Larry, a free-roaming sheep

“The Cobra,” as Vangelis Ioannou also says, is known for his ability and obsession with creating nicknames.

“Mr Larry”, as Mike Fundedakis thunderously calls him during the Olympiakos games in the SEF…

“Moglis”, as Giorgos Bartzokas’ partner on the Olympiakos staff, Michalis Kalavros, dubbed him…

“The Ninja Turtle”, as Giorgos Printezis called him, although Giannoulis himself exaggerated and even clarified: “I am Leonardo, the one with the swords and the blue ribbon on his head”!

Heck, four (at least four) nicknames, Jordan didn’t even have one! Larentzakis is certainly not Jordan and will not be…

Clone Pitino

But he is a player that every coach would love to have in his job, especially in a five-way version!

Is this so-called cloning?

But that’s exactly what Rick Pitino wanted so much two and a half years ago when he reduced the Olympiacos guard to a basketball unit!

I’ve written this story before, but as it has its own merits, I can fondly recall it as it unfolded within the national team before the pre-Olympic tournament in Victoria, and as told to me by the American coach himself.

“One day Larentzakis asked me what I expect from him, what I want and what I demand from him. I told him I wanted him to go out there and kill five. He laughed and replied: “Very good, coach, no problem. I will kill all five. Just tell me how much time I have for this?”“.

I don’t know – and I didn’t even ask Giorgos Bartzokas last night, although he received a similar question from Larentzakis when he called on him from the bench to throw him into the arena at the Stadium of Peace and Friendship.

Bearded Zokas and Instinct

However, this would be unnecessary trouble: you don’t need to lead the so-called person, no matter how much harm it can do. The Olympiacos coach stated this indirectly, but not clearly, at the subsequent press conference…

“Larentzakis is a very important player for us and it showed today, but he plays with instinct and sometimes it leads you to make mistakes or commit fouls that you shouldn’t. In any case he is important for us, he is Greek and I have to give him a lot of praise“!

What does it mean to play by instinct?

Dendrinos, Kemp and free range farming

Ah, here’s another lovely saying that was uttered by the late Makis the Dendrinos at Toronto’s SkyDome on August 12, 1994…

The next day, the national team met Dream Team-2 in the semifinals of the World Cup, and when we opened the conversation about the stars of the American team, the “Buddha” particularly focused on Sean Kemp…

“With his style of play, his instincts and his sporting qualities, he is a pure outdoor sheep”!

Furiarico, as we say in my village!

McKissick and overtime

Just kidding, Bartzokas has two such angry scapegoats on its roster, except Shaquille McKissick is missing but Larry has to work overtime!

It doesn’t chew, it can double shift, has a double differential and pulls uphill!

The fact that he doesn’t… chew is a beacon: everyone knows it all over Europe, and he recognized it last night in the… unannounced Mike James, who was watching the something between rodeo and hard rock on TV took place in his arena Neo Faliros.

Pippen and LeDay

But that’s what he raves about, and he told it to me again as I stormed out of the Olympiacos dressing room (as the final horn sounded) to ask him what had happened to Jacques LeDay with eight and a half seconds left of overtime while (Larentzakis) was preparing to fire two shots…

I have no complaints, everything was watched by paper and squids.

The ex-Olympiakos player’s trash talking was not well received, as was that of… Scottie Pippen to Karl Malone on an identical occasion, on June 1, 1997, after the first NBA Finals between the Bulls and the Jazz, in United Center.

Then the “Indian” had said a comment to the “Postman” that annoyed him and caused him to miss both shots.

“Remember, the postman doesn’t deliver on Sundays, Karl“!

Chicken and frappe at SEF

Yesterday, LeDay tried to attack Larentzakis with the phrases “You’re a chicken, you can’t lose one“, but the guard rushing from Kythnos did not hesitate: he put both balls, put Olympiakos in the lead by three points (96-93) and after the one shot from Aleksa Abramović and the last and decisive 2/2 from Thomas Walkup .he has also the… his bill eaten by his teammates!

To be honest, he deserves it and deserves it!

At the same time, LeDay was looking for the consolation coffee, but he had drunk it on May 4, 2019, five minutes before the end of the Olympiakos – Kolossos Rhodes game, a few meters behind where the scene took place yesterday and given a mythical television snapshot!

Darkness and salvation

Yesterday, Larentzakis was the main person responsible for Olympiakos’ comeback from the 4:28 series deficit and -14 (53:67) to the redeeming glory of extra time and victory.

All of this was well done and he left an indelible mark as he scored 10 of Olympiakos’ 12 points in the final three minutes of regulation time in the thriller, taking the score from 73-77 to 85-82.

They listened to Fundedakis and not Bartzokas

But he got carried away, as did his teammates, and instead of listening to Bartzokas’ command, they followed…Mike Fundedakis’s!

I mean that because with 5.8” and the score 85-82, the Olympiacos coach called for a foul on the Serbians’ last possession, while at the same time, as he usually does, the game’s announcer yelled “Let’s defend.” play, Larry!” In the end not a single foul was committed Corner 3 from James Nunnally took the two teams into overtime.

The rest is history as Larentzakis used his little hand for good (), after all, this guy learned to feed on doubt and turn it into motivation.

Be vigilant in Piraeus

A village that, as we say, seems like a fool does not want it, and this ignorance of the danger ultimately defines its attitude to life and its approach to things.

In addition to ignorance of danger, he is also characterized by fearlessness, bravery and vigilance…

By the way, the only time he slept was a month ago for the TV commercial with which Olympiakos Piraeus advertised the team’s jersey for the 2023/24 season.

He even had a dream!

The Black Hole to Rhodes

Yesterday Larry came back really strengthened because after his orgies at the Supercup final in Rhodes he had fallen into a black hole!

In the first three games of the EuroLeague (Panathinaikos, Barcelona, ​​​​Armani Milano) he remained with a total of seven points, 2/4 two-point shots, 1/12 three-point shots, no free throws, one Rebound and five unnoticed assists and no steals…

Yesterday he was wild, scoring 19 points on 2.4 2-pointers, 2.6 3-pointers, 9/9 shooting, three rebounds, one assist and three steals.

Obradovic’s chip

In such cases, Željko Obradović used to say (and apparently still advocates): “We have to change our chip“.

Yesterday, the sluggish, struggling and struggling Olympiacos Piraeus changed its chip and there is no doubt that Larentzakis has finally put his hand in this replacement.

And even with surgical precision!