympiacos fans.
“The message is the same. I will try to give my best every time I step on the court. I want to compete and make them feel that I am defending the team, the jersey, and that I will fight with all my strength during the years I am here”.
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