Daniel Hackett recalls kiss to Olympiacos logo, explains connection with Nikos Pappas / News - Basketnews.com

In an interview with NOVASPORTS reporter Christos Kaouris, Daniel Hackett spoke in detail about his relationship with Olympiacos and the elements that unite him with Panathinaikos' guard Nikos Pappas. He also made his EuroLeague DPOY picks and broke down the features of a great defender.

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Daniel Hackett returned to his native Italy for Virtus Segafredo Bologna after wandering around Europe for seven years. The veteran guard spent two seasons in Greece with Olympiacos Piraeus, another one in Bamberg, and four and a half with CSKA Moscow.

2-pointers this season

55%19,2Points made:19,2Accuracy:55,3%Place in standings:10Record max:26Record min:12Most made 2FGs:Mouhammadou JaitehTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

In a podcast with NOVASPORTS journalist Christos Kaouris, Hackett touched on his stint with Olympiacos while giving some insight into certain incidents that took place during and after his time with the Reds.

The 35-year-old admitted that when he left EA7 Emporio Armani Milan for Piraeus in 2015, he was a different player than the one we all have come to know over the past seven years.

"Let's say I evolved. I didn't come to Greece with clean baggage," Hackett conceded on the podcast.

"I had some issues with the national team and gave the chance to a lot of people to label me outside the lines. They said my character was maybe a little too much to handle."

Hackett thinks Greece was a key step for him in "evolving, maturing, witnessing what's it like to be on a Final Four along with veteran players."

"The level of players like Vassilis Spanoulis, Giorgos Printezis, and Kostas Papanikolaou gave me a heads up on how to behave, work in practice and handle myself," he explained.

The first major event that came his way was the 2016 Greek league finals, which greatly influenced him as a player.

Olympiacos had the home-court advantage, but Panathinaikos stole the first game in Piraeus. The Greens, however, saw Vassilis Spanoulis hit two huge 3-point shots that decided Games 2 and 4, forcing PAO legend Dimitris Diamantidis to finish his career with a bitter aftertaste.

"There was a lot of build-up and hype around those games," Hacket remembered.

"Panathinaikos were very competitive and with a lot of talent. Games were very tight, very close. We had to come back from behind, and there was a lot of drama. Billy made the game-winners in Games 2 and 4."

Olympiacos Piraeus / Schedule

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It was then that Hackett first realized how passionate Olympiacos fans can become after watching their team beat their main rivals.

"It was amazing to witness how we came back from OAKA and how fans approached us on the streets. Watching the euphoric excitement was amazing," the Virtus Bologna player told NOVASPORTS.

However, in December 2016, an unfortunate event turned Hackett's career upside down. During the EuroLeague game against UNICS Kazan in Piraeus, the Italian guard chose not to let Keith Langford score an easy mid-range jump shot and contested his attempt.

But Hackett fell on the court and suffered a season-ending injury that deprived him of his first Final Four participation and a new contract with the Greek side.

"That was my last game in Olympiacos' jersey. My competitive nature cost me a few months away from the game. Sliding into the sticker and the way I went down caused a lot of damage to my hamstring," Hackett reflected.

"That was another step in my career. It was a down moment, but I don't want it to be the only memory I remember in Olympiacos jersey. I had so many great ones, and I'm very blessed for having the chance to play two years in Piraeus," he added.

Another incident basketball fans in Greece can't forget is when Nikos Pappas made fun of Hackett's hairline during a derby in the 2015-16 campaign.

"I didn't understand what he said at first," Hackett continued.

"We started the season losing to Panathinaikos in the Cup and then again at OAKA by 20. So, I was already feeling the pressure of not winning. I got into the groove of the game and made some shots. Then, at the end of the game, I think I hit a shot and stuck out my tongue in response. I made a funny face or something," he recalled.

But Hackett thinks that he and the Greek player, who recently returned to PAO for the final chapter in his career, share more things than meets the eye.

"There was a lot of talk about me and Pappas being kind of similar in character. I can see him having the same nature as me: a fearless competitor, a guy that can play above his talent and level of physicality and is always willing to compete for the jersey.

So, I respected that," Hackett said in an interview with NOVASPORTS.

Even this season, when Virtus Bologna came to OAKA to face Panathinaikos, Hackett didn't waste any time.

"I saw he was back with the team, and we had an exchange. I told him, 'Hey, let's trade jerseys. I want to keep your jersey in my house because I want to remember the battles we've had.'

That was part of my journey in Greece, so I can tell my kids that I had battles with this guy who was in Panathinaikos, and I was in Olympiacos."

Credit Vangelis Stolis

A month ago, coach Sasa Obradovic made headlines when he kissed the Crvena Zvezda logo before AS Monaco took on the Serbian team in Belgrade. On March 9, 2018, Hackett did the exact same thing with Olympiacos' logo when he showed up at the Peace and Friendship Stadium with Brose Bamberg.

