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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
Evan Fournier has been back in Europe for nearly a year, having previously spent more than a decade on the NBA court. But this return to his roots wasn’t an easy decision for the Frenchman, as he confided to the First Team.
There are moments in life that can change your career. Evan Fournier’s moment upon returning to Europe is clearly one of them: just a year ago, the shooting guard had practically nothing left to cling to in the NBA. Shelved by the Knicks for a season and a half before being traded to the Pistons, he hadn’t been given much more playing time with the Michigan franchise.
It was following the Paris Olympic Games that More Champagne began his return to Europe. Initially approached by Real Madrid, it was ultimately Olympiakos who secured his services. A decision that paid off, as Fournier was crowned Greek champion this season and participated in the Euroleague Final Four.
Evan Fournier’s big admission about leaving the NBA
Adored by the local fans and getting along very well with his teammates, the Olympic runner-up doesn’t regret for a moment leaving the American league when he saw no way out. This is all the more pleasing since saying goodbye to the NBA wasn’t an easy decision to make, as he confided to the First Team:
I had an offer in the NBA that was really… I didn’t want to do that. It was mentoring, it was being with the young guys, playing on a team that’s losing, that’s going to tank… Yeah, (Washington) D.C. Personally, that’s not what I wanted for my career, I’m coming off two years already where I haven’t played. I don’t want to fall back into something where… No, I don’t want to do that.
I want to experience strong moments, I want to play basketball, I want to enjoy it, I want to compete. That’s why I said to myself: “Okay, go ahead, I’m going home, we’ll see how it goes.” But I had already prepared myself for the possibility that if I don’t like it, I won’t move my family, leave for the sake of leaving and play for the sake of playing. I won’t do that, so I was ready to quit if I had to.
In total, Fournier played 12 seasons and 704 regular-season games in the NBA, enjoying his finest moments in the Orlando jersey. He, who once dreamed of playing in the world’s greatest league, found himself forced to leave, a real heartbreak for Vavane. Fortunately for him, he recovered at Olympiakos.
