Chris Singleton on turning down Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos rebuild and Olympiacos future / News - Basketnews.com

In the second part of his interview with BasketNews, Chris Singleton explains why he didn't sign with Fenerbahce in 2018, why he would never consider an offer from Olympiacos and how Panathinaikos could become a winning team again.

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Before joining FC Barcelona in the summer of 2018, Chris Singleton was in talks with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul. The deal never took place, and the American forward went to Spain, where he didn't get to stay for too long.

Chris Singleton

MIN:15.83PTS:3.14 (46.15%)REB:2As:0.86ST:0.43BL:0TO:0.29GM:7ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

In the first part of his interview with BasketNews, Singleton explained the reasons he and the Catalan powerhouse took separate ways after only one year. He also referred to Ergin Ataman's tricks, Anadolu Efes-FC Barcelona rivalry, and how his current team is trying to make the EuroLeague playoffs.

In the interview's second part, the 33-year-old back-to-back EuroLeague champ digs into the reasons he chose Barca over Fenerbahce in 2018 and looks back at his two-year (2016-18) presence with Panathinaikos Athens following his breakout season with Lokomotiv Kuban.

He talks highly of Gate 13, the team's hardcore fanbase, dissects Panathinaikos' inability to field a really competitive team at the highest level, and presents his ideas about how the Greek side can turn into a top-class organization again.

He reveals whether the Greens' main rivals, Olympiacos Piraeusand Giorgos Bartzokas personally, have ever contacted him and opens up on their potential in the short and long run.

Singleton also mentions the Reds as an example Panathinaikos should follow and comments on the EuroLeague MVP race, including the chances of some of the players involved in it.

Credit Nikos Paraschos/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

The underdog team

I was talking toFenerbahce before I went to Barcelona.

They made several offers, but I never talked to the coach (editor's note: Zeljko Obradovic). I called around Europe and asked about him. I was told he's a good coach and tough, but that stuff didn't bother me. I grew up in a rough area with tough coaches.

Fenerbahce, Real Madrid, and Olympiacos were the top teams at the time. I liked what they were doing, but it was me. I wanted to go somewhere to change things around. That's why I chose Barca. I wanted to be a significant or the missing piece and go to a team that hasn't won recently. I wanted to feel special. PAO had just put us out.

Chris Singleton

Team:Anadolu Efes IstanbulPosition:PFAge:33Height:206 cmWeight:104 kgBirth place:Georgia, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Fenerbahce made aggressive offers and much love to them. But I chose to go to Barca because I wanted to feel special.

I almost got the same feeling in Greece with Panathinaikos against Olympiacos. It's a rivalry thing, and you never feel like the underdog in Greece, but you feel like the underdog in Europe just because of the success Olympiacos had before that.

They had two legends on their team known for making big shots (editor's note: Vassilis Spanoulis, Giorgos Printezis). I've seen them make them against our team.

Pride and loyalty

To go to the other side and play against them, it's a pride thing. I used to put on that green jersey, knowing I had so many fans behind me. We were all ready to play. I liked the people and Gate 13.

People from Olympiacos keep asking me, but I feel like I'm a loyal guy.Once you put on that jersey and you've done some things on one side, it's hard to go on the other side.I still have love for them, but that green jersey is different.

Coach Bartzokas hasn't contacted me recently just because of my previous comments and me playing with PAO.

But now, Olympiacos is a no-go at this point.My feelings for Gate 13 and all fans of PAO will never change.Gate 13 are the ones you know and hear about. You know their true passion for the game.They're literally willing to lay it all on the line for their team and for their colors.

They embraced me, and I embraced all the fans. Greece is one of the best basketball cultures you'll ever get.Every time we played on the road, it was a sellout.

Change of focus

I was relatively familiar with Europe, but I was focused on the NBA before that. Once I got to Loko, I started learning about basketball in Europe.

