Vincent Poirier (Clamart, France, 30 years old) began his sports career in soccer, as a powerful center back, until his body told him that his path was that of the basket. Today, the Real Madrid center is intimidating with his 2.13m and 110 kilos, a body that has propelled him to be the top blocker in the regular phase of the Euroleague along with his teammate Edy Tavares (1.5 blocks on average per game ). The white team faces this Friday…
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Vincent Poirier (Clamart, France, 30 years old) began his sports career in soccer, as a powerful center back, until his body told him that his path was that of the basket. Today, the Real Madrid center is intimidating with his 2.13m and 110 kilos, a body that has propelled him to be the top blocker in the regular phase of the Euroleague along with his teammate Edy Tavares (1.5 blocks on average per game ). The white team faces the European semi-finals this Friday in Berlin against Olympiacos (9:00 p.m.; Panathinaikos and Fenerbahçe collide at the other intersection, 6:00 p.m.) buoyed by the great form of many of its players and the optimism of a season with the titles of the Super Cup and the Cup already in the pocket and the ACB semi-finals tied up. Among the stars of the team coached by Chus Mateo, Poirier has stopped being just the substitute for the giant Tavares to shine with his own light. This summer the French center ends his contract and assures that he wants to continue.
Ask. What type of player are you?
Answer. I’m big, I run all over the field, I block, I defend and I dunk. I like to play spectacularly. And above all I am a team man, I try to help everyone on the court.
Q. And as a person, how do you define yourself?
A. I am very simple, very simple. I may give a different impression with the tattoos and the beard, but deep down I’m a dad. My daughter Nola is three years old, she was born in Boston. My family is present in my tattoos, although I don’t even know how many I have, there are too many. I bear the name of my daughter, her birth, the date of my father’s death…
Q. Do you feel like you are an increasingly important player in Madrid?
A. Yes, especially this season. I’m playing more minutes than last year [17,2 de media en Europa por los 14 del curso anterior, con 8,9 puntos y 5,4 rebotes por encuentro] and the coach sometimes has to choose between Tavares and me. It is the result of three seasons in which I have sometimes been up and sometimes down. It is my last season of contract and I feel more than good, in a great moment to enjoy basketball.
Q. Have you earned a name and prominence?
A. Yes, that was my preseason goal. I wanted to be someone other than the man who is in the shadow of Edy Tavares and I have achieved it, I have earned it. Today I am more than Tavares’ substitute. Everyone has seen that I can give more. Madrid has enjoyed that because we are two centers who can play at a very high level as first and second option. That is part of the team’s good season.
Q. Has the competition with Tavares made you better?
A. We have helped each other to be better between the two of us. Having a man as big and with as much quality as Edy every day in training gives me a lot. And I think the other way around too. We learn from each other to do different things. We have worked very well this season to enjoy the field in the important moments.
Q. Are you a leader?
A. I am not a verbal leader, I talk a lot, but on the court I like to show that I am important and that I can help.
Q. In 2021 you said that you were signing for Madrid, after passing through Baskonia, so as not to lose again against them…
A. Yes, I said it a bit jokingly, but it is clear that I signed to win titles, and after three seasons it has been proven that it was a good decision.
Q. Do you want to renew?
A. Sure. Madrid is my home and I feel very good here. I like the team, the city, everything… Now it depends on other things. We will talk.
Q. What is the secret of a good stopper?
A. Faith. You have to have confidence that you are going to put the cap in, forget about fear. I may not be able to block and I may end up with an opponent’s dunk in my face, but I will try. This season it has been seen that I can block a lot, but also receive dunks. That’s life. My motto is: “No easy basket.” Anything I can do to prevent it I will do. It’s not easy for them to hit me in the face. My teammates know that I am behind them to protect our basket.
Q. What do you feel when you make a spectacular dunk?
A. It gives me energy. It is something that also drives the team. That energy can help the group win a game.
Q. Do you have a special connection with Sergio Rodríguez?
A. Yes, we like to connect, for example to do alley oops. It’s not something we’ve worked on, it just comes up. He tries to look for me. That shows what the players who come off the bench contribute, something that can be seen, that the level does not drop. The substitutes this year contribute a lot.
Q. Did you play football before basketball?
A. Yes, up to 17 years old. From central. He was like Rüdiger. He played on a team in my city. Until I switched to basketball. First because of the height, and second because my friends in class preferred the basket and insisted that I should try it. My last year as a footballer I didn’t have a very good time and I decided to change.
Q. Do you talk to the first team football players?
A. Especially with the French, with Tchouameni, with Camavinga. I know his brother, who is a hairdresser. With Courtois, Rodrygo… I love football.
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2024-05-23 03:15:00
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