Canadian center Khem Birch made a surprising decision this summer to leave Fenerbahce and head to Thessaloniki, joining the ambitious project at Aris.
Although the stats might not have always shown it, Khem Birch served as Fenerbahce’s anchor in the paint over the past few seasons in the EuroLeague. Now, he will look to bring that same presence to Vassilis Spanoulis’ team as they compete in the EuroCup and the Greek Basket League.
This is not his first stint in Greece, having previously worn the Olympiacos jersey during the 2016/17 season.
“Obviously, I am much older now. Back then, I was 24 years old, but I consider myself more mature, more experienced, and with greater ability in my game now. I am a veteran at this point and I’m really looking forward to this challenge”, the Canadian center said, reported by Sport 24.
“Spanoulis is my guy”
During his single season at Olympiacos, he was teammates with Vassilis Spanoulis. Now, however, they have different roles, with the 33-year-old serving as a team veteran while the Greek legend takes on the role of head coach.
“It will be different and a bit strange to have Spanoulis as my coach, but he’s my guy. I respect him because he was the one who sent me to the NBA, and he’s the one who brought me back to Greece now – I will do everything for him.”
“I want to win as many trophies as we can”
Aris made a significant number of acquisitions this summer, but they aren’t the only ones preparing for the upcoming season. Their cross-town rivals, PAOK, have also strengthened their roster, while Olympiacos and Panathinaikos remain the two main favorites.
“We have the potential to win the EuroCup and advance to the EuroLeague. I think that’s the goal. Obviously, we also have what it takes to be competitive in the Greek league. PAOK will also have a good team this year, and of course, there are the two top teams. It’s going to be a fun year.”
He spoke about his goals with Aris. He doesn’t hide his ambition to win titles in both the EuroCup and the Greek Basket League, despite facing heavy competition with the same objectives.
“I remember having a very good game against Aris in the past. What I’m looking forward to this year is being competitive, being a good leader, and winning as many games as possible. That is the main priority for my career right now. On a personal level, I want us to win the EuroCup and the Greek league – as many trophies as we can this year”, Khem Birch concluded.
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