Athlete Vassilis Spanoulis was rarely seen smiling broadly. He had a cool mission to complete, on the ground, and until he could complete it, the frozen face didn’t crack, break, or deteriorate. Compact and even mass, of which only the basic characteristics caught the eye. Its eruptions are minimal, measured.

After retiring from basketball and leaving the 7 shirt in the closet to sweat, the fact is that he smiles a lot. And constantly. It comes out effortlessly. He looks liberated, definitely different. earthly.

The press conference months ago at the SEF was the first indication that the process of switching the player profile has been implemented and is progressing gradually.

You’ll see it again as you watch coach Spanoulis react to Haris Stavrou right after his first win from the brand new club. 2/3 after the first two days isn’t a bad percentage to start with, but it wasn’t the catalysis of virginity that made his face emit a totally spontaneous and totally unpretentious glow on camera. Both pure and stirring.

At this moment I would very much like to ask him a question. Whether the role of the father of six children or the coach of a gang of Amoustak kids is more difficult. When it’s easier to commandeer Thanasakis and Vasilakis in the family home, foist Emilia and Anastasia or yourself on a group of unborn teenagers with bright futures in basketball.

His answer probably wouldn’t come as a surprise. Each of the roles he now performs carries its own weight. But admittedly they look alike in many ways.

Spanoulis did the right thing by starting his journey from scratch. Not even from one. It was important that he preferred to go to Belgrade adidas Next Gen Tournament, and, by changing direction, avoided falling head-on into a situation that would be easily worn down just months after the general acknowledgment of his contribution to basketball. His election was indeed a blessing.

In his own way and in his own words, he confessed it himself. He didn’t go into the tournament because of the result, but because of the job. It wasn’t about the win for him, it was about the mentality. The score wasn’t worth it but the effort to the end.

His team didn’t compromise and after a poor performance he found the strength to react.

First off, Spanoulis works like a dad in a coaching uniform. An all-weather father. A father who cares for his children and advises them, but at the same time watches them closely and points out their crucial mistakes. Always trying to protect them from the many external factors, protesting fiercely if necessary, lest no one deny them what they deserve.

“We are here to inspire‘ he remarked, his words convincingly reflecting the paternal character of his presence in this group of select children.

Spanoulis will not become a coach overnight. The steps come one after the other. For others, climb stairs quickly twice at a time. Until there. A loss or a win doesn’t make him a coach. He knows it. He says it. It’s not hidden. It will take work to assimilate and above all to be accepted in a fresh and unfamiliar environment.

Spanoulis becomes a coach (he fights a lot), time will tell good or bad because he knows how to wait for the right moment, he doesn’t blackmail time and he’s used to progressing without stagnating.

Sportish is in Belgrade with Haris Stavrou, where adidas, the authentic basketball brand, with the #ImpossibleIsNothing mentality, gives young talented European basketball players the opportunity to shine at the adidas Next Generation Tournament.