Fadi El-Khatib: Lebanon has no chance against Greece

[Juan Carlos Nadal2]

Hoppe Greece won't peak too early. It will be a difficult task to keep their shape till Olympic Elimination games.

That's what makes the idea of the pre-Olympic tournament such a bad one. Whoever qualifies from that thing would have a very hard summer ahead of them, and I can already predict some really tired and underperforming players in the winter.

 

[Ilya2]

Well, the arena was basically more empty than full. I think sth like 4.000 people (I didn't go, I was just counting heads on the screen ). The atmosphere in OAKA is sort of cold when there aren't enough people, but I couldn't really tell you. There were some Lebanon fans as well, and they were sitting among the Greek fans, which was such a welcome change from the Greek A1 battle-zones!

So, if you call your women friends dude or guy you must be an English native speaker, right? (Yes, some of my friends do call me malaka too!)

 

[Ilya2]

That's what makes the idea of the pre-Olympic tournament such a bad one. Whoever qualifies from that thing would have a very hard summer ahead of them, and I can already predict some really tired and underperforming players in the winter.

I don't know, maybe the players could have some time off before the Olympics, or do you think that's a dreadful idea? (I keep having images of DD13 collapsing in my head-awful!)

 

[nnt012]

Well, the arena was basically more empty than full. I think sth like 4.000 people (I didn't go, I was just counting heads on the screen ). The atmosphere in OAKA is sort of cold when there aren't enough people, but I couldn't really tell you. There were some Lebanon fans as well, and they were sitting among the Greek fans, which was such a welcome change from the Greek A1 battle-zones!

Today a lebanese newspaper said..that for our game...all the 18000 seats are all booked and the arena will be full!! and there are around 300 lebanese fans coming to the match!!

Not a bit of exaggeration at all!

 

[Ilya2]

Yes, I read on a Greek site that there were 5000 people in the arena, but I think that might be an exaggeration too. I think there will be more people on Wednesday when the Greek team plays against the-unfortunately-without-Varejao-team, but the prices of the tickets are a bit over the top, so some people couldn't go to all the games.

 

[mohsena26312]

i watched this match and it was "best Greece vs. worst Lebanon"

i think (indeed I hope) Lebanese team did not show their full power because their most important match is Brazil's match. Greece is not beatable for asian teams !

 

[PRSURF2]

I think the Lebanon team was afraid or something, they don't play like that for sure.

 

[GR8BBALL2]

Good game for Greece I am glad they were concentrated because Lebanon isn't so bad as it looked tonight.

And one more thing: Lebanese posters don't need anyone's pity or feeling sorry for them. These things happen in sports and sometimes this kind of loss is a blessing in disguise because they will have the chance to re-evaluate things and try to become more competitive, similar to what Greece had to go through after the 2001 and 2003 Euro championships.

And one more thing: anyone remember Rony Seikaly??? That's right, I mean center of Miami Heat who made a couple of all star games.
Some people know that he comes from Lebanon but fewer know that he grew up in Athens and played for the junior team of Panathinaikos.
The guy went on to become an NCAA star with the Syracuse Orangemen and actually played in the NCAA final back in 1987 (same year that Greece won the Eurochamp at home). He had a long and productive career in the nba I wonder if he still visits Athens nowadays.

 

[daniab2]

And one more thing: anyone remember Rony Seikaly??? That's right, I mean center of Miami Heat who made a couple of all star games.
Some people know that he comes from Lebanon but fewer know that he grew up in Athens and played for the junior team of Panathinaikos.
The guy went on to become an NCAA star with the Syracuse Orangemen and actually played in the NCAA final back in 1987 (same year that Greece won the Eurochamp at home). He had a long and productive career in the nba I wonder if he still visits Athens nowadays.

Rony Seikaly was born in lebanon,he left to Athens,lebanon in that time were passing in tough time, he complete his secondary years there in Athens,then he moved to US to join a college.
Rony is now in Lebanon,he opened a foundation.

