INTERVIEW: Goga Bitadze - “Glad that my effort has been recognized”

Congratulations on prestigious 2018/19 Regular Season MVP and Top Prospect awards of the ABA League, as well as your earned spot in the Ideal Starting Five. Have you expected this to be possible before the beginning of the season?

“I have been working hard during the summer, but frankly I did not expect to win these awards. I just tried to do my best to play every game in the best possible way, to give 100% at every game and I am truly glad that my effort was recognized and that I won the awards.”

This is your second season in the ABA League and even though you have demonstrated your vast potential already in the previous season, you have shocked the region with the way you were dominant. What is the secret of your unbelievable progress and your good games this season?

“I believe that it has everything to do with great effort. One needs to be focused on the game, to think about basketball every day, to stay positive and as I said – work hard. You need to give 100% of your capabilities in every practice. Of course I have to stress that I have been working with great coaches and players that help me a lot.”

You started your ABA League story with Mega Bemax, which is well known for the quality of developing youngsters and this season you have moved to Budućnost VOLI, ABA League champions, where only quality and success in every game is tolerated. How many did playing for each of those clubs help your development?

“Mega Bemax helped me to grow up as a player and person. They have helped me to show my quality, helped me play and coaches and players have helped me vastly. At Budućnost VOLI I have received plenty of help as well and it is a huge experience to play for such a club, where everyone expects victories in every game and against everyone. Also, it is a huge experience for me to play in the EuroLeague against quality players in Europe so I can say that both clubs have helped me a lot.”

How did the teammates accept you at Budućnost VOLI and what is your cooperation with Jasmin Repeša like? How different is he from Dejan Milojević?

“The teammates have accepted me greatly. They are excellent guys and I have great relationships with everyone. I still haven’t been cooperating with coach Repeša for a long time, but I have great respect towards him and respect what he does. I have grown up alongside Dejan Milojević and I cannot describe how thankful I am to him. I believe that I have learnt 90% of my game from him. No words can describe my thankfulness.”

What do you expect from the remainder of the season with Budućnost VOLI?

“My expectations are great. I arrived to Budućnost VOLI with a goal to win the title again. I repeat this time after time, but this is actually my main goal and I am fully devoted in every game for the team to reach this goal.”

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INTERVJU: Goga Bitadze – „Drago mi je da sam dobio nagrade“

Mladi Goga Bitadze je šokirao košarkaški deo regiona osvajanjem nagrada za MVP regularnog dela sezone u ABA ligi, najboljeg mladog igrača sezone, kao i mesta u idealnoj petorci ABA lige u ovoj sezoni. Svoje utiske je sumirao u intervjuu za zvanični sajt ABA lige.

Čestitke na prestižnim nagradama za najboljeg mladog igrača i MVP ABA lige, kao i na mestu u idealnoj petorki ABA lige. Da li ste pre početka ove sezone očekivali da je ovako nešto moguće?

„Radio sam jako tokom ljeta ali iskreno nisam očekivao da ću dobiti trofeje. Samo sam se trudio da odigram sve utakmice što bolje mogu, da dam 100% na svakom meču i veoma mi je drago da sam dobio ove nagrade.“

Ovo je vaša druga sezona u ABA ligi i uprkos tome što ste već u prošloj sezoni dokazali da imate vrhunski potencial, svojom dominantnošću ste šokirali region. U čemu je tajna vašeg neverovatnog napretka i vaših dobrih igara u ovoj sezoni?

„Vjerujem da je sve do veoma teškog rada. Potrebno je fokusirati se na igru, svaki dan razmišljati o košarci, ostati pozitivan i kao što sam rekao – trenirati jako. Svaki trening dati 100% svojih mogućnosti. Naravno moram reći da sam radio i da sada radim sa odličnim trenerima i saigračima koji mi dosta pomažu.“

Svoju ABA ligašku priču ste započeli u Mega Bemaxu, koji je poznat po kvalitetu razvijanja mladih igrača, a tokom ove sezone ste prešli u redove u Budućnosti VOLI, šampiona ABA lige, gde se očekuje samo kvalitet i uspeh na svakoj utakmici. Koliko vam je igranje za oba kluba pomoglo u vašem razvoju i na koji način?

„Mega mi je mnogo pomogla da „odrastem“ kao košarkaš i kao osoba. Pomogli su mi da pokažem svoj kvalitet, da mogu igrati i i treneri, saigrači i svi u klubu su mi dosta pomogli. U Budućnosti su mi takođe mnogo pomogli, i veliko je iskustvo igrati u ovakvom klubu gdje svi očekuju pobjedu u svakoj utakmici i protiv svih. Takođe, za mene je veliko iskustvo da igram u Evroligi i protiv izuzetno kvalitetnih igrača u Evropi tako da su mi oba tima veoma pomogla.“

Kako su vas u Budućnosti VOLI prihvatili saigrači i kakva je saradnja sa trenerom Jasminom Repešom? Po čemu se on razlikuje od Dejana Milojevića?

„Saigrači su me prihvatili oberučke, to su odlični momci i imam veoma dobar odnos sa svima. Sa trenerom Repešom ne sarađujem dugo vremena ali veoma ga poštujem, i veoma poštujem ono šta radi. Uz Dejana Milojevića sam „odrastao“, ne mogu opisati koliko sam mu zahvalan. Vjerujem da sam 90% svoje igre upravo naučio od njega. Nemam riječi da opišem koliko sam mu zahvalan.“

Šta očekujete od nastavka sezone sa Budućnošću VOLI?

„Moja očekivanja su velika, došao sam u Budućnost VOLI da osvojimo titulu opet. Stalno to ponavljam ali to je stvarno moj glavni cilj i na svakom meču izlazim da ostavim srce i da se borim da bi došli do tog cilja.“