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Coach Lakovic, Gran Canaria: 'It was a special season for us'

Coach Lakovic, Gran Canaria: 'It was a special season for us'

Interviews

12 May 20239 Mins read

Javier Gancedo

Senior Manager, Editorial

Coach Lakovic, Gran Canaria: 'It was a special season for us'

Jaka Lakovic now knows how it feels to win the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup. As a player, he helped FC Barcelona win the 2009-10 EuroLeague. As a head coach, Lakovic guided Gran Canaria to its first-ever EuroCup crown. Lakovic led a Gran Canaria team that even made it look easy. Gran Canaria was 13-0 in front of its fans, getting the most home wins by any EuroCup fan ever, and finished the season with a 19-3 record. Coach Lakovic already made headlines with ratiopharm Ulm last season by knocking out top-seeded team Joventut Badalona in the eighthfinals. This season, Coach Lakovic's team was the top seed and made the most of the home-court advantage. "Every week is filled with tension and the stress of a one-and-done game in which, with the home-court advantage, we were seen as a favorite. But the next-game mentality was most important for us, just taking it day by day," Lakovic said. "Somebody said it was actually a final game, somebody called it the game of the season, somebody else called it, I don't know, the game of his career. But at the end of the day, it was another do-or-die game, like the ones we played in the last four weeks."

Congratulations on winning the EuroCup. It is your first title as head coach. How does it feel?

"Thank you. Yes, it is my first title as a head coach. As assistant coach, I was part of the staff who won the EuroBasket with Slovenia, which was very important for my national team. So yes, this one is the first as a head coach and it's a special one because of many things: because of the way we did it, and also what it means to the island of Gran Canaria, to the people here. So we are really, really proud and happy to bring it here."

"By calculations, we made the most kilometers traveled by all teams in the world, including the NBA."

As you said, Gran Canaria has been chasing this title for many years. It must be special to win the EuroCup for this particular club that waited so long for this title.

"It was a special season for us. Gran Canaria was indeed a couple of times very close in the battle for this title and they really wanted this important title for the club, for the island, for the great fans here. And I think the work that previous coaches did years back was a very important step to finish it off this year. And I was in this spot, fortunate to be here with this team, to be able to take it."

You had 19 wins in 22 games. You made it look easy, but I'm sure it wasn't easy. What was the toughest moment of the season for Gran Canaria?

"Well, yes, we had 19 wins in 22 games, so it looked easy, but I thought the season was tough because Gran Canaria is where it is. We traveled a lot. We had very tough road trips. In fact, by calculations, we made the most kilometers traveled by all teams in the world, including the NBA. So I think this was, for me as a coach here, coming to Gran Canaria for the first time, the toughest thing to adjust to and adjust not only the traveling, but also the practice loads. You have to keep in mind the travel. So I think this was the toughest thing to overcome at the beginning but, in the end, you get used to it. And I think we had a really, really good EuroCup season."

And that's why the home-court advantage was so important. In a way, you had to win a lot at home early to avoid playing on the road. It was like going full circle...

"Correct. I mean, at the beginning, we were not obsessed with getting the first place because we knew the format of EuroCup. We knew that we had to be the best when it counts the most. But as the season went on, when we saw the opportunity of having the number one seed throughout the playoffs, we said, 'yeah, we want to fight for it' because of the traveling times. It takes a lot from you. And in the end, we knew that when the playoff comes, the fans would fill out the arena. And this year, we were perfect at home in the EuroCup."

What was the game plan against Turk Telekom in general, and against Jerian Grant in particular?

"They are a great team with a great coach, a team which is first in the Turkish League as well, a competition that features EuroLeague powerhouses like Efes and Fenerbahce. So the preparation was really... not to say simple, but it was a very clear message. We have to be very solid one-on-one defensively. We had to run back to defend their transition game and control our defensive rebound. These were the three keys that we set out to do because in all of those three concepts, they were, throughout the season, one of the best teams."

"Every title is really special and it's always the team effort, the team process, which matters the most. But by difficulty... as a head coach is much more stressful."

After each win, you stressed the fact that you earned the right to play the next round. How important was this game-by-game mentality for your team?

"Oh, very important, especially coming down to the last four weeks where every week is filled with tension and the stress of a one-and-done game in which, with the home-court advantage, we were seen as a favorite. But the next-game mentality was most important for us, just taking it day by day. It was very important simply because of the psychology of the team. Also the final. We affronted it as another game in this four-week series of do-or-die games. We just said the objective in this game is different. Somebody said it was actually a final game, somebody called it the game of the season, somebody else called it, I don't know, the game of his career. But at the end of the day, it was another do-or-die game, like the ones we played in the last four weeks. That is how we affronted all those games."

Now that you have been through both experiences, how different is it to win a big European title as a player than as a coach?

"Actually, every title is really special and it's always the team effort, the team process, which matters the most. But by difficulty, having won a title, like this, as a head coach, I think it was much more stressful, it is much more tense just because of the process of preparing and leading the coaching staff, thinking about every detail. As a coach, you have to do that. As a player, actually, you want to put your best effort. You think about yourself and what you have to do, so it's a little bit more simple. Right now, I value more the degree of difficulty [of winning] as a coach."

Despite battling back problems, John Shurna was chosen as the EuroCup Final MVP. How do you appreciate his effort, not just in the final but throughout the playoffs?

"John is a special player, a great person and a great teammate, and his effort on an everyday basis is just amazing. You don't even have to worry about John because he gives you 100% every day and we were actually really worried that he might miss the final. But with the help of our physiotherapist and his power of will, he came through and like I said to him, he got rewarded for his toughness, for his resilience and just for his work throughout the year."

A lot of former Gran Canaria players are now staff members. Sitapha Savane, whose jersey was retired by the club, became the team's president. How great has he been for the team's chemistry to have a president that Savane who understands basketball?

"Very good. Since Savane came in September or October, we made a great bond together. He also has great communication between the management and the team. This communication, this relationship became closer, more contact, more everyday presence. And that was, I think, important for me as a coach. But I also think the players recognized it and welcomed it with open arms because knowing that you have somebody that is around every day, that is ready to do whatever it takes to help the team, that is very important in a season which is full of up and downs and tough moments."

Of course, Gran Canaria earned the right to play in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague next year. How much as you looking forward to that challenge, to coach in the EuroLeague?

"It's great as a competitor. I am talking about players, coaches, staff, everybody, also the fans... I think everybody is looking forward to the challenge. Everybody is looking forward to the next step. And of course, this is something that, as a competitor, you always look for: to make another step, to have another challenge and another motivation. And it's always great to have this as a reward for winning the EuroCup."