Basketball
Spanoulis: “There would come a time when I would give an award instead of receiving it”
On the occasion of the presentation of the Intercontinental Cup MVP award, Vassilis Spanoulis humorously and realistically commented that he now gives awards instead of receiving them, adding how important FIBA’s work is in spreading basketball around the world.
Vassilis Spanoulis was the one who awarded Intercontinental Cup MVP Lucas Martines in a beautiful moment for FIBA after Flamengo defeated Burgos in the final in Cairo.
Spanoulis even made statements after the ceremony, initially saying the time had come for him and where he received awards, which he is now presenting, while also standing by FIBA’s work in developing the sport.
Spanoulis explained at length:
For once receiving awards but now presenting one“The time has come for that. I’m glad I gave it to Martinez because he deserved it and it was a very beautiful moment.”
For the differences of the Intercontinental Cup since winning it with Olympiakos in 2013“This event is attended by teams from all over the world, teams with different styles of basketball. Other teams from Europe, from Brazil. It’s very interesting to see teams from different cultures play basketball. It is something very beautiful and interesting.”
About how basketball has changed since 2013 when it won the Intercontinental with Olympiakos: “Basketball is changing, becoming faster, more athletic and more dynamic. It’s reasonable. “Everyone changes, so it makes sense that basketball changes.”
For the importance of developing basketball around the world and not just in Europe and the United States: “It’s very important to develop basketball around the world. And that’s FIBA’s goal, to bring basketball to the whole world. It’s very good for people to see these games.”.
For the development of the Intercontinental Cup“I see it because I know the people running it and I’m sure this event gets better every year.”
Watch the VIDEO with the statements of Vassilis Spanoulis:
Jessica Martinez is an author at Sportish, a publication dedicated to sports news and analysis. She covers various topics related to sports and provides insightful commentary on the latest developments in the world of sports.