The Olympiacos guard plays sparingly but his spirit is infectious.
Giannoulis Larentzakis, Olympiacos: 'I wanted to test myself'
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Hustle. Energy. Passion. Those are three intangibles that perfectly describe local hero Giannoulis Lartentzakis of Olympiacos Piraeus. He is currently in his fourth straight Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season – all of them with the Reds – and he has settled for being a reliable role player that all his teammates can count on.
"I wanted to test myself to see if I could compete at this level," Larentzakis explains. "The coach gave me a chance and I took full advantage of it."
This season, Larentzakis is averaging 5.4 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 32 appearances off the bench at more than 13 minutes per game. Numbers don't do full justice to Larentzakis's strengths, however.
"He's a fighter," teammate Isaiah Canaan asserts. "As a teammate, you can't ask any more from one of your teammates that you go out there to war with."
Olympiacos is currently leading a best-of-five playoff series against FC Barcelona with the goal of reaching its third consecutive Final Four in Berlin next May. The secret behind that level of excellence?
"The coach's philosophy is mostly based on the relationships between teammates, between players and the coaching staff," Larentzakis reveals. "I hope we keep working together for a long time."
It's a recipe that could lead Olympiacos to its fourth European crown. The next step: Game 2 at Palau Blaugrana on Friday night.