Nike Basketball News

Unstoppable Drive

nikebasketball_emea — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:01:36 GMT

To perform at the Final Four, you need drive - an unstoppable drive. Go behind-the-scenes and find out how Josh Childress, coach Messina, MVP Spanoulis and others prepared for the showdown in Berlin.

Playing the big games

nikebasketball_emea — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:22:35 GMT

Here we go – the final four. The stakes are higher. The game is different. But the objective is still the same: winning.

We’re always the team everyone wants to beat, so we’ve learned to take every game seriously - no matter who we’re playing against. At the final four we’ll meet the best teams in Europe. And we’ll meet them on a night they’re most eager to crush us. But we’re used to that, our opponents are always coming at us armed to the teeth.

You can’t worry about high stakes or rivalry during the game. Once you allow these thoughts to takeover your mind, you’ll lose focus of what the team’s supposed to do. You lose focus of your defensive assignment or that cut you’re supposed to make on offence. You should always focus on winning; let the fans worry about rivalry.

At the final four, we’ll take the teams as they come. It’s not about who we’re playing - all the teams are tough and experienced. It’s about what you want to achieve. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best - and beat them.

Prepare for the big one

nikebasketball_emea — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:26:44 GMT

It’s all falling into place now – in just a few weeks time we’re performing on the stage we’ve worked so hard for all year - the Final Four in Berlin.

The whole team is excited, but we know we’ve got more to accomplish. Getting there wasn’t our only goal – we want to go the there and win. So this month we’re going to be playing hard and preparing ourselves for that week in Berlin, because we know it didn’t come easy.

The team had some difficult games halfway through the season – little things like injuries and rhythm can make a big difference in a team. And I should know, I struggled with my share of ‘little things’ at the beginning of 2009.

But all that is just being human. Everybody has their ups and downs and it’s 90% psychological. It all comes down to coping with it, keeping confidence, sticking to your game and limiting your mistakes.

Players like Theo Papaloukas are therefore essential to our team - both on and off the court. This guy has seen it all, he’s playing his seventh Final Four in a row and won it three times.

Younger players like myself ask him loads of questions to find out what to expect. But you can ask an experienced player all you want - in the end you have to focus on your own game and expect the unexpected.

The little differences

nikebasketball_emea — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:52:14 GMT

Every baller knows Europe and the States play a different game. But can anyone define what sets them apart? Josh can.

I'm back

nikebasketball_emea — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:00:39 GMT

No more rehab for me. I can finally focus 100% on the game after sitting it out for over a month. And that's hard on any player.

It feels really good to be back in full training with the team. Although I must admit - it's a little different. The guys have gotten better over the course of that month, so I'm playing catch-up. Now it's up to me to make sure I'm on the same page as my team.

I missed my teammates and missed being on the court. So when I got back from the States and saw them play - that was a lot of fun for me. Especially because I saw the guys work their butts off and come out with a victory.

I had some healthy pre-game nerves before my comeback against Milano but I knew that once I stepped on the floor and made a layup or a shot, all the nerves would calm down. And of course, I had my team backing me.

It's good to see everyone sharp and on top of things towards the end of the season. We're all totally focused on trying to win everything. That's our main goal. But obviously, that's every team's main goal. So it's going to be a battle for the rest of the season from here on out.

But we love battles. So I predict we're going to win.

Josh

Crunch time

nikebasketball_emea — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:17:58 GMT

Any athlete knows that trophies are won in springtime. It’s not a reason to get nervous. It’s a reason to work even harder to be prepared for what’s coming.

The Euroleague is one of the toughest leagues in the world. And when I get back, games will be even tougher, because they’re the most crucial games of the season. We know. And the crowd definitely makes sure we know. The atmosphere in the European stadiums is mental. I love it.

We’ve got the crowd backing us and we’ve got the talent. We’ve definitely got a shot at winning everything this season. More than a shot – and I want to be part of that.

That’s why I’m working my butt off here. Working my way back to the team. I do a lot of mobility, stretching - and working as hard as I can to make everything stronger, get my core stronger. It’s the only way.

I’m going back a week before I’m ready to go - and wrap up my rehab in Greece. That way I can kind of get back into swing of things and learn the new offense that they might have put in. It’s better to immerse myself back in right before I start playing as opposed to jumping right in again.

You’ve got to make sure you’re prepared - because if you know what’s coming there’s less to be nervous about.

Josh

The Lesson

nikebasketball_emea — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:37:46 GMT

Watch The Mentor (AKA: Papas) help the New Kid (AKA: J-Chill) adjust to the culture in Greece.

Josh Childress: Changing his game.

nikebasketball_emea — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:00:34 GMT

In 2004, Josh Childress, (AKA J-Chill) joined Atlanta’s Hawks as a No. 6 draft Pick, and completed his first season as one of the NBA’s Top Rookies.
Fast forward to 2008 and Josh stunned the basketball world by signing with Olympiacos becoming the highest profile US player ever to make the leap to the European game. How will he adjust to a new basketball culture? Find out here from the man himself on Josh’s blog: “The new kid”.

New kid on the blog

Hi, I am Josh Childress - better known as J Chill. I came over from the Atlanta Hawks to Olympiakos Piraeus in August 2008, and I’m loving it so far.

With this move I want to challenge myself to grow as a person and as a player, but the first hurdle is just finding my way and getting comfortable. This is the first time I’ve been in Europe for longer than a two-week holiday and my first visit to Athens. I am still finding my feet, but this is a great city.

Before I came over I had only lived in big American cities, in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta, and the change is huge. Everything is different. But in a good way. The Greek for instance take great pride in their food. It is always very fresh and when they bring it out it is always a display, like a work of art. The only foods I miss are Cinnamon Toast Crunch and turkey bacon.

The mentality on the court is also very different. There is a lot more focus on the team here than on the individual. My first big game was against Maccabi Tel Aviv and I think I had 14 points and five rebounds and I was like: ‘But I need to score 25’. Coming over here as an NBA player I felt a lot of pressure. I thought I had to be unbelievable. But my teammates walked up to me in the dressing room and said: ‘Great game’. I do not need to score 25 points. I just need to do what I can to help my team win. It is a struggle figuring out exactly what is expected of me and sometimes I feel like a freshman in college again. But my team is always there to help me out like a big Greek family.

I have set myself high goals for this adventure: I want to win the Greek League and the Greek Cup – which are very important to my team and myself - and the EuroLeague. I think the team is capable of that with Papaloukas, myself and a bunch of other new guys. But I also have a greater goal: to reach my full potential as a baller and as a person.

Thanks for checking out my blog. Come back to see how I am adjusting to life – and balling - in Europe.

Josh Childress

Josh Childress is currently in California recovering from his recent abdominal tear surgery, but he expects a quick recovery and a return to Athens in a few short weeks. We want to wish him a speedy recovery from his friends at nikebasketball.com. To send a get well message to J-Chill email us at nikebasketball.europe@nike.com and we will ensure he receives your message.

His game. Your design.

J-Chill challenges you to unleash your creativity by designing his shoes. Send in your design, encourage your friends to vote for it and win a pair of Huarache 08 signed by the Olympiacos star himself!!

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