Walter 'Edy' Tavares won the EuroLeague's Best Defender award a week ago. The nomination caused an uproar on social media with multiple players coming in and expressing their discontent with the league's decision.
Edy Tavares was named EuroLeague's Best Defender, a nomination that has sparked debate among EuroLeague players and fans alike. Now, the player who was instead advocated to take the title has voiced his opinion about it. Olympiacos Piraeus guard Thomas Walkup was the crowd favorite to get the award, an opinion that was supported by his teammates Kostas Sloukas and Alec Peters.
Real Madrid's center Edy Tavares was announced as the EuroLeague Best Defender on Saturday. After the trophy winner was revealed, Olympiacos Piraeus star guard Kostas Sloukas was not happy with the selection. Sloukas took to Twitter to voice his opinion about the outcome of the voting.
Walter 'Edy' Tavares won the EuroLeague's Best Defender award a week ago. The nomination caused an uproar on social media with multiple players coming in and expressing their discontent with the league's decision.
Edy Tavares was named EuroLeague's Best Defender, a nomination that has sparked debate among EuroLeague players and fans alike. Now, the player who was instead advocated to take the title has voiced his opinion about it. Olympiacos Piraeus guard Thomas Walkup was the crowd favorite to get the award, an opinion that was supported by his teammates Kostas Sloukas and Alec Peters.
Real Madrid's center Edy Tavares was announced as the EuroLeague Best Defender on Saturday. After the trophy winner was revealed, Olympiacos Piraeus star guard Kostas Sloukas was not happy with the selection. Sloukas took to Twitter to voice his opinion about the outcome of the voting.
Olympiacos Piraeus point guard Kostas Sloukas reacted to EuroLeague's decision to name Real Madrid center Walter Tavares as the best defender for the 2022-23 season. After the official EuroLeague announcement, Sloukas noted that his teammate Thomas Walkup was a more-deserving candidate for this award due to his contributions and impact on Olympiacos' success.
Of all the players in Olympiacos Piraeus' locker room celebrating Kostas Sloukas' buzzer-beating game-winner against hosts Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Thomas Walkup was by far the most relieved man. When Tyler Dorsey missed the go-ahead shot for Fenerbahce with 27 seconds on the game lock, Walkup went first for the defensive rebound, securing the Reds' last possession. Or maybe not?
Before coming back to Europe, Tyler Dorsey spent the beginning of the season in the NBA. Now, as a member of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, he evaluated his former teammate Sasha Vezenkov's chances on the other side of the Atlantic. In an interview with Antonis Kalkavouras from Gazzetta.gr, Dorsey shared that he wasn't surprised at all seeing the Olympiacos Piraeus forward shine in the EuroLeague.
Olympiacos Piraeus made light work of Aris Thessaloniki in Game 1 of the Greek league quarter-final series, prevailing by 97-73. The Reds need one more win to clinch a semifinal spot, something that's likely to happen next Saturday if they down their opponents in the Nikos Galis Hall.Â
Olympiacos Piraeus guard Thomas Walkup was officially granted Greek citizenship. Greece Ministry of the Interior and President Katerina Sakellaropoulou signed the required documents, allowing Walkup to acquire Greek nationality. On Tuesday, gazzetta.gr reported that Walkup intends to play in the upcoming FIBA World Cup in August.
Olympiacos Piraeus guard Thomas Walkup applied for Greek citizenship, Nikos Papadogiannis from gazzetta.gr reports. Walkup wrote an open letter to the Greek Basketball Federation and Government, stating Greece became his new home.
Thomas Walkup signed a 4-year contract extension with Olympiacos Piraeus, the Greek club announced. In the announcement video, where Walkup tries to pronounce 'ktapodi', reveals that he will have four years ahead to say it correctly. With that in mind, it means that Walkup will remain in Olympiacos until the end of the 2026-27 season.
Olympiacos Piraeus easily defeated Karditsa in the Greek League (ESAKE) on Sunday, reaching their 21st straight win in the local competition this season. Starting last season, it was the 58th straight win for the team in ESAKE. The club is now 1st both in the domestic league and in the EuroLeague.
Outstanding individual performance in a winning effort has seen Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos Piraeus earn MVP honors in Round 32 of the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Walkup led Olympiacos to an 81-73 home victory against archrival Panathinaikos Athens, amassing a PIR of 32.
Thomas Walkup came back to Zalgirio Arena for the second time as an Olympiacos Piraeus member and set up a game-winning play for unofficial EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov. After Walkup's pass to the high post, Vezenkov got rid of Zalgiris Kaunas guard Tomas Dimsa with a step back and silenced the packed gym by draining a fadeaway jumper.
28.9 seconds left on the clock, as EuroLeague leaders Olympiacos Piraeus (21-8) having a fierce battle away from home against Zalgiris Kaunas. At this point, Sasha Vezenkov has only two points in the fourth quarter after missing a 3-pointer and sinking his 8th straight 2-pointer.
Asked about the secret to Olympiacos Piraeus' phenomenal season, club presidents Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos pointed to one word: chemistry. "It's something the team has achieved over time, it wasn't built in one season," Panagiotis told Greek public broadcaster ERT a few moments after the Reds won their second straight domestic cup in Heraklion, Crete.
As the final stretch of the 2022-23 EuroLeague Regular Season approaches, the race is not only heating up for the playoffs but also for the individual awards that are handed out at the end of the campaign. The list of leading candidates for the EuroLeague Best Defender Award includes guards and big men all of whom have left their mark through unrelenting defense this season.
Thomas Walkup and Olympiacos Piraeus look like a match made in heaven. The Texas-born guard and the Greek side joined forces in 2021, but it's highly likely that their collaboration will not end anytime soon.
Olympiacos Piraeus began their double-round week without Kostas Sloukas and Alec Peters. The challenge ahead was far from easy – an away game in a sold-out Ulker Sports Arena against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
Olympiacos Piraeus might face Fenerbache Beko Istanbul without three key players. Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas revealed that Thomas Walkup (back), Shaquielle McKissic (adductor), and Tarik Black (sprain) are all doubtful for the upcoming game on Tuesday. None of them will train on Monday.
