Do you miss head coaching after a year as a consultant with the Lakers?
Surely, it was an adjustment for me to work on the staff but I would like to thank coach Brown and the Lakers organization. I felt totally welcome there and I think I’ve accomplished my goals; I was able to become an integral part of such an excellent program. Obviously, when you were on the sidelines for 22 years, you miss it. From the other side I was able to work with great coaches and players and I really enjoyed it.
It should’ve been difficult to leave the NBA, top basketball league in the world…
This is true. NBA is a great league, environment, organization. But CSKA is an NBA-level European club. When you think of the highest standard of organization, highest goals, best players, mentality, CSKA immediately comes to mind. For me the club is also very special for what we did in our four years together. When I received the call a few days ago, I felt honored.
What are your feelings coming back to the club, to Moscow, to the fans?
I feel I am blessed to work here again, with lots of friends. I hope that the fans who always supported our team in good and bad moments will give us confidence and trust to prepare a new team, new program. For sure, some players retire, some dream of going to the NBA and because of that we will have some changes, we will need time to select newcomers, to prepare the team in the best possible way to reach our goals. We should not live in the past, should not talk too much about those fantastic seasons when we were always in the finals of the Euroleague, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. We should concentrate on the future and work hard. Every year it is more and more difficult to win in Europe.
We cannot live in the past also because you will have an absolutely different team here.
When I say that I mean that we should not make the mistake of comparing today’s life, team, coaches and players to the ones we used to have before. The past should give us confidence, it should tell us that if we do things right, we will have a chance to win. But it does not guarantee that you can win again by just bringing in the same people to the team. Our goal will be to try to become better every day.
Do you like the team you have right now? Even considering it will undergo serious changes.
It is a very difficult question. I am looking forward to working with the few players that remain from the squad I left here four years ago. At the same time, I am ready to work with the new guys. I mean I am trying to approach my work with a completely open mind and I will try to help the Board and Andrey Vatutin assemble the best team possible.
I’d like to single out one player who orchestrated CSKA game during the previous season. You haven’t worked with Milos Teodosic before. What do you think about him?
I am not ready to express any opinion. I can only say from outside that he is an extremely talented player. And the goal of my work with him, just like any other player, will be to put him in a situation where he can use his talent the best way possible during the extremely difficult moments of big games. I want to have an opportunity to establish relationships with Milos and all other players. Before that, I think it is not correct to make any kind of comments on them.
Can we expect that CSKA team will be as defensive-minded as it was during you reign here?
This last year I think CSKA played excellent defense. And the core of the team knows perfectly that they have to play good defense, rebound and share the ball on offense to be a strong contender and try to win championships.
In your opinion, how has the year outside of coaching changed you?
This NBA experience has helped me get better as a person and coach. It gave me the opportunity to relate with the highest level of players, of personalities. I hope I will be able to show that in my everyday work.
