On the eve of the Euroleague Final Four in Belgrade, you might be coming across Bryant Dunston's name mostly in the context of EuroLeague's record books. As he is the current holder of the all-time blocks record of the competition, it is all legit. 

But actually, he has a much bigger place in European basketball than just numbers. 

As he is getting ready for his 3rd Final Four and a potential championship game, Dunston revealed his thought in an interview with Ismail Senol from Bein Sports Turkey.

"I am not someone who cares about the stats that much," Dunston admits. 

Fans don't play basketball, but they're still the ones who can push their team to play better when they're losing, cheer them up when they're down, and celebrate with them after a happy ending.

On certain occasions, a strong and noisy fanbase has become an essential element in a team's success. During a EuroLeague Final Four held on neutral ground, like the upcoming one in Belgrade, Olympiacos Piraeus' fans will certainly make the difference, even if their team doesn't win the trophy.

Olympiacos will be present in a Final Four for the eleventh time overall and seventh over the last 14 years (since 2009 in Berlin), aiming to reach the top for the fourth time. The Reds knocked down AS Monaco in the playoffs and are now preparing to do battle with reigning champs Anadolu Efes Istanbul. 

On March 4, EuroLeague announced that its main event will move from Berlin to Belgrade. That was great news for Olympiacos' fans. Belgrade is a city separated by only 1.200 kilometers from Athens, accessible by all means of transport, including cars and buses. Serbs and Greeks have long-term ties and Olympiacos' die-hard fans have formed a special bond with their Crvena Zvezda counterparts. 

With the exclusion of Russian teams, Olympiacos progressively consolidated their place among the Top 4 teams in the regular season and when their Final Four spot was secured, 1,000 tickets were purchased by Reds' fans in less than 24 hours, resulting in a sold-out. 

Some days ago, the club's GM, Nikos Lepeniotis, referred extensively to the issue and explained the situation.

"I don't know how many fans there will be in Belgrade, but I think we may see numbers similar to those of the (2010) Paris Final Four, where there were more than 6,000 Olympiacos' fans present," Lepeniotis told Greek outlet sport24.gr.

The number given by Lepeniotis is the largest ever recorded in terms of their fans' presence in a Final Four. 

Thomas Walkup was one of the main warriors that earned Olympiacos Piraeus a win in front of thousands of crazy fans in Game 5 of the EuroLeague playoffs series against AS Monaco.

It will be the first time for Walkup in the EuroLeague Final Four. The American guard came to Zalgiris Kaunas the next season after the team made it to the final four, beating Olympiacos, so he never got to experience the thrill of making it to the grand stage of European basketball.

"Before I came to Europe, I could not imagine how huge this achievement is, but this year, now five years into European basketball, I have realized that few basketball players manage to experience the atmosphere of a Final 4 at least once," Walkup told Gazzetta dello Sport. "We are not going to take this opportunity for granted."

Walkup is beloved by the Greek fans. "This year, as a team, I can say that we played a game that had no selfishness, both on defense and offense. The people recognized it and that is why they express their support so strongly," the guard explained.

"Even when we were down, I received messages like 'we believe in you, keep going!' and I know very well that these do not happen all the time and everywhere," he continued. "Coming to Olympiacos, I have appreciated many things and I really have fun."

Brandon Paul had a run-in with Wade Baldwin towards the end of the game between Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Joventut Badalona, which the Catalan side won by 89-81.

Baldwin spat at Paul, and the two got into an altercation. A couple of hours after the final buzzer, Brandon Paul took to Twitter to call out his former Olympiacos Piraeus teammate, recalling an incident involving former Reds guard Will Cherry. 

"I'm a professional first, but I'm never going for another man who tries to spit in my face. I kept my mouth shut for three years on this coward," the guard of Joventut wrote without naming Baldwin.

"Ask anyone about his character, and they’ll tell you. Ask any single person on 2019-20 Olympiacos, they’ll tell you in a heartbeat. I bet my salary on it. I still hate how they did my brother Will Cherry when Wade tried him too; ask anyone about that."

Olympiacos acquired Cherry on a short-term deal in April 2019. The Greek club later signed the American guard to a one-year contract for 2019-2020. But Cherry was released in January 2020, following an altercation he had with his then-teammate Wade Baldwin.

Giorgos Printezis is getting ready for what will possibly be his career-last EuroLeague Final Four. 

The 37-year-old forward will travel with the rest of Olympiacos Piraeus' squad to Belgrade next Tuesday afternoon. For the seasoned veteran, this will be his sixth presence in European club basketball's premier event. 

