Ian Hamer is definitely a different guy than the others. The AEK striker showed that in his interview on Vassilis Skountis’ show “Pick n’ Roll” on Cosmote TV, where he revealed, among other things, that he was considering retiring from basketball last summer for a woman, even though he is only 31 years old.

Ian Hamer’s interview in detail:

-How is your relationship with coach Deda;

“He’s definitely a special personality, a good person and an excellent coach. He’s different from my previous coaches, but in a good way. We have a good relationship and we can talk about things that happen on and off the pitch .”

-How did AEK come about in your career?

“I thought about retiring. To be honest, I would do it for a woman. Things didn’t go well in the end, but honestly, Athens was the perfect place for me. My love for basketball was renewed. I know nowhere else if this love lasted “I spent the first few months of the season in New York trying to relax and clear my head. I came to Athens and everything is fantastic, I’m incredibly happy.”

– It seems that he has won people’s esteem

“That’s what’s special about AEK’s friends. When you fight hard for them, they love you. That’s my identity, playing with great energy all the time until I fall. I’ve always been confident in my abilities and I agree allow me to play “how the team finds its rhythm. I couldn’t have achieved anything without my teammates who are great on the floor.”

-What are your thoughts on next season?

“I think about each year separately. In the summer I thought about retiring and I’m thinking about what I can do this season. I’ll make my decisions in the summer. You never know. My love maybe will renewed and we’ll see what happens.”.

-You rarely stay on the same team for two seasons.

“Every year I change the team and especially the country. I stayed in Turkey for two years for the first time. I’ve been to Germany, Turkey, Russia, Monaco and several other countries. Athens is a wonderful city, as are its people. “Everyone speaks English. It’s the best city I’ve ever lived in.”

-Your family has a history in sports.

“I come from a basketball family. They played at Preston University, my dad and my uncle, my brother went to that university but he didn’t play basketball. My dad was drafted by the Boston Celtics and often obeyed the law money in the NBA. I think my uncle played in the NBA for nine years. Basketball is in my blood. Basketball is the “glue” that holds my relationship with my father together. After every game we talk about basketball, only he watches me all games. He can score 30 points and get 20 rebounds and still has some comments that tell me not to make a specific shot in the 3rd quarter. He is never satisfied with common sense.

– Could you play in the NBA?

“The difficulty is that the coaches didn’t know which position to put me in. For AEK I play in the center, which is the shortest 5 aces in the league. I had a good college career. When I was tested for NBA teams like The Lakers put me in the next team in the NBA put me in a four. I can do a lot on the ground and that makes it difficult for coaches to decide where to use me. I have confidence and I think I could play in the NBA “I’m 31 now and it’s too late for me now. I’m concentrating on Europe.” Yes. The answer is yes, I could make it in the NBA.”

– You’ve been friends with Gelovac for a long time.

“Even today it looks like a lie. I’ve known Stefos (Gelovac) for a long time. We played against opponents in Turkey and Russia and I spoke to him before signing for AEK. I named him after the team and the Organization asked. And what he said convinced me: “I wanted to come to AEK. I wanted to play with him and with keno (colom). Everything went so fast. It broke my heart. He was loved by everyone, on the floor, our teammates and our fans. He was a great player and man.”

-Tell us about your nickname.

“I don’t want to be Mars because it’s called Team Greece. That’s a tough question. I said Gladiator is my favorite movie, that’s why they call me that. I like Gladiator, I can’t choose from mythology.”

-How do you spend your free time? If you have.

“I have a lot of free time. I do classic stuff. I play video games with some of my former teammates. The basketball community is small. It’s a good way to keep in touch with your friends. I like to read, like to watch TV a simple Man, if “I like to go for walks and take pictures when the weather is nice. I go for walks with my camera and take pictures of Athens and Greece. Also, I like to travel.”

-And on a personal level?

“I’m free. My father and brother visited me a few months ago and saw some of my games. I’m on my own. I’ve been with the team for four months now. I’ve had a fantastic time so far. I had a hard time at the beginning , but the coaches “My team-mates and the team’s fans made my stay in Athens wonderful.”