SuperCup 2025: Bartzokas and Dorsey
Olympiacos’ head coach Giorgos Bartzokas congratulated his team for winning the Super Cup and also praised Promitheas for their effort. In response to a related question, he spoke about the impact of Tyler Dorsey and Thomas Walkup, calling them essentially “new additions” to the team this season.
In his opening statement, Bartzokas said: “Congratulations to our team. We achieved our goal, and we leave satisfied. We always respect our opponents, we expected Promitheas to be a strong team, having already played them in a friendly. We controlled the game, leading by nearly 20 points, but in the fourth quarter, we went through a long stretch where we stopped executing and repeatedly gave them the ball. Promitheas gained confidence and scored a lot in the second half – 47 points if I’m not mistaken - and that’s inexcusable. We needed to be more patient, execute better, and defend better. Congrats to Promitheas for their effort, and congratulations to our team and our fans who came out to support us.”
On Tyler Dorsey’s performance: “In his previous stint with Olympiacos, Dorsey had the best season of his career. Last year, due to specific circumstances, he wasn’t able to show his full potential. But now he has gradually returned to a very good level. He loves the game, works hard in practice, and helped us and the national team a lot. Now he’s completely healthy, both physically and mentally, and he’s in an environment where a good scorer can truly shine. He handles the ball well, he’s unselfish, he’s starting to play more with his teammates, and he’s becoming a very important piece of our team. Many people don’t realize how many factors go into one’s performance; the players’ physical and mental state matters greatly. Both Dorsey and Walkup are essentially new additions compared to last year. We’re also integrating our new signings, and McKissic won’t be traveling to Spain due to a groin issue. We believe in our roster. We’ll be a serious team, reduce the fluctuations in our performance, and gradually become the team we want to be.”
Tyler Dorsey, in his post-game comments, stated: “We had a really good first half. In the second, we made a lot of mistakes and let them back in the game. Once we cut down the errors, we locked the game down. We needed this kind of game to find our rhythm and build chemistry. Every trophy matters, we took it seriously, and it’s a great way to start the season with two wins. Hopefully, we can carry that into the EuroLeague next week.”
On whether he feels more “ready” this season: “I wouldn’t say more ready. I always have the same mindset. But I’d say I’m more motivated. I want to prove a lot; both for the team and for myself. There are many goals ahead.”