‘I want to stay at Panathinaikos for a long time and win as many titles as I can’

After Dimitris Giannakopoulos and Mike James, it was Matias Lessor’s turn to be a guest on SKWEEK’s “Best in Class” show. The French center of Panathinaikos AKTOR talked about his upbringing in Martinique, his tenure at Salon, the NBA Draft, his collaboration with Zelimir Obradovic at Partizan, his first contact with the owner of the greens, his relationship with fans, the Olympics, but also for his future.

For Partizan and Zelimir Obradovic: “At that stage in my career I had a lot of ups and downs and I went there because I knew how great a coach Zeljko is and how much he can affect you. I wanted to play for these fans. I had played for Red Star before, so it was a bit like revenge I wanted to take, because it was personal.

When I went there I didn’t expect anything. The connection I had with the fans was crazy. I’m still close to the players as well, like Mandar, Pander, Nunnally. Last week I spoke with Exum. We had a crazy bond with each other and with the fans. The team had not been in the EuroLeague for ten years and we brought them back there. Every match was crazy and we kept getting better. They will forever be my family. I still talk to some fans and they are family to me.

The main reason I signed was Zeliko. We talked before. In the summer they wanted to sign me, but after I won the EurCup with Monaco, I wasn’t interested in playing in this competition again, I wasn’t excited. And I told my agent that I want to play in the EuroLeague. I ended up at Maccabi because one of their players was injured. I wanted to go to Maccabi, since I was little I dreamed of playing there. I liked the atmosphere, the way the team played. When I signed I was happy, I did everything I could to stay there.

When I left in December, Partizan contacted me again. They didn’t need a tall one. Partizan called me in September and then again in December, so I knew they really wanted me. It’s not like they were just looking for a player to fill a void. They wanted me. So to feel that maybe the best coach in Europe is calling you and insisting even when you said no and saying ‘I still want you, I still need you, do you want to come?’, it was really great. And this time I couldn’t say no. even if it was in the EuroCup. I will play for this coach, for this team.

…

I hope to return to Partizan one day. Now I’m at Panathinaikos and I’m very happy to be here and I hope to stay for a long time. Everyone in my family wants me to go back to Partizan, because they loved it there. As I said I’m very happy to be here and I want to win as many titles as I can here, but if I can finish my career at Partizan or come back one day, that would be nice.”

On whether after Panathinaikos he thinks about going to another EuroLeague team or trying the NBA: “This is a tough question because it has to do with the opportunities you have on the table. Obviously I’m trying to win as many titles as I can in the EuroLeague and I like the situation I’m in.

But I’ve never played in the NBA and sometimes when I’m in the locker room and I hear people talk about the NBA and I haven’t experienced it, it’s something I’d like to experience. But I’m not going to the NBA by any means. I’m here, I’m playing, I’m one of the main players in the best team in Europe right now, so I wouldn’t go to the NBA to sit on the edge of the bench. The right opportunity must be found and the team that I know will have a real role for me and will make basketball sense.

But beyond that I don’t think I should go to another team. I’m here and we’re building something with this team, we’re trying to win as many titles as we can and now I’m committed to that. My next step is not to go to the NBA, but to win as many titles as I can with Panathinaikos.”

For his first contact with Dimitris Giannakopoulos: “He called me when I was at Partizan and he sent the offer to my agent. There were some talks, but I was clear that I wanted to finish the season with Partizan and my priority was to stay there. I told them I wouldn’t answer until I could I’m having a real discussion with Partizan. We tried to find a solution and for me to stay there, with an agreement that would make both sides happy. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen and then I realized that we wouldn’t agree and my term there ended.

I told my agent to see what other offers I have. And I could be on the phone with Giannakopoulos again. I told him that I would not give him any answer out of respect for what Partizan, the organization and Zeliko did for me and that I would not agree with any team while I still had a contract with Partizan and we were fighting for the title.

He respected it, he liked that answer because here it is with the fans and you have to respect the team you play for. And I don’t think Panathinaikos would like a player to sign elsewhere, while they were in the middle of a series with Olympiakos. That’s what I told them and they respected it. And after the end of the season I talked with Zeliko and the organization and I understood that we would not agree. We talked for a very short time, he explained to me what he wanted, I talked to Ataman and he explained to me what he wanted and we quickly agreed. I liked the project they had, what they were building and it was done.”

On whether Panathinaikos or Partizan have better fans: “I can’t say. I always say they’re different. They all have their own ways. Your mom and your wife are family, I can’t say who’s better or who I love more. You love them both in different ways and they mean something different to you. But he has great love for both of them.

My love for Partizan will never fade and my connection and love with Panathinaikos fans will never fade either. The way they welcomed me last year, the way they treated me all season, who were by our side and were on our side in the Final Four. These are things you only dream about when you’re a kid. When we won the EuroLeague, they closed the whole highway, I’ve never seen anything like that. Seeing how crazy the city was was something special too.”