Thomas Walkup: 'This final means the world to me' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Olympiacos BC Credit Olympiacos BC

Olympiacos Piraeusprevailed overAEK Athens and advanced to the Greek Cup final set to tip-off on Sunday at 16:00 CET in Heraklion, Crete.

2-pointers this season

56%19,0Points made:19,0Accuracy:56,4%Place in standings:10Record max:25Record min:11Most made 2FGs:Moustapha FallTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The Reds struggled a bit in the semifinals against a competitive AEK squad that relied on a partial score of 28-20 in the fourth quarter to get back to game contention.

Thomas Walkup, who had been absent from Olympiacos's last EuroLeague contest against Anadolu Efes Istanbul with back pain, came back with 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists in 23 minutes.

In the inaugural press conference ahead of the tournament, coach Giorgos Bartzokas was asked about Walkup's condition and whether the American guard would be ready to play.

"He has followed a part of the team's practice. He was training individually in the previous days, but he will take some playing time in the Final 4," Bartzokas revealed.

Now, Olympiacos are back to a Greek Cup final after their unsuccessful attempt at the title in 2018. Then, it was AEK who blocked their way to the trophy in a final played in Crete. Giorgos Bartzokas will also return to a final game with his favorite team after losing the 2013 showdown to Panathinaikos.

Having lifted two Lithuanian Cups and three championship titles with Zalgiris Kaunas, Walkup has the chance to win some silverware in Greece as well. The possibility to come out victorious on Sunday night fills the 29-year-old Texan with excitement.

"It means the world," he tells BasketNews.

"When I was at Ludwigsburg, and we were competing for Champions League Final Four, David McCray told me, 'Don't take this for granted.' He had played 17 years by then and had never had the chance to compete for a trophy.

Thomas Walkup

MIN:21.75PTS:6.09 (46.1%)REB:2.64As:2.91ST:1BL:0.09TO:1.18GM:22ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

So, those words have really stuck with me. Anytime we're competing for a trophy, I don't take it lightly."

Panathinaikos's coach Dimitris Priftis said that Olympiacos would be the ideal match-up for his team. Not because he regards the Reds as an easy opponent, but because that's the game everyone wants to see.

"That's true," Walkup laconically answers.

"Yeah, he got us."

Walkup says that he didn't get to watch Panathinaikos knockdown Promitheas in the first semifinal, adding that he was just learning about the score while in the locker room.

The two main rivals have faced each other twice this season. The first clash came in November 2021 in the Greek League, the second one, two months later in the EuroLeague. So far, wins have been split between them, but only one will end up smiling on Sunday night.

Walkup thinks that those two contests have absolutely nothing to do with the one that follows.

"It really has nothing to do with Pana," he clarifies. "It's about us. You're going to have to bring everything you've got. Every championship game is a dogfight. None of them is free-flowing or easy. So, it doesn't matter if we're playing the last placed team. It's still a dogfight, and that's the mindset we have going in."

Credit Vangelis Stolis

Olympiacos have been impacted by COVID to a large extent, as almost every team member has been tested positive at some point after the Christmas period. The spree brought a streak of negative results that hindered the team's chances of reaching the EuroLeague top 4 or even the playoffs.

Starting with the road game against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz about three weeks ago, followed by a hard-fought home win over Anadolu Efes, the red and whites have somewhat gotten back on track.

"It all started with the Baskonia game," Walkup confirms. "We were playing well and were in good shape. From that game, we gained some time."

"We really felt ourselves. Of course, not every game is perfect, but we caught a nice little rhythm, and it felt what it was like to play Olympiacos basketball again," he added.

The Greek Cup final will probably be the last one for Giorgos Printezis. Walkup says the team's captain hasn't mentioned anything to his teammates about possible retirement, nor has he expressed the desire to put an end to a glorious career with another trophy.

"He's not one to make stuff about himself," Walkup said. "He knows the captain's responsibilities; that it's not about him, but about the club. When his number is called, he'll be ready to go."

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