Aris held its Media Day for the 2026-27 season at Nick Galis Hall, and Vassilis Spanoulis spoke about his time with the Thessaloniki team, the team’s development, as well as the changes to the arena.
At the same time, he emphasized that results are what matter in official games, while noting that he loves the pressure—without it, he’d be a… different person!
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Here are Vasilis Spanoulis’s comments in detail:
On the arena’s new look: “It’s completely changed—it’s become more beautiful, with the LED screens, and the stands have been expanded. Everyone definitely likes it, including me, and I’m happy to see more people coming to watch the team.”
On the team’s goals: “The team is on the right track; even a team that’s been together for many years still has the same spirit. We need to improve. The team started out with my teammates, but we were missing a few players. We’ve been together since September 2. We’ve done good work, but several players were missing. We’re working well; we have things to improve. We need to instill our philosophy and culture. When the official season starts, we’ll need results—even if we don’t play well, we have to win.”
On the type of team he wants to build: “A team that will fight for every ball. Every player ready to step in and contribute. A team that never gives up, with energy on both sides of the court. We need chemistry.”
He added: “The most important thing is to play the way we train. Before the Cyprus tournament, we trained well, at a high level. After the friendlies, we missed training for 6–7 days. Now we have the chance to work again.”
On whether the roster will remain the same: “This is the team, and this is how we’ll move forward. A roster that’s ready. All the players need to be ready at any moment, and everyone needs to help the team achieve its goals.”
On the fact that the top picks were acquired: “The coaching staff and I had clear ideas about the kind of basketball we wanted to play. We’d already done the groundwork, and I had the players I wanted in mind. As soon as the deal was finalized, we were ready to make our first-round picks. Excellent teamwork—and, for me, the trust Nikos placed in me—allowed us to get exactly what we wanted.”
And he concluded: “The fans’ trust and love motivate us. I love the pressure. Without it, I’d be a different person.”
