Tyler Dorsey: 'The Greek Cup is the number one thing in my career' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Hellenic Basketball Federation Credit Hellenic Basketball Federation

If Olympiacos Piraeus was the last team standing when the final buzzer signaled the end of the 2022 Greek Cup title game in Heraklion, Crete, Tyler Dorsey is by all mean entitled to a fair share in his team's success.

3-pointers this season

35%9,4Points made:9,4Accuracy:35,2%Place in standings:2Record max:18Record min:5Most made 3FGs:Tyler DorseyTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

As strange as it may seem, Crete's biggest indoor stadium called "Dyo Aorakia", where the final between Olympiacos and their archrivals Panathinaikos OPAP Athens took place on Sunday afternoon, was the setting in which Dorsey first showcased how his professional career could look like.

The Greek-American guard made his debut with Greece in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup in 2015, making his name heard outside the United States for the first time. Back then, Tyler Dorsey made the all-tournament first team.But almost seven years later, the stage was all his to enjoy. On his comeback to Heraklion, the Oregon-born athlete led Olympiacos to a comeback win against PAO, just two days after celebrating his 26th birthday, which coincided with the Reds' semi-final win over AEK Athens. Dorsey was pivotal in the final's second part when Olympiacos went on a 15-0 run that overturned Panathinaikos's lead. After scoring 8 points in the first quarter, he re-connected with the basket for good when his team was struggling to stay afloat.

First, he cut down the deficit to three points (64-67), then signed the overtaking with a contested 3-point dagger over Daryl Macon (73-67), and, finally, sealed the Reds' 10th Cup title and first in 11 years making a couple of free throws (79-73).The total count showed 21 points on 3/6 from the perimeter and 3 rebounds, but most of all, an invaluable contribution when it most mattered.

Greek media in attendance were asked to vote for their MVP at a point where Dorsey went on fire again. That's another reason why the former player of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Memphis Grizzlies, and Atlanta Hawks surpassed other viable candidates, like Sasha Vezenkov or Thomas Walkup, who were also game-changers in their own right.

Tyler Dorsey

MIN:24.08PTS:13.43 (54.93%)REB:2.39As:2.22ST:0.48BL:0.13TO:1.91GM:23ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

"It feels good. It's my first title ever in Greece. I enjoyed it tonight," Tyler Dorsey told BasketNews who approached him for a short post-game interview while he was still on the court, circled by Olympiacos's fans and several media representatives alike.

Credit Hellenic Basketball Federation

Does this trophy take some pressure off your shoulders?No, because I love pressure. That's how you live - you go day by day. What else can you do? Even if we were the favorites, you got to lace them up and play.

How did you approach this final game?We tried to stay calm and didn't panic when we were down. You could see in previous games that whenever they go up, we go up. It's about playing through to the last second.

Did any of the older guys on the team, like Giorgos Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou, or Kostas Sloukas, give you a piece of advice ahead of this final?No, everyone knows how important this is. No matter what time and date it is, whether it's the regular season or a final, playing against Panathinaikos is important.

Getting that win is important to everybody, especially to die-hard fans. Here, we had a neutral setting, so the atmosphere wasn't too crazy.

Hopefully, the Greek government stops allowing only 1.000 fans so that we can feel the home environment in every game. Many countries are open full, and when we go play there, it's different. Hopefully, the number keeps going up, and people are staying safe as well.

I also had COVID, and it was difficult. I really got sick.

How would you rank this Cup?It's probably the number one thing in my career! I've won championships and cups in Israel. They come close, but this is a great feeling. I didn't play in some of the Cups we won in Israel, so I'm going to pick this one.

Is it also because of the MVP award?No, it has nothing to do with the MVP. At the end of the day, I wanted to win this Cup. Many of my teammates could have gotten the MVP, but it feels so good to just win.

Are you looking forward to a warm reception by Olympiacos fans when you play AX Armani Exchange Milan next Thursday?Yes, I can't wait. These are the best fans I've had in my career.

I mean, Maccabi fans didn't know me before. Maccabi have great fans, but the support I get here is unbelievable.

Greece knew me since the Under-19 World Cup (editor's note: held in Heraklion in 2019) and liked me at Maccabi.

What does the future hold for Olympiacos in EuroLeague?We're fighting for our life right now. It's so close. One or two bad weeks, and you could be out of the playoffs. I feel like protecting our home court is going to be very important.

If we keep doing that and find games on the road that we can win as well, we'll be fine. It's tough to win on the road in EuroLeague. We've lost one to Red Star but haven't lost since.

The Greek national team is playing against Turkey back-to-back. When do you plan on joining them?I didn't get the call this time because it's difficult to play during the season. But I'll be there for September and EuroBasket, no doubt about it.

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