On the occasion of his breaking the all-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague record for career games played, four-time champion Kyle Hines and those around him talked about the magnitude of that accomplishment.
Kyle Hines, Milan: 'Honored to be a part of this competition'
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"To this day, if you ask me now, I still feel like I'm 22, 23 years old and I still have that mindset that I'm just really happy to be here and honored to be a part of this competition," Hines says.
Hines broke the record when he entered for EA7 Emporio Armani Milan against his former team, Olympiacos Piraeus, late in the first quarter on Tuesday, giving him 393 games over 14 seasons with four different teams, including CSKA Moscow and his first one in the competition, Brose Bamberg.
"Kyle Hines is a living legend. It's an honor to play with him," Milan teammate Nicolo Melli says. "He's a big part of the history of EuroLeague, so he is going to be remembered as one of the biggest players who ever played this tournament."
His coach Ettore Messina recalled that Hines had started as a pro in the Italian second division before building his "unbelievable career."
"The way he handled himself, the example that he set, the intelligence and the ability to play the big moment: all those things together show what kind of person and player Kyle Hines has been for years and years," Messina said.
With the record falling in Round 3 of at least 34 this season, Hines stands to continue adding to his legacy as the only modern player to win the EuroLeague title twice with two different clubs.
"I think I've been part of some of the most memorable moments in this league's history, and I'm happy still be here and still competing at a high level," Hines concludes. "That's what I cherish the most."