"We can say that this year, we've gotten more than we wanted," Printezis told Greek public broadcaster ERT following Olympiacos' 17th straight Greek League win, against Kolossos Rhodes at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. It was the Reds' last game before they take on Anadolu Efes Istanbul next Wednesday. 

Printezis, by far the oldest player on the team, said he feels blessed for being a part of "three different versions of Olympiacos. The first one was in 2009, the second in 2012 and the third is now. The joy of going to the Final Four is great. It is a beautiful feeling and for the good of Greek basketball," he noted.

"We are a team that proves that when there's a strong bond on the court, great things can happen," the Greek international continued.

"We're playing modern basketball with energy and speed. Every player performed at 100%. People love basketball but it's very difficult for any team to go to the Final Four and win it."

Olympiacos Piraeus (23-1) concluded the Greek League regular season with a comfortable 93-74 (26-12, 17-13, 23-26, 27-23) win over third-placed Kolossos Rhodes (15-9).

The Reds had already secured first place in the standings and are now focusing on the upcoming EuroLeague Final Four and their semi-final vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul next Wednesday. 

Sasha Vezenkov scored 16 points for the winners, while Kostas Sloukas racked up a double-double of 11 points and 15 assists. Jordan Floyd put up 21 points for Kolossos and Kenny Williams contributed 17.

Giorgos Bartzokas decided to give Shaquielle McKissic some rest for the second straight game, while making an extensive rotation that included all players on the squad, save Quincy Acy.

The former Maccabi Tel Aviv forward played only in the second half and scored 9 points on 3/3 three-point shooting. 

The Reds got the upper hand early on (26-12) in the first quarter against an opponent who shot poorly from distance (1/13 three-point shots). Kostas Sloukas scored 8 points and dished as many assists in 13 minutes, while the hosts were going 7/15 from the perimeter. 

Κolossos reacted in the third quarter, cutting down the deficit to 13 (48-35), however, Vezenkov and Papanikolaou made sure the team coached by Ilias Kantzouris wouldn't get any closer. 

Olympiacos: Sasha Vezenkov 16 (6/9 FG, 2/2 FT, 7 REB), Kostas Sloukas 11 (6/7 FT, 3 REB, 15 AST, 3 TO), Quincy Acy 9 (3/3 3PT SHOTS), Moustapha Fall 9 (7 REB), Michalis Lountzis 9. 

Kolossos Rhodes: Jordan Floyd 21 (9/15 FG, 4 REB, 5 AST), Kenny Williams 17 (5/13 FG, 5/6 FT, 3 AST, 2 TO), Sean Miller 11, Kim Tillie 10.

Kostas Sloukas returned to Olympiacos Piraeus in the summer of 2020 with one thing in mind - how to restore the team to its former glory. 

The guard from Thessaloniki had been an important piece in the puzzle for the late coaching legend Dusan Ivkovic and his successors, Giorgos Bartzokas and Giannis Sfairopoulos. But no matter how crucial Sloukas' contribution was back then, the Reds' leading figure was no other than Vassilis Spanoulis.

Luckily for both Olympiacos and the 32-year-old Greek international, in the first season following Spanoulis' retirement, Olympiacos made their first EuroLeague Final Four in five years. That's what Sloukas had signed up for in the first place. 

In the summer of 2015, when Olympiacos lost the EuroLeague title to Real in Madrid, Sloukas decided to take Fenerbahce Istanbul's offer and leave the team in which he had taken his first professional steps.

Five years and two continental finals later (having won the first of the two, against his former team, in 2017), one of Europe's top combo guards took the opposite route. 

Despite not making the playoffs in 2021, success was just around the corner. With Sasha Vezenkov as the MVP, a testament to his consistency, and Sloukas as the man.

The three-time (2012, 2013, 2017) EuroLeague champion will enter Belgrade's Stark Arena as the most decorated player among all four contending squads. Now in his ninth Final Four, Sloukas wants to help Olympiacos write another bright chapter in an already successful campaign. 

According to the Greek guard, the playoff series against Monaco was the best, or the most difficult Olympiacos could have played.

"It was way harder than facing AX Armani Exchange Milan or Real Madrid, in my opinion. The fact that we were proven capable of eliminating such a capable opponent shows that we have solid chances to reach the final," he told gazzetta.gr a few days ago.

Only four days before Olympiacos Piraeus travel to Belgrade to join their 11th EuroLeague Final Four, coach Giorgos Bartzokas attended the customary Media Day.

