Philip Petrusev: Erkin Ataman plays with seven players and has three titles in four years

He gave an interview with Serbian SportKlub and talked about his basketball course, from childhood to now. Among other things, the 24-year-old Serbian tall man referred to his past partnership with him and the way the Turkish coach can conquer trophies. At the same time, Philippe Petrusev spoke about how players were treated in the US, reported on the incident he had in 2023 with Matias Lesor, while also talking about his country’s national team. CORVERSE Olympiacos player spoke… For his grandfather, who had an important role in his childhood: “I remember everything, really! Grandpa died two or three years ago. Every time I think about him… These are my best memories, especially those of my childhood. I come from a normal and humble family, my father and my mother were working… Grandma took care of us and Grandpa did transportation work. He loved basketball a lot, enjoyed taking his younger brother and me to practice. Although he was not allowed to attend training, he always found a way to take a look. Most credits go to him for all of this. I was at a school where you’re alone without parents, such conditions make you grow up. That’s where you rely on yourself… Two beds, two tables, one small room. However, when you see the final goal, it makes you tighten your teeth and sacrifice some things. I think all this has helped me to be where I am today.” For college in the U.S. : “In America, there is a lot of what they call ‘sweeties’. You really don’t know what they’re thinking. They tell you what you want to hear. I saw so many things where nothing can surprise me anymore. Everything that happens I accept, process the information and move on. Of all these fine words and good treatment, it’s time to make some decisions. Then behavior is such that they forget you, they take you away… There, many things are considered by business, money.” CORVERSE For the national team and communication between players and coaches within it: “I don’t know what it was like before, but in these two or three years it seems to me that communication is free. Especially when you have players like Jokic and Bogdanovic on the team – there is a lot of talk, exchange of views. What to say (p. Pesic) – he will hear everything. Pesic sees how players feel about certain things on the field, but also beyond that. When the dates and hours are convenient, he lets us make some decisions… I also worked with Ataman. If he told us there was a flight to Barcelona at 9:00 in the morning to get us lunch at noon, the flight would be at 9:00, no matter the fact that we’re going to sleep less. In the Red Star there is a culture that native players are the pens that can be seen in the locker room. It’s a family atmosphere, strangers adapt very well. I said they’re a better team than two years ago, because there are a lot of good players. Although sometimes this is not good, here Ataman plays seven players and wins three titles over the past four years. Let’s say we had Cabasso and Luca (Vildosa), I don’t know who would win if these two teams played each other, honestly.” About the controversy he had within the court with Matias Lesor in March 2023 in Belgrade derby: “Okay, I didn’t like it, of course, but all my life I have some things that don’t touch me and I don’t care. That’s how I saw this situation. I know I didn’t do anything wrong, I know. We were at their headquarters, he started something, I went to the counter so it wouldn’t be a circus. What’s done is done. Would I have reacted differently if I’d gone back? I probably would have, but I don’t think I reacted badly at the time either. Of course, after everything that happened to everyone – those with at least two grams of brains – know that no one sued anyone or anything, it was a matter of groups and organization, that you should go and make a report. The biggest fuss arose around it. I played against him many times after that, without any problem, that was it.”