His World Cup gold medal is with his parents in Berlin. And Bayern star Niels Giffey (32) also misses his favorite kebab shop in Wedding. But otherwise the world champion has put an end to his past at Alba Berlin, where he played from 2014 to 2021. Before the game at his former club this Friday (8 p.m./live on Dyn), Giffey said: “This is still a special game for me, but the big emotions are gone. The Alba era is behind me.”
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Source: DYN MEDIA09.05.2024
Giffey is expecting catcalls in Berlin. “I can live with that,” he says. “For me it was the right decision to go to Munich at the end of 2022 after my time in Kaunas and Murcia. The sporting perspective convinced me. My big goal is to reach the Euroleague Final Four one day – and with Bayern that’s within the realm of possibility.”
But first it’s about the German championship title. Last Sunday, Bayern clearly won against Alba 77:53. Now the revenge is on in Berlin. The two largest German basketball clubs will meet twice in the BBL within five days, as the game scheduled for December 3, 2023 was postponed due to heavy snowfall in Munich.
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“We want to secure first place and thus the home advantage for the playoffs,” says Giffey. “We have almost always had sold-out games and a great atmosphere in Munich. We want to take advantage of that – especially when you know how heated it always is at the games in Berlin.”
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Bayern already have the cup victory in their pocket. Now the first championship title since 2019 is on the way. But Giffey warns: “We have a top squad and a top coach. But that alone is not enough, as we saw in our defeat in Heidelberg. We didn’t have the necessary focus there. Something like this shouldn’t happen to us.”
Giffey cites the Cup Final Four in February, which Bayern won confidently, as a role model. “We played with great energy and moved the ball around a lot. Nobody looked at themselves. Real team basketball – that’s what we have to bring.”
Giffey already has the Olympics in Paris in mind (from July 26th). “I would be lying if I said it’s still a long way away,” says the two-meter-tall winger. “You can see it on the horizon – and I’m really looking forward to it.”
After European Championship bronze in 2022 and World Cup gold in 2023, the goal is a medal again. Giffey is also counting on something against the US team, which competes with superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry: “There is a chance of beating the Americans too. The Fiba rules (including a smaller playing field, closer three-point line, dribbling before the first step; editor) suit us, the Americans’ super athleticism has more of an effect on the NBA field.
Giffey would love to get a selfie with LeBron James at the Olympics: “Not in the hall, we are competitors there – but in the Olympic village I would ask him.”
From world champion to world star…
2024-05-10 11:19:48
#BBL #summit #meeting #Giffey #expects #whistles #Sports
