“When I met him for the first time, I was impressed by his eyes, by his determination, grit and desire to win. After all these years looking at him, I saw the same determination. He got the same eyes.” Christos Stavropoulos introduced Kyle Hines with whom he had won the EuroLeague twice at Olympiacos. “I can only say how happy I am to be here, how proud I am to be part of the great history of this club, I would like to add titles, championships, wins, to the history of this club. It will be a long journey, many games, but I am proud to be part of this big project. Coach Messina and the rest of the guys have done a great job in assembling the team, we have great aspirations, but for now I am just happy to be back in Italy where my career started a long time ago.”
HIS MOTIVATIONS – “My motivations are always the same, it has been like this throughout my career, winning titles, trophies. I want to be part of a group that brings European glory back to Milan, the success they have had in the past in the Italian league, this is my main motivation. I have great teammates, Davide, Gigi, but the only reason I’m here is to be part of this group, of the team that brings titles and wins to Milan.”
MILAN – “The EuroLeague is a goal for everyone. Milan has struggled in the past six years, but the best thing to do is to forget about the past. Focus only on the future. The EuroLeague is a long journey, we must focus on short-term goals, the number one is to improve every day. We have a new team, new players, we have to build a culture, relationships. Working and improving every day in practice will give us the opportunity to get good results in the EuroLeague in the end.”
EUROLEAGUE LEAGUE – “I was lucky to play for many legendary coaches. Coaches are important. Their mentality, the direction they give to the team, their personality becomes the personality of their teams on the floor. I played for high level coaches like Ivkovic, Itoudis, Trinchieri and now Messina. He is one of the main reasons why I came here, being coached by him, I had the opportunity to develop the right relationship with him, and now I look forward at the opportunity to spend time with him, to improve further.”
VEROLI – “I owe a lot to Andrea Trinchieri, he was the first in Las Vegas to talk to me about the opportunity to play in Europe, he set the foundations for me to become what I have become. He talked to me about how being a professional, how to improve, he pushed me to look at legendary players who he thought I could be compared, like Mike Batiste. I never imagined I would get this far, but he prepared me to become the player I am now.”
THE GAME EVOLUTION – “Basketball has changed a lot in the ten years I’ve been here. Above all, the pace has changed, the game is more in the hands of the guards, just look at last year, the scoring numbers of some guards like Shane Larkin or Mike James. When I got here, it was more a half-court game. My position also changed: at the beginning, when I went to Bamberg, I was the only undersized center in the league, when Christos Stavropoulos brought me to Olympiacos they probably asked him why he was signing a 1.96 center. But now all teams have an undersized center. Or players with no positions. We are moving toward a position-less game. Basketball has changed a lot and will hopefully change again in the next ten years.”
THE TEAM – “I think Stavropoulos and Messina have built a deep roster, but the main feature is versatility. If you look at the EuroLeague in recent years, whoever has won has always known how to play a different bunch of basketball. We have several players who can play many multiple positions, both on offense and defense. It can be one of our best weapons.”
GIGI DATOME – “I have known him well in the last two years in which we have been part of the EuroLeague Players Association, he is an exceptional person as well as a great player. I am happy to be able to play with him, I will try to build good open shots form him. I’m excited to play with a player of his caliber.”
BLACK LIVES MATTER – “It is tremendous to me that many players, in the NBA, WNBA, major baseball leagues, soccer, are using their platforms to support the” Black Lives Matter “movement, whether it was planned or not, it is important that we continue to spread the word. One of the things that was truly incredible was the global response that demonstrates how certain social issues are a global problem, not just an American one. And at the level of the EuroLeague Players Association we will try to do our part in all matters of social interest.”
THE TEAM AGE – “We are in the country of good wine and wine is getting better over time, as they say. Our IQ is high and will allow us to do well. If you look at who wins in the EuroLeague, they have always had experienced players, who are used to winning and know how to do it and have done it for many years. I don’t think age will be an issue.”
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