Tyler Dorsey on SPORT24: “The final with Panathinaikos is a challenge”

Tyler Dorsey is living through the first season of his career as an Olympiacos player, but Dyo Aorakia is not just unknown to him. It was at this stadium that he wore the Greek jersey for the first time, as a member of the youth national team that won fourth place at the 2015 World Cup. So the images he remembers are very intense and pleasant.

It’s been almost seven years since he walked the corridors and dressing rooms in Dyo Aorakia, but he hasn’t forgotten what happened before. Something that was evident from his reaction when he saw the poster that was placed in a corridor with the players of the 2015 youth national team. He approached, immediately putting his finger on his picture from seven years ago with the “wow” enough to describe his feelings.

“Only good memories of this stadium, only good ones,” he said with a smile in a blue-and-white introduction before entering the… red-and-white roast. The Greek Cup final vs. Panathinaikos OPAP (20/2, 17:00 ERT3, LIVE by Sportish).

“It’s exciting what lies ahead, it’s gotta be a great game. It’s an important title and a big challenge for us‘ were the first conversations he had just before stepping onto the floor for Olympiacos’ last training session before the grand final. A training session that, among other things, contained enough theory to show what needs to be done better in relation to the semi-final AEK .

“We had ups and downs, no one can deny that. We’ve had a tough time against AEK in the last two games. But I don’t think what happened in the semifinals will affect us for the final, they are two completely different stories. No matter what happened in a semi-final, what is at stake in the final is something completely different and has nothing to do with what came before. We know the importance of the game and the rivalry that exists with Panathinaikos. So you understand the logic with which we will enter the stadium,” added the Olympiacos foreign guard“.

– They basically have the marksman’s label, but what matters most in the end is defense and not offense?

“In the cup we play with a different ball than in the other tournaments, so the shot is not a matter of course. (laughs) But it’s certainly important how you defend yourself and how you defend your basket. It’s a final. We have to play a tough defense and do the job with the intensity and energy that such a fight requires. We should not panic when things go wrong, nor rejoice when everything goes in our favor at first. It takes patience and the same dedication for forty minutes. We look forward to stepping onto the field and playing“.

– In a hypothetical scenario where the endgame is decided after the last possession, do you prefer having your own ball or playing in defence?

“It depends, it’s a difficult dilemma. On a personal level I would tell you that we prefer to have the ball and have the last shot. I definitely feel comfortable with the responsibility of such a great shooter, Kostas (Sloukas) also threw a lot of big baskets this year, matches were judged by his own hands. I generally believe that if we have the last possession of the game we can score a goal and win the title“.

It doesn’t matter to him whether the final is a last-minute decision or not. The bigger picture is more important and concerns Olympiacos’ conquest of the cup for the first time in eleven years…