Stories with a Legend! (Part 9)
Eleven years, 103 team mates. The huge Vassilis Spanoulis is "presented" on olympiacosbc.gr through the eyes of all his Olympiacos' team mates.
Untold stories, good luck rituals, character elements and many moments that stayed with them from the career of the insurmountable gentleman with number 7 on his back… part 9
RASHO NESTEROVIC (2010-2011): «Vassilis is definitely one of the best team-mate I have ever had. A real winner and champion. He's one the most competitive person I have ever known. Everyone knows that, however, the most important thing however, is that Vassilis is an even better person. I was happy and blessed to have known him. And it's an honor for me to be able to call him my friend. I wish he enjoys his family and that he stays always the same».
PANAGIOTIS VASSILOPOULOS (2010-2012): «What I'll always remember is the moment we received the Euroleague trophy in Istanbul in 2012. Even today, I can't put my feelings into words. I'm talking about when he summoned me together with Giorgos Printezis to lift the trophy together. I remember an electrical current running through my body. It was a magical feeling and this confirmed for me who he really was. And how much he loves his team and his team-mates. You would see him never really expressing any feeling, however, at that moment, I realized a lot and mainly that he would not be leaving anything unnoticed. Apart from a great player, Vassilis is also a wonderful person».
MARKO KESELJ (2011-2012): «It was a real pleasure having had the opportunity to share the locker rooms and some of the best moments of my career with Billy, a great basketball star and at the same time such a humble friend and team-mate. We lived some great moments together on and off the court. I have never seen again such focus and someone that dedicated himself to basketball. Either he would win or lose, or he would be practicing, his ritual would be the same… He would be staying at the court shooting. On the court, you knew you could rely on him, that on every defining moment he would be doing something great for the team, like his pass to Printezis in the 2012 final, but also so many other clutch shots in his career. Like on the court, the same in the locker room, he would be silent, focused, but you, as a team-mate, you knew very well that he was a true leader. Off the court, he's a great friend, always happy, present, and ready to help you and have a good time. We have had some great memories from Athens and Belgrade. I love him indeed, as a person and as a player. I had been very lucky to have the chance and share some of big moments with Olympiacos with the great captain! I wish him the best in anything he does after such an amazing career».
DOMINIC WATERS (2016-17): «The first day I came to join Olympiacos and walked to the gym, Vassilis welcomed me and said: "Welcome to the family". These words meant a lot to me and immediately made me feel that I was important to that family. It was a joy to have shared the floor with the best player to have ever played in Europe and blessed to have been part of his story».
HOLLIS THOMPSON (2017-2018): «Spanoulis was a huge leader and an amazing team-mate. He taught me how to walk in life, within or outside basketball and made a better person. It was my first year in Europe and made me feel really good. I believe, that although he has retired, people are going to be talking for years to come about everything he has done with Olympiacos and for European basketball in general. I'd like to congratulate him on a magical career».
AARON HARRISON: (2020-2021): «It was really good to have played next to him. He's a Legend who has done incredible things for the sport. One of the true greats».
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Part 3