Nikos Linardos
Maroussi coach Nikos Linardos dedicated his team’s 58-52 road victory over Peristeri to his players and family.
“It’s a very nice feeling, especially for the kids, for the assistant coaches, the trainers and my family,” he said after the post-game press conference.
At 1-18, once-proud Maroussi is sure to be relegated to a lower division next season. Ownership simply stopped paying bills. Former players are still owed money. Four veterans, frustrated by late paychecks, recently left the team. It’s a sad fall for a team that spent the past decade competing with league powerhouses Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.
Giannis Demertzis, a Maroussi guard, said: “We play just for us now.”
Peristeri coach Argiris Pedoulakis said Maroussi deserved the victory because they fought harder. He said Maroussi’s young players are seizing their opportunities to showcase their skills, and that Peristeri’s youngsters should learn from the example.
Like Maroussi, Peristeri has serious financial problems and has seen top players depart, although it still has American import Gavin Edwards and Greek scorer Charalampos Giannopoulos.
Coaches and players around the league understand Maroussi’s situation. They’ve credited Linardos and the players for fighting through the troubles this season.
Last night, Greek league leading scorer Dionte Christmas took note of Maroussi’s big win. The Temple alum plays for Rethymno, which defeated Maroussi 92-80 last week.
Christmas tweeted a shout-out “to Maroussi finally getting their first win of the season. I knew they would get 1.”
kingsofmaroussi 