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Tyler Dorsey talks about playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo


Por Achilleas Mavrodontis [email protected]

Just days after signing his contract with the Dallas Mavericks, Tyler Dorsey is back in Greece and ready to play at EuroBasket 2022.

Dorsey, 28, spoke to Eurohoops about joining forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo and other stars competing for Greece, proving his worth with the Mavs and much more.

“We don’t have much time, but we are trying to get together. Working on our chemistry, learning to play with each other every day and training together has been great. Great atmosphere, great guys around here. It feels good to be here, to have the talent we have in this team and to have the opportunity to get this medal at the EuroBasket”.

In 2015, his international debut propelled the Greece team into the FIBA ​​U19 World Championship. His team fell to the United States in the semifinals and settled for fourth place in the tournament held in Heraklion, Greece. As a member of the senior team, he was capped during the 2019 and 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup Qualifiers. But this time the stakes are much higher.

“We want to do that,” he responded to a question about a possible EuroBasket medal, “Sure, that’s the goal, it’s a process. We have to take it day by day. But that is the goal. We know in the future. But there is no pressure. We love this game, we play it every day. We sacrifice a lot. It is an honor to wear these shirts when I represent a country. We know that in every game and every time we go out, we will give it our all and try to put on a show for the fans.”

Coming out of Oregon and preparing for the 2017 NBA draft, Dorsey discussed the possibility of playing alongside the Greek monster in the Milwaukee Bucks. This resurgence five years later links the Greek team.

“Obviously, I’m on a two-way contract,” he added, referring to the two-way deal with the Mavericks. “There is a lot of work to do, to show the coaches my worth. That is an everyday process. And showing it every day. This is a great opportunity to play with him [Giannis Antetokounmpo]. I’m excited to meet him. It has a wonderful story.”

The EuroBasket is at the top of the list. But Greece is also scheduled to compete in the final round of the FIBA ​​World Cup 2023 Qualifiers at the end of August.

“We have a lot of good players and we have to build every day until then. We have some important games and some important friendlies. Obviously, we have Serbia, which is the first official rival. They have a lot of talent there. They have a very good team. Therefore, I think it will be a very good test for us before the EuroBasket.

With great interest from Olympiacos and Fenerbahce Beko, he opted to leave the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for a second chance in the NBA. In the national team he has met Itoudis, one of the greats of the continental competition. “I had the chance to be with him for the Great Britain game,” he said referring to the recent international window and the previous World Cup Qualifying games, “He knows my game well. I think we’re building great chemistry. I know how he trained at CSKA. This is great. He is a good trainer. He tried to get knowledge from everywhere and from all experiences. The opportunity to be trained by him is also great. Fenerbahce was definitely an option. It could have happened. But the NBA opened the door a little bit and Dallas took the opportunity to offer me and I wasn’t going to turn that down.”

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