Dzikic and Isalo discuss Giannis, failure, broadcasting and the NBA ahead of the BCL Final Four

Hapoel Jerusalem and Bonn caused an upset by knocking out Tenerife and Unicaja Malaga respectively in the two semifinals of the Basketball Champions League Final Four.

Now the Israelis and the Germans are dueling with the trophy in the background, the coaches of the two teams, Aleksandar Dzikic and Tuomas Isalo, talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo, failure, the NBA and television broadcasts of the press conference before the final of the event.

The coach of Bonn, Tuomas Isalodetailed: “I don’t think about myself and my age. In Germany we have many new coaches. The fact that I’m the youngest coach in a BCL Finals is something I haven’t thought about, it’s the first time I’ve heard it. Our team is special and we’ve come this far because neither of us had our heads to ourselves the whole time and we’re just glad that we as a whole had the opportunity to fight for a common goal.

Coach Dzikic is a great coach and I’m not just referring to this season. I’m a big fan of the basketball he plays. His teams play with great energy and power. It’s a trademark for her and her style is very similar to ours. It’s not about the players, it’s about the whole.

I have not heard the testimonies of Giannis that you refer to, but based on personal experience I can say that they were the biggest steps to success. After failure I have re-evaluated my beliefs and can say that the pain caused by failure has been the biggest motivator for my personal improvement as a coach.

We saw in the semifinals that all defensive mistakes were punished. The atmosphere on the pitch is hot and mistakes are made. It’s about who can play their way and reduce the margin of error. This team will also be the final winner of the tournament.

The live tagging that we do with my partners is some of the most secure information we can have during a game. It’s something for everyone to see. That’s why I asked my colleagues to watch what’s on TV. It’s good that you asked me this question, because it’s an opportunity to start a discussion. Whether it’s a good thing or not, the television shows everything, including our very personal moments that happen during downtime. The NBA has found the solution to this problem and does not show the time-out live, instead broadcasting it much later after the decisions have been made. There is nothing live at this level in the NBA. Since everyone has access to what’s on TV, we use that too: images and sound where everyone has access.”

For his part, the Hapoel Jerusalem coach, Alexander Dzikic stated: “We’re not favourites. Nowadays there are many apps that display the results of games in red and green colors. And we see that there is green, green, green, green in Bonn. Does anyone think this is all a coincidence? It’s funny because some people continue to be surprised. It’s going to be a fight and we’re preparing for nothing less.

This year’s results speak volumes for my colleague. What I really appreciate is the way he chose his team and the style of basketball he plays. He found the best way to combine the necessity of the result with the ideal way of coaching. He’s had a fantastic season.

I would totally agree with John. So tell me… If we put in great performances all season and lose in the final, what does that mean? That we’re not good? And the opposite for the Bonn team? I do not agree. I deny it. I really deny it. I refuse to be judged on my team’s past performance. I know that’s how people judge. I understand results are important. But some things to judge are more important than results.

What we’ve been trying to do all season is push the players out of their comfort zones. Some of them took on the new roles. Some have added items to their game. Bonn is a team that plays defense and attack, they have tall players who can move well and play with energy, they can shoot and score.

A coach’s presence in a team for a year is not a project… Allow me… Tenerife is a project. A season is just a season and nothing else. Everyone enjoys the good times, but what about the bad times? I don’t feel like I’m part of a project. Forgiveness”.