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Spanoulis and his agent said.
Yeah Spanoulis had a tough time in Houston.
He went over with the promise of being an intergral part of the team, and ended up at the end of the bench.
Coach Jeff Van Gundy didnt want a bar of him, and Spanoulis made clear through his discussions with the media that he had lost all respect for Van Gundy and the rest of the rockets office.
He said as such in his blogs, and made no mention of concerns with the USA. He said in the last of his blogs that he was beginning to adjust to the life here in the USA.
Its obvious from the talk of his agent that he wasnt going to return to the rockets. There was no way, after that wasted year. YES, his agent did say he wont return to the America even for the spurs, but all of these comments were made while he was signed to the rockets, and they were trying to get him to come back.
I think things have changed completely now. He knows SA has a good history with internationals. He knows pop has been good with internationals, and has a good reputation with them. There are many other europeans on the team, unlike the rockets.
In other words, i would discount all the comments made WHILE he was still signed to the rockets. Its very clear he had a major beef with them.
The truth is nothing has come out of his camp since he left the rockets.
Lets wait and see what Spanoulis and his group have to say!
END RANT!
Spanoulis and his agent said.
Spanoulis said.
And we'd be a worse team with him than without.
Spanoulis and his agent made it abundantly clear that Spanoulis isn't coming back to the US no matter what.
It's certainly possible that he could be lured back over. But then that would defeat the purpose of the trade.
Spanoulis says he won't return to Rockets
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
After one largely disappointing season with the Rockets, guard Vassilis Spanoulis said there will not be another.
Spanoulis said Wednesday that he and his agent have told the Rockets many times he will not leave Greece for a second season in the NBA, or to play for another team in Europe.
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said on Tuesday that the Rockets still want Spanoulis back for next season and have no plans of releasing him from his three-year contract. Spanoulis cannot sign with any FIBA team, which includes the teams in the Greek league, unless released by the Rockets. Morey had no further comment on Wednesday.
"It's something very personal," Spanoulis said. "It's family problems.
"I'm not disappointed. In life, you never know how things are coming. Some things you expect when you sign a contract, you go there, something happens, and your decision has to change. When we are so far away from home, the culture and life and all these things are different. It's very difficult to know what will happen.
"I want to stay in my country. My hope is to play for one team in my country."
Spanoulis played in 31 games last season, averaging 2.7 points and .9 assists in 8.8 minutes per game. He made 31.9 percent of his shot, 17.2 percent of his 3-pointers.
Spanoulis' agent, Miodrag Raznatovic, said he and Spanoulis have told the Rockets 10 times since the end of the season that Spanoulis will never return to play for the Rockets and that nothing would change his mind.
"He told them 10 times 'I am not coming back,' " Raznatovic said. "In the beginning it was between him and Jeff Van Gundy. Now it is not. He didn't adjust to the American way of living. 'I cannot survive. I must stay at my home.' I do not understand how they cannot understand. It's something serious.
"I've been trying for one month and a half to make them understand. This is crazy. Believe me, he sold everything, his car, his apartment. He is not coming back. I don't understand how they don't understand. He said, 'I cannot live there. I thought I can. I was very happy when I signed the contract. After eight months, 10 months, I don't want a single second more.'
"It's not about money. It's not about playing time. It's not about anything else. They could trade him to San Antonio and he could be the starting point guard, and he would he would say, 'No, I cannot.' "
Raznatovic said Spanoulis, who earned $1.8 million as a rookie last season, would repay the $350,000 buyout the Rockets paid Panathinaikos last season out of his next contract.
He said Spanoulis has told him he would not play for any team outside Greece again.
"They could try Miami, New York, L.A., it would not matter," Raznatovic said. "Maybe he goes to Spain and (would) feel different, but we'll never know. He said, 'No, no, no. I cannot leave Greece.'
"He is looking for an escape. He calls me every day. His mother calls me crying, saying, 'Get my son back.' This is serious. If they want to send a message to all international players that if (they) come and cannot adjust, they cannot go back, that they have to stay there like a slave, that won't work. If he comes back, what can he do? Can he be a good player? Of course not. It could be a disaster."
The Rockets have repeatedly called to try to convince Spanoulis to return, with Morey, Rick Adelman and Yao Ming each calling. But Spanoulis said his decision is not about basketball.
"It was very hard," Spanoulis said. "This life was very different. I expected it to be a lot different. I am very close with my family. I prefer to be with my family than to play in the United States. It is very difficult for me to make that step, to be away from them and live there.
"From the basketball side, I had a very tough season with Jeff. That year was 5, 10 percent what I had in my mind. Now this is past. I respect all the people there. I respect the new coach, Rick Adelman. I respect him as a person and as a coach, and the new GM and the people of Houston. But to me, I cannot come back."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4943775.html
I don't know how much clearer one could make it."It's not about money. It's not about playing time. It's not about anything else. They could trade him to San Antonio and he could be the starting point guard, and he would he would say, 'No, I cannot.' "
again, those comments were made while still signed to the rockets......
I would rather have ian in the usa playing ball and improving and taking a roster spot then him
Doubt Spurs want him and are counting on him not coming back. That said they should play that they do and hold him to his contract or force him to renounce it.
He's made comments since somewhere.
In any case, if he comes over, he:
1) Takes up a valuable roster spot.
2) Sucks.
He sucks really bad. He's a terrible NBA player. He's worse than awful: he sucks.
3) They would have to pay him his entire salary.
Yes, but he's Greek, not Cretan.
I read an article last week he doesn't want to come back because he's disgusted of the minutes the Rockets was giving him. It's about playing time.
well.....
"Well, maybe it isn't really a turd. It could be some kind of potpourri."
It is also that both he and his mother hate the United States and wish to leave it as soon as possible.I read an article last week he doesn't want to come back because he's disgusted of the minutes the Rockets was giving him. It's about playing time.
well.....
The Spurs acquired him because he is willing to walk away from his contract for nothing, thus saving the Spurs money.
You know Holt will hold Spanoulis to that offerRaznatovic said Spanoulis, who earned $1.8 million as a rookie last season, would repay the $350,000 buyout the Rockets paid Panathinaikos last season out of his next contract.
he should
350k is alot of money
he could use that for buying you t=shirts
lol, it'd be funnier if it wasn't true.You know Holt will hold Spanoulis to that offer
Spanoulis will have to throw in the deposit on his apartment also.
this has something to do with our new member of the Spurs org.- that guy(I still can't remember what his name is
He violated the motto of the Greek Army. He left his buddy's behind."He told them 10 times 'I am not coming back,' " Raznatovic said. "In the beginning it was between him and Jeff Van Gundy. Now it is not. He didn't adjust to the American way of living. 'I cannot survive. I must stay at my home.' I do not understand how they cannot understand. It's something serious.
this guy isnt spur-ta material
We called this guy SPAZ because of the way he played last season...dude's horrible.
I still think it will be funny if Spanoulis decides he wants $$ now and he threatens to report for his $2M. We have learned from Scola that the Spurs lose in a game of chicken.
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