 

[Khalid802]

Sinhariteria (Congratulations) for Greece!
U guys kicked our asses fair and square. U played 40 minutes of excellent basketball and ur defense was amazing (pressuring the guy with the ball the whole game and not giving any chances for our players).
Lebanon couldn't have done anything even if we had our 1st center Vogel (I think that the only difference was that we would have lost by around 30 points instead of 57).
I hope that Lebanon gives everything they have tonight against Brazil and I just hope they play well (For me that would be losing by less than 20 points).

 

[Khalid802]

Well, the arena was basically more empty than full. I think sth like 4.000 people (I didn't go, I was just counting heads on the screen ). The atmosphere in OAKA is sort of cold when there aren't enough people, but I couldn't really tell you. There were some Lebanon fans as well, and they were sitting among the Greek fans, which was such a welcome change from the Greek A1 battle-zones!

So, if you call your women friends dude or guy you must be an English native speaker, right? (Yes, some of my friends do call me malaka too!)

I was a bit surprised that not so many people went to the game.
I am assuming that many Greeks would now be on vacation where they usually go to the Greek Islands. Also i think there will be more fans in the upcoming games when Greece gets closer to the final stages.
I was happy to see that there were many Greek female supporters who went to the game as well .
As for the Lebanese fans sitting among the Greek fans, please note that there are many Lebanese who live in Greece and they consider it as their second country. Also ur culture is really close to ours (Mediterranean).
I have many Lebanese friends that live in Greece and they love it there.

 

[marc3332]

Rony Fahed's interview after the game:

http://www.athens2008.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/08/olymQual/men/news/lateNews/p/newsid/26644/FE_news_lateNews_arti.html

 

[Remon2]

Sinhariteria (Congratulations) for Greece!
U guys kicked our asses fair and square. U played 40 minutes of excellent basketball and ur defense was amazing (pressuring the guy with the ball the whole game and not giving any chances for our players).
Lebanon couldn't have done anything even if we had our 1st center Vogel (I think that the only difference was that we would have lost by around 30 points instead of 57).
I hope that Lebanon gives everything they have tonight against Brazil and I just hope they play well (For me that would be losing by less than 20 points).

It was a combination of inexperience against a tough defense and the fact that it was the second shortest team against the tallest one.

BTW, I just realised that Kavala is in Cameroun, or that's according to the official site.

 

[Khalid802]

It was a combination of inexperience against a tough defense and the fact that it was the second shortest team against the tallest one.

Yeah that's true. The Greek team is also physically tough. Ur players fight hard for the rebounds and when u have a guy like big Sofo (He's like a buldozer) under the basket it's so tough to stop him.

 

[Turkish Airlines Euroleague2]

It was a combination of inexperience against a tough defense and the fact that it was the second shortest team against the tallest one.

Yeah that's true. The Greek team is also physically tough. Ur players fight hard for the rebounds and when u have a guy like big Sofo (He's like a buldozer) under the basket it's so tough to stop him.

Actually, that's one of his nicknames along with "Baby Shaq" and "Big Sofo".

 

[rocketstar472]

....lebanon should get the lyks of hall of famers ali fakhreddine
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philippines94,lebanon75
2005 exhibition game

 

[Khalid802]

....lebanon should get the lyks of hall of famers ali fakhreddine
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philippines94,lebanon75
2005 exhibition game

Ali Fakhreddine is already on the Lebanese NT. What do u mean by Hall of Famer? The guy plays ok but he's no Hall of Famer.

 

[obe312]

It was a combination of inexperience against a tough defense and the fact that it was the second shortest team against the tallest one.

BTW, I just realised that Kavala is in Cameroun, or that's according to the official site.

Hahahaha! I was borned and raised in Kavala. I thought i was greek...hmm..maybe i have to reconsider now..

 

[leedsunited862]

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