Fenerbahce guard Wade Baldwin spoke to Basketball Sphere ahead of the EuroLeague Final Four, which begins on Friday and concludes on Sunday.
Over the past few months, Wade Baldwin has been one of the key reasons why the Istanbul club managed to qualify for the final stage of Europe’s premier basketball competition, giving them a chance to defend their title they earned last season.
One of Fenerbahce’s 24 wins this season came precisely at OAKA Arena, where the Final Four will now be held. That game was remembered for Baldwin’s game-winning shot at the end which toppled Panathinaikos, after which he stood at center court to celebrate.
Naturally, the moment caused chaos in the arena. He was asked whether he would do something similar if Fenerbahce defeats Olympiacos — the club where he played his first season in European basketball.
“No, the circumstances are completely different from that game. And to be honest, you’ve only won a semifinal. The job is nowhere near finished. You still have to play against the opponent from the other bracket. So you go back to the locker room, begin the recovery process, and start mentally preparing for the next game,” the American guard told Basketball Sphere.
As for the other semifinal matchup between Real Madrid and Valencia, Baldwin said he has no preference regarding a potential final opponent.
“It doesn’t make any difference to me. Whoever we face, we’ll prepare properly. Real Madrid plays a different style than Valencia, but all our focus should be on Olympiacos. They are tomorrow’s opponent, and they’ll be very difficult to eliminate.”
Fenerbahce and Olympiacos will meet in the first semifinal game of the EuroLeague Final Four on Friday at 17:00.
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