Bartzokas just told me how to play, how he was going to use me, and how I should take advantage of my skill set and physique. He showed me how to make money by doing the things that I can do. He put me in the perfect system.

He wanted me to be versatile and saw that Victor Claver, [Anthony] Randolph, and I could all play together. We used our strengths on the perimeter versus bigger and slower big men.He'll definitely hold you accountable.

Credit Francesco Richieri/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

I still think he's one of the top coaches in Europe.He's also one of the best players' coaches out there.

If things were different and the timing was off, maybe I would have been in the places he's been.It was both Khimki (in 2017) and Barca (in 2016-17).He left before I signed.We're on the same wavelength, we both want to win. It's all love with him.Every time I see him, we talk.

Some rebuilding ideas

I've never been approached by Barca again.But PAO? There's never been true offers.It's been more like, 'Would you come here?'And at the time I am right now, we're at two different points with everything.

While I was on the team, [owner Dimitris] Giannakopoulos never communicated his plans.To my knowledge, maybe we were all shocked that everybody was going to go their different ways.

We thought there were a couple of players away from the Final Four. If we came back for a third year, we would have been a favorite to win it.But things didn't happen that way.

For me being a fan of basketball, you need some stability. You need to get one coach with notoriety over there, give him a strong budget and let him stay for two years solid. If you're going to fire him after one year, there's no point in going there.

For me, there's too much in and out. That's going to shy away the big stars and the big players we know in Europe. You have to convince some players to go there. As a player, you definitely take into account what's going on there.

I think the fans still help bring some players there. The atmosphere is like no other.PAO's big enough a club, and the Greek economy is doing better. The city's good and the weather's nice.You gravitate toward stuff like that. You'd want to play in a place where you and your family can enjoy.

But with no stability and no plan for the future, it's hard to commit and go to something you don't know.You got to devise a plan to get there.You can't just patch holes, you got to wipe it all clean.

This summer, a lot of coaches are on expiring contracts. It can go anywhere. I think the fans would embrace a big coach if he's able to get a budget and they have a system.

With rebuilding the team, you need to have the top domestic guys. If you let them go to other places, you're going to drop. You need that core because they know what you're playing for.

They know the atmosphere and need to tell the foreigners what they're getting into and what they're playing for, especially in Greece. The pride of basketball is worn on the average fan's sleeve.

Future of Olympiacos and the next EuroLeague MVP

You can have success even with a medium-sized budget like Olympiacos have done.

You see where you can be.It's the same as PAO winning in the late 90s and early 00s.Obviously, you envy the success they're having because you want that to be you.But you have to make gradual growth to get there.

It's all about timing and place. Olympiacos have a chance to win the EuroLeague this year.If they stay together, they're going to thrive with their cohesiveness, especially in Europe. Everybody else is rotating doors, trying to find the next big thing.

That's me, it's about budget and money. If you can get the same thing everywhere, you'd stay in the same spot. But if a player has a breakout year, someone's going to try to break his team up. They're going to offer that extra dollar to improve their team as well.

[Sasha]Vezenkov is going to make a big decision this summer.That's going to determine how things will shape for them.

I'd say he will win [EuroLeague] MVP because of the way he's playing and the big games he's had when needed.His PIR is way ahead of everyone else's.To me, he's the clear favorite to win it.

Since we're in Europe, that's going to push more Europeans to win the MVP this season.Shane Larkin was going to win for sure in 2019-20.I think Anthony Parker was the last American MVP.He had a great couple of seasons.

I think Mike [James] had a better chance and should have won it last year. Nobody was expecting that. Monaco had a lower budget than they have this year. Now, they've added some more pieces to help them out.

If they make it to the Final Four and Olympiacos don't, he has to be the frontrunner. But the things he did last year, getting them to a Game 5 in the playoffs, he helped them overachieve. This year's tough.

Chris Singleton explains Ataman's tricks, reveals background of his Barcelona days Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.