Lietkabelis Panevezys guard Nikola Radicevic is a veteran of the 7DAYS EuroCup, which makes his insights on the competition even more interesting. Fortunately, Radicevic has agreed to share his thoughts throughout the season in his EuroCupBasketball.com blog. Here's his first entry.
Nikola Radicevic, Lietkabelis: 'I am comfortable here'
Blogs
6 Mins read
First of all, I have to say it is an honor to have this chance to talk to you, EuroCup fans. This is my sixth season in the competition, which is a long time, and I know the competition well. This year, the EuroCup is going to be even better, it should be a lot of fun, and stronger. The new system, with two groups of 10 teams each, turns it into a small league. I like the new format a lot.
One of the reasons why I signed for Lietkabelis was that we play in the EuroCup and I wanted to keep playing in European competitions. I am very happy to be here. Lietkabelis wanted me, too, I believe I was the first foreign signing in the off-season. I spoke to our coach and saw that he really wanted me and was willing to give me chances to play an important role in the team. I am truly comfortable here, enjoying my time here, and have a lot of confidence due to my coach and teammates, who are helping me a lot.
"Lithuania is a basketball country like no other... Basketball is everything for Lithuanian people."
And then Lithuania is a basketball country like no other. Honestly, I can say that basketball is everything for Lithuanian people. Most of the people are Zalgiris Kaunas fans, especially when they play in the EuroLeague, but everyone speaks about basketball. The Lithuanian League is a really well-organized competition, the arenas are full... Some Lithuanian players who have been in this league for many years play tough. You can tell it is a basketball country. Fans know you, too. Panevezys is not a big city and as I said, this is a basketball country. A lot of people watch basketball games, and it is a great place to live for a basketball player.
I mentioned the new format, and I think it is good for us that eight teams will make it to the next round. The good thing about the new system is that we will play a lot of games and all teams will have a lot of opportunities to win. As I said, it is a small league and teams are up and down sometimes, so we will see some surprises this year, I am sure. I like it! We will look for our chances. We don't have pressure in the EuroCup but we will not be relaxed. We will fight for every win, try to get as many victories as possible, and enjoy the experience. Every player wants to win and we want to do things right and fight until the end to go to the next round.
Our first opponent is Slask Wroclaw and it is already an important game for us. I played against Slask in the Polish League playoffs last season and know them a little bit, even though they have changed players and most recently, their head coach. I am sure the team will bounce back with the new coach. Players want to show the new coach that they should play, so I expect a really tough game. Like I said before, we will go there to fight and try to win, but it will not be an easy game.
Looking at the schedule, there is a special game for me down the road - against Partizan in Belgrade. It will be a lot of fun to play against Partizan, not just me, but for other people in Lietkabelis. My teammate Djordje Gagic also played for Partizan in the past, and so did my coach, Nenad Canak. It will be a very interesting game for us, especially in Belgrade. I hope to find a sellout crowd in front of us, that would be a super experience for us all, especially for those teammates that never had the opportunity to play in such an atmosphere. We all know how Partizan fans are; it is great to play there, but also very difficult! This year, Partizan has a new project with the best coach in Europe, Zeljko Obradovic. I am looking forward to that.
"I am ready and it could be a good year for me. I am really looking forward to the start of the EuroCup."
I feel good, both physically and mentally. I have no injuries and had a good pre-season. I am physically ready to compete at the maximum level. I just hope to stay healthy and play well! I am in the best years for a point guard. I am 27 years old and have a lot of experience, not just in the EuroCup, but in the EuroLeague and many domestic leagues in Europe. I am feeling much better, stronger, physically speaking. I see this season as a good opportunity for us, but I will only make the most out of it if Lietkabelis is successful and gets good results. If I play well and my team doesn't, it won't mean much. I hope my team gets good results and I am sure that will mean I will play well. I don't put extra pressure on myself, but I am ready and it could be a good year for me. I am really looking forward to the start of the EuroCup.
Above all, it is great to have fans back in the stands. Basketball is a different sport when you play without fans. I hope we will never again have to play in empty arenas. I hope all the arenas will be full of people everywhere, following health protocols. I am especially looking forward to playing EuroCup games in our home gym with a lot of Lietkabelis fans helping us. It is always way more fun to play in front of fans, this is what it is all about!