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Shane Larkin expressed his enthusiasm for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament at the Panathenaic Stadium, highlighting his high hopes for Jordan Nwora's EuroLeague career. He also addressed Juan Toscano-Anderson's claim that the G-League is the second-best league in the world, offering his perspective on the debate.
During the recent FIBA Intercontinental Cup final, Juan Toscano-Anderson launched into an impassioned rant, trying to rally his G League United teammates as Unicaja Malaga maintained a commanding double-digit lead.
“Our dream is not to play in the ACB, our dream is not to play in the f—–g Euroleague. Our dream is to play in the NBA and make millions of dollars; what they are doing now is unacceptable,” the G-League United forward.
Even before that fiery speech, the former NBA champion stirred controversy by claiming that the G League is the second-best league in the world.
“We want to be aggressive and make a statement. I believe the G-League is the second-best league in the world, and we want to show that,” said Toscano-Anderson in an earlier interview after G-League United beat Quimsa.
Shane Larkin putting Juan Toscano-Anderson on blast
A lot of players have responded to Toscano-Anderson's remarks, asserting that the G-League isn't on par with the EuroLeague or other top European leagues. More significantly, some interpreted his comments as a sign of disrespect.
“I mean, it's a disrespectful statement because at the end of the day, before you say something like that, you got to experience yourself,” Larkin said about Juan Toscano-Anderson’s statements. “Somebody who hasn't played at this level, who hasn't come to play in the EuroLeague in this atmosphere, to say something like that is disrespectful,” he continued.
After a lackluster season, Shane Larkin's Anadolu Efes Istanbul have regained their form. The Turkish team missed out on last year's EuroLeague playoffs and watched Fenerbahce claim another domestic championship.
This season, however, appears to be heading in a different direction, judging by their pre-season performance, where Efes secured six wins out of eight games. Shane Larkin believes fans can expect to see a much-improved version of the team.
The Efes team captain missed several preseason games due to an ankle sprain. Although he wasn’t fully recovered for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament, he thoroughly enjoyed being part of the unforgettable event held at the Panathenaic Stadium last Saturday night.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens hosted Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Efes, and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a one-day tournament that drew 42,000 fans to a venue originally constructed in 329 BC.
Larkin having high hopes for Efes and Jordan Nwora
Efes made a strong statement in Athens, securing a dominant 89-66 victory over Maccabi on Saturday and edging out Partizan 81-80 on Friday. These performances highlight why the two-time EuroLeague champions remain a formidable team.
One element from Efes' preseason games has been Jordan Nwora's performances. The former NBA player is already positioning himself as an early favorite for the EuroLeague's Top Scorer award with his impressive play.
Larkin was Efes' leading scorer last season, averaging 16.8 points per game with a shooting percentage of 39.1% from three-point range and 90.8% from the free-throw line. Nwora has demonstrated his ability to alleviate some of that pressure from the veteran guard, positioning himself as a potential leading scorer for the team.
“I'm very excited for him. He might be the best pure scorer that I've played with in Europe so far,” Larkin said about Nwora.
Jordan, in terms of pure scoring ability, can do it in many different ways with his size the low post, pick and rolls. He has everything that we need for him to happen. If he could just lock in on the defensive side, he can be one of the better players in the league,” he continued.
