Sasha Vezenkov addresses NBA opportunity, Barca stint, future with Bulgaria / News - Basketnews.com

Sasha Vezenkov opened up on his priorities with regard to Olympiacos and the NBA, reflected on his spell at Barcelona and the future of the Bulgarian NT, and named the coaches he likes the most.

Credit: Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images Credit Nikola Krstic/MB Media/Getty Images

One of the candidates for the EuroLeague MVP award, Sasha Vezenkov, spoke to Sport Klub about the season with Olympiacos Piraeus.

Free throws this season

76%14,0Points made:14,0Accuracy:76,5%Place in standings:9Record max:25Record min:5Most made FTs:Kostas SloukasTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Vezenkov explained why the Greek team is playing well this season and also referred to their participation in the EuroBasket with the Bulgarian national team and the three seasons he spent at FC Barcelona (2015-18).

"Of course, everyone on this team has talent, everyone tries to show it during the season, but I don't think about myself too much, I care about the team winning," Vezenkov told Aleksandra Radovojevic.

Bulgaria participated in the EuroBasket last summer after 11 years, but the international forward doesn't know if he's going to be part of the big competition again in the near future.

"It was a very nice moment to play against all those NBA players, EuroLeague players, players who had never experienced anything like that," he reflected.

"I think we were pretty good. We beat Georgia, lost to Montenegro, and finally to Belgium. I don't know when we will play our next EuroBasket because, with all these windows, I may not be able to always help my team," he admitted.

"Bulgarian basketball is not at the top level at the moment, not even at an intermediate level. I don't know when the next opportunity will be to qualify for the EuroBasket, but hopefully, it won't take us 10-15 years to do it again."

Vezenkov, 28, pointed out that "a lot of things" have to change in Bulgarian basketball, "starting from the coach and the federation to how things work."

"So I don't know how bright the future is, if everyone doesn't stick together and work," he added.

"Now, I can't name three Bulgarian players who play outside the country. That's hard. I am not here to criticize, I hope that they will find a way to go to the EurobBasket again."

Aleksandr Vezenkov

MIN:28.55PTS:17.64 (60.41%)REB:7.03As:1.88ST:0.97BL:0.24TO:1GM:33ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

Vezenkov was asked how he handles his own bad nights.

"I'm trying to see what I did wrong," he explained.

"I love watching the games again and noticing what went wrong. But generally, I try to forget about it immediately because we have a match every three days, so it's easy to move on. I like to see my mistakes and improve."

Even though he worked under coach Giorgos Bartzokas at FC Barcelona, the results weren't the same compared to their common stint in Piraeus. Vezenkov signed with Barca in the summer of 2015, coming off Aris, and stayed in Spain until 2018. Bartzokas, on the other hand, coached the Catalans in the 2016-17 campaign, before taking over Olympiacos for a second stint in 2020.

That's why Bartzokas tops his list of favorite coaches.

"I would choose him because we have a special relationship. I'm not saying we're friends, but we have a really good relationship. I would also choose the first coach I had at Aris, Vangelis Angelou, who was Dusan Ivkovic's assistant for many years. He taught me a lot," he argued.

Vezenkov singles out his current coach for allowing his players to enjoy freedom on the court.

"The practice is good, and the energy he has is good. We are a close-knit team, like a machine, where even if one piece is missing, the rest are ready to fill the void. We have shown this season that we are a good team," Vezenkov said referring to the EuroLeague regular season winners.

Reflecting on his time with Barca, the Bulgarian forward acknowledged that the experience served to make him understand his limits, on a psychological level.

"How far can I go and not give up or 'break.' It was a difficult period for the team. I never blame anyone for that. To some extent, I think I may not have deserved to go through all of this, but on the other hand, I made mistakes myself," he conceded.

"Probably, I wasn't ready. It was a really beautiful experience, I made friends for life, but I also learned that you mustn't give up."

As the Sacramento Kings have been closely following his progress over the last years, Vezenkov's potential move to the NBA seems to be a matter of time. Like most European players, the frontrunner for EuroLeague MVP thinks that the right conditions have to be there for him to make the leap.

"Of course, it's a dream for anyone who plays basketball. But I don't think about doing it just to say I did it. If the situation is good, the team wants me and we find a way and an opportunity, something can be done," he said.

"When I say about an opportunity, I'm talking about being able to have the ability to play and show who I am. At this moment, my mind is on making the Final Four with Olympiacos, nothing else. I want to be in Kaunas, that's all I think about."

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