The Greek coach was pleasantly surprised to see more media reps compared to any other pre-game occasion at the Peace and Friendship Stadium. Speaking about the Reds' participation in European basketball's premier event, the Greek tactician admitted that making the Final Four had been one of his main goals when he took over the team for the second time. 

Bartzokas also stressed that Olympiacos don't regard themselves at the favorites against Anadolu Efes Istanbul in next Wednesday's semi-final and pointed out that the Greek club's model of management "has greatly influenced European basketball."

"For a Greek team, returning to a Euroleague Final 4 is important," Bartzokas said initially.

"We are very happy to be participating after a tough season. We have to enjoy our presence there, that has to be our mentality. Every year the competition grows and it is important that we are present."

The 56-year-old play-caller referred to experience, which is something that Olympiacos' players are lacking. 

"Our team is not the most experienced one, as only three players have played in a Final 4 before. Sloukas, Papanikolaou and Printezis wil try to help the others in how to approach such an important event. It's not just the 40 minutes of a game. In a Final Four, you're in the spotlight for the whole weekend."

Asked whether he expected that Olympiacos could make a Final Four only two years after he returned to the team, Bartzokas said "one never thinks this way."

"I had in mind that Olympiacos should be after big goals. Everyone around the team demanded that. I know how difficult it is, because basketball is not played by 3-4 countries in Europe anymore. I thought that it would be an ideal scenario for us to reach a Final 4. It was one of my main goals and I am happy that we achieved it," he continued.

Since the Reds won their last EuroLeague in 2013, a lot of things have transpired. Bartzokas was then in his second EuroLeague season, after leading Maroussi to the Top 16 in 2010. He won the title in London in 2013 and then made the Final Four again with Lokomotiv Kuban in 2016. 

He still can tell the difference between his younger self and the present. 

"I am more mature and wiser now, so that I can distinguish what's important. Back then, I only had one EuroLeague experience - with Maroussi - and now I'm a different person. But basketball is a team sport and if we have to talk about our team, Olympiacos have been to several Final Fours over the last decade and I see it as a continuation."

The experienced coach and the club were together almost from the day that the front office decided to decrease the budget and essentially build a squad around its leader, Vassilis Spanoulis. That policy paid off big-time, especially in the years until 2017. Olympiacos made four Final Fours in six years, mostly having single-digit million budgets (players' salaries). Bartzokas thinks it's something that other teams have tried to emulate.

"The club has adopted a more restrained financial policy and a specific model of management, which greatly influenced European basketball. Other teams think that since Olympiacos succeed, they should take a look at how we do it.

One cannot give $20 million every year in a sport that usually doesn't make money. Everything we have achieved stems from our extremely successful administrative model," he said.

Olympiacos play Kolossos Rhodes on Saturday. It will be their last game before the Final Four. However, nothing important is at stake since the Reds have already secured first place in the Greek League regular season and the guests have clinched the third spot.

Bartzokas thinks that his team's most difficult game in the season "was Game 5 against Monaco, in terms of pressure."

"We all felt stressed, myself included. Not only because Monaco is a very good team and brought us to our limits, but also because there was a lot of anticipation among fans and we perceived that," he explained.

"Now, all the pressure is gone and we're going (to Belgrade) to have fun. We are not the favorites against the EuroLeague champions, but people are waiting for us to fight on the court for the best possible outcome," he concluded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TBf14672w0&t=1s

Olympiacos Pireus (22-1) cruised past Apollon Patras (7-16), 94-68 (19-16, 29-20, 25-16, 21-16), and clinched the first spot in the regular season of the Greek Basketball League.

The Reds will host third-placed Kolossos Rhodes on April 14. It will be the last match in the regular-season phase, but it won't have a significant meaning.

Olympiacos' archrivals Panathinaikos Athens (21-2) are left in the second spot.

In the duel against Patras, Olympiacos decided the game's outcome in the third quarter. They opened up the tally with a 14-4 spurt and gained a 22-point lead (62-40). That advantage was more than enough to finish the game comfortably.

Sasha Vezenkov posted a double-double with 15 points (5/6 2PT, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 10 rebounds, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, and 1 steal for the winners.

Olympiacos: Giannoulis Larentzakis 16 (6 AST), Sasha Vezenkov 15 (10 REB), Tyler Dorsey 11, Kostas Papanikolaou 10.

Apollon: Gerel Simmons 16, Elijah Mitrou-Long 15, Georgios Tsalbouris 9 (8 REB).