Summit gathering for BBL - Giffey anticipates hearing whistles.
The World Cup gold medal he earned is now with his parents in Berlin. Niels Giffey, the Bayern Munich player, also misses his favorite kebab place in Wedding. However, he has put the past behind him, having played for Alba Berlin from 2014 to 2021. Before their game this Friday (8 p.m./live via Dyn), he said, "This game is still special to me, but the intense emotions have passed. My time with Alba is history now."
Giffey anticipates whistles in Berlin, but he can handle it. "The right decision for me was to move to Munich at the end of 2021, after my stints in Kaunas and Murcia. Bayern's promising prospects drew me in," he remarked. His ultimate goal is to make it to the Euroleague Final Four one day – a realistic possibility with Bayern.
Next on the agenda is the German championship title. Bayern easily defeated Alba the previous Sunday with a score of 77:53 and are eager for revenge this Friday in Berlin. The two German powerhouses will clash twice in five days since the game scheduled for December 3, 2023, was postponed due to heavy snowfall in Munich.
Giffey exclaimed, "We're aiming to secure first place in the standings and maintain home-court advantage for the playoffs." The atmosphere during games in Munich has been incredible lately. "We're aiming to leverage that energy for these high-stakes games in Berlin," he added.
Bayern has won the cup, but they're still chasing the league title that eluded them since 2019. Giffey cautioned, "Having a strong team and excellent coach is crucial, but it's not enough if we don't bring our A-game. Look at our loss in Heidelberg as an example."
He recalled the decisive cup final four performance with enthusiasm. "We played at a high energy level and shared the ball effectively," explaining, "True team basketball is what we need to showcase."
Giffey views Olympic Games in Paris as a "fun challenge" ahead. "I'm not evading it by saying it's far in the future," he said, smiling. "Having won European Championship bronze in 2022 and World Cup gold in 2023, another medal is our objective."
He's optimistic about facing the US team, who boast basketball icons like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. "Our chances of defeating them are there, but the Fiba rules—like a smaller court, closer three-point line, and dribbling before the first step—work to our benefit. The Americans' super athleticism would be more of a factor on the NBA court," he argued.
Giffey wishes to strike a pose with LeBron James in the Olympic Village. "We're competing against one another there, but not inside the venue," he explained. "I'd love to ask him for a selfie."
From world champion to aspirant global star...
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Source: symclub.org
