The 29-year-old is dreaming big after a strong Round 1 performance
Tai Odiase, Bahcesehir: 'We want to make the playoffs'
Interviews
7 Mins read
Bahcesehir College Istanbul started the 2024-25 BKT EuroCup season with a bang, downing Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius 69-80 to win in its return to the competition after a three-year break. Center Tai Odiase was one of the pillars of Bahcesehir's balanced offense, finishing the game with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 5 fouls drawn for a team-high PIR of 20.
Now in his third EuroCup season with as many teams, Odiase made his EuroCup debut with Germani Brescia Leonessa in 2022 before suiting up for Prometey Slobozhanske last season. He helped both teams reach the EuroCup Playoffs and believes that should be Bahcesehir's initial goal: challenging for a playoff spot, as he told Javier Gancedo in an interview for EuroCupBasketball.com.
"Right now, we're just focused on making it in the top six. We want to make the playoffs and then go from there," Odiase said. "Personally, I don't look too far ahead. I try to take things one step at a time. So I think our main goal is to just make these playoffs and then make a run from there."
Hello, Tai. Congratulations on beating Wolves in Vilnius. How important was it to get that first win right win in Bahcesehir's return to the competition?
"Thanks. It's always good to get that first win of the season and start the season off right, heading in the right direction. We still have some things we need to work on defensively, but I think overall it was a good first game."
You started the season in great shape, too. What did you do this summer to show up in such great physical condition?
"I didn't stop playing basketball. So right after I left Prometey last season, which ended in about April, about a week after that, I went to Puerto Rico and played until the beginning of August. And then about a few days after that came the training camp in Istanbul. So I just kept playing all summer. I think some people might see that as a negative because I didn't really get any rest, but in my opinion, I think it was a positive because I just kept playing basketball. I stayed sharp instead of having to get into game shape again during preseason, so I just kept playing basketball."
I am sure you had many offers in the offseason. Why did you choose Bahcesehir?
"I wanted to play in a good [international] competition and also play in a good local league as well. You know, Prometey played the EuroCup last season but the local league wasn't as strong as the Turkish Basketball League. So that was one of the main factors, just playing good competitions all year round. And you have a great group of guys, a great coach, a great staff here. So that was one of the biggest factors leading to my decision."
"Having [Nemanja Bjelica] as a GM is a great thing because he played basketball and understands how we feel."
You also have a lot of experienced players in the competition. How much of a good thing is that?
"I think it's really good for us. We have Jaleen [Smith] and Ponitka, they have EuroLeague experience and we have a lot of EuroCup-experienced guys. I think that is going to help us, especially towards the end of the game when we have to make right decisions. Just having that experience can help us later in games and later in the season."
Nemanja Bjelica retired from basketball is now your club's general manager. How great is it to have such a successful player running things off the court?
"Having him as a GM is a great thing because he played basketball and understands how we feel, so he always tries to relate to us from a player-to-player standpoint. And that helps us get acclimated to the team and be comfortable and just only worry about basketball."
Bahcesehir is a very special club, with schools and colleges everywhere and loads of students at the games. How much are you looking forward to that?
"I'm looking forward to it a lot because last year we didn't have this situation with the team. We didn't have our fan base, so I didn't get to enjoy having that. But this year we get to enjoy the fan base, having the college behind us. And it should be a lot of fun. I'm very excited for it. We play in a big arena. I hope they fill it up."
"Playing against Besiktas should be fun, having them also in Istanbul should bring out a lot of people... a great, exciting atmosphere."
Your next opponent is Besiktas. Both teams won in Round 1 and are based in the same city. Is that something you looked forward when you signed for a Turkish team, the derbies?
"I wasn't really thinking about the derbies per se. I just wanted to be on a team that was good, so we could win a lot of games. But playing against Besiktas should be fun, having them also in Istanbul should bring out a lot of people, bring out the crowd. This should be a great, exciting atmosphere, and I think we will do everything we need to prepare to hopefully win that game."
Are you in touch with your former Prometey teammates?
"I talk to each of them from time to time. Ondrej Balvin recently wished me a happy birthday and I wished him the same because he had his birthday shortly after mine. So yeah, I talked to them from time to time. We keep up with each other. I think the chemistry was even stronger because, of the situation. Everybody was in Riga where they were not at home, in their hometown or home country of Ukraine. So I think the chemistry was a lot stronger because we had to deal with things that normal teams don't really have to deal with, playing at an Olympic center all year, where other teams are using the same things and other kids are working out, so we had to work around schedules and just certain things. Waking up at five in the morning for the travel so we could travel on time, and a lot of things that teams don't really deal with. So I think the chemistry was even stronger based on that."
Have you had time to go around Istanbul and taste some of the great food there?
"I haven't had much Turkish food. I have been to a lot of restaurants, but not Turkish food. My favorite restaurant so far has been Zuma. There are a lot of malls here, it's actually very overwhelming because I live in Chicago and I figure that's one of the biggest cities. But coming to a city that's similar in size is crazy. So I didn't have the time to really explore. We got here, went to training camp straight away for a couple of weeks, and we have been traveling and playing games. But anytime I have a free day, we try to go around Istanbul, whether it's to a mall or somewhere where the kids will enjoy and just look around. But I have, what, eight-nine more months to explore. So I think by the end of the season, I'll have had my fair share of looking around and traveling around Istanbul."
The season just started. What can we expect from Bahcesehir going forward? What would be a satisfactory result for you?
"Right now, we're just focused on making it in the top six. We want to make the playoffs and then go from there. Personally, I don't look too far ahead. I try to take things one step at a time. So I think our main goal is to just make these playoffs and then make a run from there. Like you said, we have a great group of guys with a lot of experience, so I think that alone will take us where we need to be."