Pablo Laso describes how his sabbatical changed him, comments on Willy-Barca deal / News - Basketnews.com

Pablo Laso admitted that he enjoyed his one year away from the benches. He also recounted a chat he had with a fan about Willy Hernangomez's transfer to Barcelona.

Credit: Basketnews.lt/D.Lukšta Credit Basketnews.lt/D.Lukšta

In an interview with Radio MARCA, Pablo Laso reviewed some of the current basketball topics after having to leave Real Madrid and while he's currently running a new project at FC Bayern Munich.

Willy Hernangomez

Team:FC BarcelonaPosition:CAge:29Height:209 cmWeight:113 kgBirth place:Madrid, SpainProfileNewsStatistics

The two-time EuroLeague-winning tactician was asked if the summer of 2022, his first without a head coaching job, was the worst for him.

"No, not at all," Laso replied. "It was a very different summer, I had no season ahead of me. I didn't want to coach and I did want to take some time. I don't want to sound bad, but I was going to the beach very quietly. Now I'm watching for signings and the calendar even though it's summer," he lamented.

Laso said he's not sure whether he's become a better coach during his sabbatical. "I've had one more year to study," he pointed out.

"In the professional world, when you can spend some time watching, you can see new things that you can't grasp while you're working. It has helped me to see players and teams in a different way, so I value things to improve as a coach."

Taking over Bayern, Laso argued, hasn't been strange for him, as he had gotten used to changing cities as a player.

"However, in Germany, there was also a change of culture that I have to admit. I have different players and facilities and I have the obligation to adapt as a coach," he conceded.

Laso said Bayern was a choice he made with his family. However, despite the German club's reputation as a football powerhouse, its basketball achievements are few and far between.

"They have made a very important bet to be a top team in Europe and Germany. For me, a great team is shown in its structure and that's what we want," the Spanish specialist pointed out.

The most interesting part of the interview came when Laso was asked how happy he felt when Real Madrid won the EuroLeague this year, from a scale of 0-10.

Willy Hernangomez

MIN:16.08PTS:18 (78.57%)REB:3As:0ST:1BL:1TO:2GM:1ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

"Damn, I can't tell you 10 because I haven't won it myself," he admitted. "But I can say a 9 or an 8. I am very happy for all the players and the people who have worked with me because winning a EuroLeague is very important."

Laso commented on Nikola Mirotic's departure from Barcelona and Willy Hernangomez's arrival to his ex-team's rivals.

"First of all, they are professionals. Secondly, this question was asked by a guy telling me that he was a real Madrid player and that he would never go to Barca. I told him, 'What would happen if Barca put 100 million euros on the table for you?' So, it was already difficult for him to give an answer," Laso said, echoing Gigi Datome's recent statements about Kostas Sloukas' transfer to Panathinaikos.

"If someone suggests that Kostas made the move for financial reasons, it might be true. I said to my father I wouldn't do like him, and he told me, 'Because you are an a**hole,'" the Italian veteran told Area 52 podcast.

"If they give you 100 million euros and you don't leave, your father will slap you when you get home," Laso concurred. "If you (the journalist) go to another station because they offer you a project with more money involved, we can't kill you."

Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.