EXCLUSIVE: Nando de Colo, who stunned Europe this summer, explains to Israel Today why 5 years ago from the Moscow-Lithuania CSR to Panarabhcha: "It's time to experience something different" • About Overdovich: "A tactic like his I haven't seen" • And for the two years at ABC: "I expected myself to achieve more"
De Colo. Continues to work hard
Photo:
IP
When Nando de Colo left CSKA Moscow last summer and signed in Fenarbachcha, many European basketball players remained open-mouthed. Not every day a player of that size leaves the rich Russian empire still at its peak Hunter and others joining the wave of departures have already spread rumors of a significant economic cut in Moscow or problems that have arisen in the locker room.
"It was my time to experience something different, that's the main reason why I decided to leave, nothing else," the French star rejects rumors in a special conversation with "Israel Today" ahead of tonight's game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, "I was in Moscow for five years and won all Possible degrees. I wanted new goals and tried to find a new challenge in Europe. "
De Colo did indeed make a big fanfare to the Turkish team and joined a promising back line along with Kostas Slukas and other players. Already in the third cycle, he exploded with 39 points on Basconia, his season average better than the last two seasons (17.3 points at 41.4 percent to 3) and it seems that personally, the transition has done him good.
All beginnings are difficult
But in a group, the story is completely different. Penerbakhce opened the season badly and finished the first round in Euroleague with a negative balance of 11 losses in 17 games, along with embarrassing losses in the Turkish league as well. De Colo, who won two European Championships during his time in the CSKA, had to deal with a crisis after many years and even rumors of the possible resignation of legendary coach Jeliko Overdovich.
De Colo now explains what didn't work in the first half of the season: "It's true that we didn't start the season well. It's because we didn't have a lot of pre-season work together and a lot of players were injured or came back tired of the teams. We went through these difficult moments and I hope now Would be better. "
De Kolo is right. Jan Wesley recently returned from injury, James Nanley joined and the Turks have won six of the last seven games, with one other on the Maccabi tonight expected to put them in the first eighth. "We finally have a full roster," he says. And I believe we will continue to make progress. "
Personally, did you have to make any special adjustments to Coach Overdovich's style of play?
"I didn't have to change anything special about my game, but I need to know and understand his method well. There are moves in the game, defense and attack, which are very strategically special. Other teams have tactics, too, but I haven't seen anywhere like Overdowitz."
Today, De Colo ranks first in the penalty shootout percentage in the history of the Euroleague - a career average of 93.9 percent - one ahead of Aronas Yasikbichius. His season average is even higher: 95.6 percent. "You need to keep training routine and not deviate from it," he explains the secret of success. "I keep practicing with the same seriousness and persistence. The injections themselves have to stay focused on your work and not think about other things."
"It was a wonderful experience"
In 2012, after a few successful seasons in Valencia, De Colo left for the NBA to settle in the best league in the world. He joined Tony Parker in San Antonio, and there were already some talking about a possible replacement for the legendary Spurs' French coordinator. But De Colo found it difficult to acclimate. Throughout his time in the Texas team, he played intermittently in the development team subsidiary and after a season and a half moved to Toronto. He is also a minority player for the Raptors and in the summer of 2014 he returned to Europe.
"It was a great experience to be around Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan," De Colo says, admitting: "Personally, I expected myself to get more in the NBA, but you can't control everything. When I look back, it was a wonderful experience these".