Olympiacos had let him go in the summer of 2017, but that doesn't mean Hackett bears any grudges toward coach Giannis Sfairopoulos or the club's management. He knows it was a business decision.

"I was injured, and my future was pretty uncertain. Olympiacos thought that maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring me back," he said.

"But I received a lot of love and encouragement from the fans. Coach Sfairopoulos was on the phone with me most of the summer to try help me through the process and help me accept that they weren't going to bring me back. They supported me a lot and didn't leave me alone."

Hackett added that he also received flowers from owners Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos, who encouraged him with messages throughout his injury.

"For me, it was like family. To come back and feel the crowd, the only way I could give back all the love and respect was to kneel down and kiss the logo. It was a really unforgettable moment."

Some more of those moments followed after Hackett signed with CSKA in 2018. For him, the 2017-18 season worked as a transition period that allowed him to return to the highest level.

"The support system throughout my season in Bamberg was big. It gave me stability, strength, and peace of mind," he reckons.

"That year was one of my most productive ones, as far as numbers and showing that I was back on the high level. Thank God CSKA noticed that, and I was the guy coach [Dimitris] Itoudis saw as someone who could fit the system."

At CSKA, Hackett managed to grow into a player that was locked in on the court no matter the circumstances.

"I grew into that over the years. I realized I needed less time for celebrations and had to put more energy and focus on the defensive end. There wasn't a lot of celebrations and a lot of laughing with coach Itoudis," he admitted.

"When I was 25, I used to do much more of that. But now, I understood that the priority is to celebrate at the end of the game," Hackett revealed in a conversation with NOVASPORTS.

A defensive-minded guard capable of hitting big shots, Daniel Hackett had the privilege of playing alongside Nando De Colo in the 2018-19 season, when the Russian powerhouse won the EuroLeague.

Last week, the Frenchman became the scoring king in the history of European club competitions.

"He's a unique talent, capable of affecting the defense with his scoring, passing, and shooting. He's a complete danger for any defense and an all-around, multi-talented player," Hackett described his former teammate.

"His work ethic and the way he takes care of his body are amazing. His leadership and the details he puts into practice, he never gets emotionally involved. He's very stable mentally, and that makes him a unique player."

Most of the time, De Colo seems to do only what's necessary for his team to win. He's not flashy, he avoids spectacular dunks and passes that can be intercepted, and he's always there to take the last shot if required.

"What separates him from many great players is that he does just what's needed," Hackett confirmed.

"He's competitive and wants to win every game. I've seen him try to compete in shooting drills at the beginning of the practice with the same face he has on a playoff battle in EuroLeague. His focus level and demeanor are things very few have in European basketball."

Credit Coolmedia/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press

Asked about the materials that make up a good defender, Hackett mentioned the following:

"A lot of mental strength, a good body, and you must develop a good position in the way you set yourself. That can do half of the job. If you're capable of being in a good position, understand where your opponent wants to go and how he wants to score, that gives you a big advantage."

But that's not all.

"You also got to have a solid body, especially in the way the game's played nowadays. Sometimes, you're required to guard two or three screeners per game. There are so many tactical things, and you can get pinned on a switch."

Hackett thinks it's not easy to be an elite defender in the EuroLeague.

"A lot of guys are unappreciated, and I wish we gave love and attention to what defenders do," he pointed out.

Hackett maintains that guards tend to go unnoticed when it comes to the league's best defenders since most people pay attention to who's blocking the most shots instead of who's splitting the ball screens, for instance. That's why the EuroLeague and EuroCup champion thinks two Olympiacos players deserve more credit than others.

"Thomas Walkup could be one of the candidates. You have to look at what he does, to the numbers he puts up on defense and how the way he plays defense affects the game," Hackett suggested.

Credit Michele Nucci / IPA/SIPA

"Another great defender I have on this team is Kostas Papanikolaou. He's a very smart and efficient defensive player," he continued.

Virtus lost both games to Olympiacos this season, but Hackett doesn't lose sight of the team's main goal.

"I've got to look at the present, try to bring Bologna to the playoffs. That would be a great accomplishment. Bologna deserves to stay in EuroLeague," he told the podcast.

In the near future, Hackett hopes to keep growing as a player and a father - both in the literal and the figurative sense.

"I want to be an example for young fellas on my team. Alessandro Pajola is one of the most interesting young prospects. It's going to be very interesting to see how his career will shape up. Nico Mannion is another example," he mentioned.

When it comes to who will win the EuroLeague, Hackett seems to have two teams on his mind.

"I haven't watched many games lately, but I'm aware of the season Olympiacos are having. For sure, they're one of the candidates to win it all," he told NOVASPORTS.

But who can write off the reigning champs? Not Hackett, that's for sure.

"Like everybody else in Europe, I'm expecting Efes to make a late-season push and be there also. I'm curious to see how the next two months will shape up the playoff race."

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