Nikos Xatzis OEOEOEOEOEO

[Original Melbourne 21]

I saw on EuroLiga.net a fanmail section and it was for our beloved Captain Nikolas Xatzis.....so I thought I would write and have a look to see what would happen, and Nikola doesnt let us down as usual.....have a read:

Intro:

Few players of any generation can say, as this week's Fan Mail guest can, that they played for the same club during a whole decade. AEK Athens became the first pro team of Nikos Hatzis when he was a teenager and remains his only team today, 10 seasons later. What's more, Hatzis and AEK are thriving. He is among the Euroleague's best 15 players in scoring, three-point and free throw accuracy. And, as Hatzis promises in Fan Mail answers to fans as far away as Australia, AEK will never say die in the race for the Top 16 from Group B. "There are five games left and we will fight all five opponents," Hatzis said. "Last year we missed the Top 16 due to a multiple tie. Hopefully, this time we will be luckier."

Here is the transcript:

Hatzis, home-grown ace

Very few players of any generation can say, as this week's Fan Mail guest can, that they played for the same club during a whole decade. AEK Athens became the first pro team of Nikos Hatzis when he was a teenager and remains his only team today, 10 seasons later. What's more, Hatzis and AEK are thriving together. He is among the Euroleague's best 15 players in scoring, three-point percentage and free throw accuracy. And, as Hatzis promises in his Fan Mail answers to AEK fans as far away as Australia, the team he captains will never say die in the race for the Top 16 from Group B. "There are five games left and we will fight all five opponents," Hatzis said. "Last year we missed the Top 16 due to a multiple tie. Hopefully, this time we will be luckier."

Hello Nikos! Congratulations on the latest results. I believe that at certain points AEK has been playing its best all-around basket in years! Do you believe that we have a good chance of advancing to the Top 16? I have to thank you for your presence all of these years in our team, you have been a great inspiration for all of us! Keep up the good work!

Dimitris Vamvakas, Athens

"First of all I would like to thank you for your comments. It is always nice to hear that the fans appreciate what you do. As for our Euroleague goal, of course we believe we have chances to make the Top 16. There are five games left and we will fight all five opponents. Last year we missed the Top 16 due to a multiple tie. Hopefully, this time we will be luckier."

Nikos, does it make a difference in the game for you if you are in the starting lineup or coming from the bench? We love you captain,

Konstantinos Palaskas, Greece

"In fact, it doesn’t make any difference. Maybe when I was younger, I was thinking of it more often, but now I feel more mature and I just want to play a lot of minutes. I mean it is better for me to stay in the court for a long time instead of starting the game and then be benched."

Hatzis in action

Hi, Nikos. This season AEK is a very unpredictable team: at the beginning of the season you lost three times, but later you guys had three victories running. What was the main reason of such a huge change? Have a good road to the Top 16!

Andrius from Kupiski, Lithuania

"The main reason for this change is that we never stopped believing in this team, even when we lost some games. I would say that we weren’t in good shape at the beginning of the season and definitely we had some injuries that damaged our rhythm. We kept on the hard work and here we are now, fighting for the Top 16 against great competitors."

Hi Nikos! I had the pleasure to see you score 37 points against Maccabi. Which qualities does a basketball player need, in your opinion, to become a real scorer?

Andrey, Tel Aviv

"Well, talent is necessary, but it is not enough. After ten years in professional basketball, I would say that experience helps you be a great scorer. I mean the way you read the game is very important. Hard work is necessary too, but being a great scorer requires brain and intelligence."

Hi there, Nikos! As a Euroleague fan from your neighbor Turkey, I wonder which teams do you think will make the Final Four. So far, I guess CSKA and Maccabi are the front-runners, but what do you think about the third and fourth teams? Can Efes stand a chance this time? Thanks,

Etkin Getir, Turkey

"I agree that Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow are the top favourites. I think Panathinaikos is capable too, especially if they believe that and improve their game. I would say that Efes Pilsen could do it this time. They have a great team with skills and they know how to win important games."

Niko, happy New Year! Almost every year you have been there, AEK has had foreign players at shooting guard. What did you feel and how did you manage to get through all those years?

Chris Tsironis, Greece

"Patience and insistence! What else could you do in a situation like this? And I never gave up. I never stopped working hard, as I knew that a foreign player was the coach’s first option, but when the tough started, he would turn his head at the bench and throw me in the game. "

Nikola, we here at ORIGINAL 21 Melbourne believe you have the talent to play anywhere. We started off very slow this year but now the team has had time to gel and the results are showing. Do you believe that we have the right mix to do some damage in the Euroleague?

Con Terzoglou from Melbourne, Australia

"Yes, I think we can do some really big damage out there. We have great chemistry and we seem to be more complete than in the last years. We beat Barcelona in our home court and Scavolini on the road and we fought all games. So now, there won’t be any Euroleague team that believes they can beat AEK easily."

Hatzis: captain fantastic

I have liked Greek basketball since Giannakis and Galis. I remember the days when it was so tough playing in Greek halls. I saw the game between AEK and Maccabi and th hall was empty. Can you explain to me, dear Nikos, what is the reason? Where are the Greek fans? Thanks,

Elias, Israel

"Sometimes, I am wondering the same, Elias. Where is the basketball crowd? The Greek championship is still very competitive, with many surprises. Maybe there is a general crisis in sports, what can I say? Maybe life has changed. A decade ago, sports were the most important part in man’s life, now the situation is different. Maybe there is lack of organization. Maybe if the fans watched great foreign players like in the past, there would be a massive attendance in the games. It is a big matter you can’t solve in five lines."

Dear Nikos, I must to compliment you and your team on winning three games in a row. Which Group B teams do you think will qualify for the Top 16? Good luck!

Karolis, Lithuania

"I would say Maccabi Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Montepaschi Siena, AEK and Zalgiris Kaunas. I think Scavolini, Union Olimpija and Adecco ASVEL will fail, but who knows? Basketball is so unpredictable, that ‘s why it is so beautiful."

Hello, Niko. Although I am a Panathinaikos fan, I have to admit that AEK plays the most impressive basketball in Greece at the moment. What is the most important factor in your opinion about this?

Chris, Greece

"I think that the main reason is our completeness. We know each other very well and I have to give coach Katsikaris a credit. He shows confidence to the players, he takes the right choices and he changed the way of playing. In the beginning of the season, he tried to do some things, but later on he decided to offer more freedom to the players and that ‘s why AEK presents such a spectacular basketball. The basketball that the fans like."

"To finish, I would like to thank all European fans for the great response. It was good to hear many different opinions from different countries and I expect that the Euroleague will be even more exciting in the future." 

 

Jan 10, 2005  Kostas Sotiriou, Athens