Oded Katash had several highs in his career, the debut of the Israeli team as a player, winning the Euroleague in the Panathinaikos uniform that left many Maccabi Tel Aviv fans with tears, the years at Hapoel Jerusalem as a coach, the last (and successful) campaign on the national team and the last record, reaching the closed club of Euroleague coaches after returning to one of the clubs with the glorious history in Europe, Panathinaikos.
This week, as part of the team talk program, which will be broadcast tomorrow (Saturday, 13:30) on Channel ONE, in collaboration with the Schools Sports Association, the coach came to talk with Shimon Ben Zvi High School students in Givatayim, where he studied and began his career in basketball. On the highlights of his career as a player and coach, the big mistakes in his career, the Israeli national team, and of course, the shiny new role in Greece.
Two significant stops in Katsch’s career were in Panathinaikos. The first, which is one of his highlights as a basketball player, but at the same time also a bit of a difficult moment – the victory in the Euroleague final over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Katsch Referring to that Final Four in 2000 he said: “We did Seder night in Thessaloniki, the day before the final and it was a feeling, I was in a very big emotional storm, the whole Final Four it was my big dream, to win the European Cup and get to the Final Four for the first time in my life. “Maccabi are there that I only left them a year earlier. I was a young guy, it does not seem to many people, but I am more sensitive than my face shows, so I had a very, very hard time.”
“I remember the first minute I went on the field, I was a bit in the market in a sense, it took me about 2-3 minutes to get into the game. Even today when I see the post-game interview then I kind of do not recognize the same kid who played there, because it really was a storm of emotions , But one of the biggest compliments I got, not even as a player, as a human being, it was after the game when I met the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at the Thessaloniki airport. The Greek players were quite apprehensive, afraid that maybe the Maccabi fans would attack me or do something to me and they I was amazed to see that they lifted me on their shoulders and celebrated with me as if they had just won the trophy with me, and I think that moment, I will remember it for the rest of my life, I think it is one of the most exciting, respectful and proud moments I have had. “
The moments of crisis in his career and the miss that did not reach the NBA: “There’s no one reason to play basketball and do things you love. There’s one who does it out of love for the game, there’s one who wants to be part of a team, there’s one who wants to be famous and there’s one who wants to be in the NBA or one who wants to make lots and lots of money. Very very big.I did not talk much as a child and it was a way to express myself, so I did not grow up and did not go every day in training with some dream to be in the NBA and achieve something.I think my inability to keep creating, in my eyes basketball is an art for everything, through Expressing yourself, a way to excite lots and lots of people, that’s the biggest miss. Where it would have come from and how far it has been is less significant, there is publicity, there is money, there are achievements. But for me, the game itself, I would give everything to go back and experience basketball. And the thing I love so much. “
About Israeli basketball and the national team: “Speaking of records, then the Israeli team is the greatest pride and respect, so I had the opportunity to coach the Israeli team. After a slightly less good period, we really made a generational change, the process was not simple, but today there is a very young team, one of the youngest teams in Europe. “Very talented, the players who are very committed, enjoy being with each other.”
Continuing his path as national team coach after moving to Panathinaikos: “Everything that happened between the Euroleague and Fiba and the window system, where I am today, to train three weeks a year I feel it’s not something I can do, it’s not right for me, I also know myself, I can not do it, I You have to do basketball all year round, so I wish things would be resolved between the Euroleague and Fiba that it would be possible to do it and that it would be possible both, I took it into account that I might not continue with the team.
About Danny Abdia in the NBA: “Professionally, he is not in the best situation he could have asked for, but I think that precisely there, precisely when things are going less well, there is the great filter between the excellent and the good. I got to coach Danny for maybe ten days, ten lovely days because he is a lovely, exceptionally talented kid, and I think this year, with its difficulties, will strengthen him and make him much better later on. Professionally, he can reach the highest levels and be a very dominant player in the NBA. “
When asked the coach who influenced him the most, Katsch did mention Pini Gershon and David Blatt, but surprised and said: “I actually want to refer to the coach who coached me at the age of 16, his name is Eli Kenti, who is the first to give me the faith and understanding confidence that this thing can actually develop into a career and until then I had not thought about it at all. I think the way he coached me, the freedom he gave, he taught me things that were inside me, when I wanted to break boundaries and break conventions, I think he was the first to give me the ability to express it, so that way he changed not only my understanding of basketball and further career , But also about how to do it. He released my boundaries and made me understand that boundaries can be broken. “
On the departure of Hapoel Jerusalem in the middle of the season: “It’s not something I thought would happen to me. I never imagined I would ever leave a team in the middle of the season. At the first second I instinctively felt I could not do it and leave a team, but that way after hours passed and it seeped in, I realized it was an opportunity not to return. And the agreement of both Hapoel Jerusalem and the owner, I decided to take this step. “
“There are situations in life that need to be followed by the heart, for many years I aim and I want to reach the highest levels. The Euroleague coaching club is a pretty closed club, I mean, maybe every year or two manages to sneak in a new coach, so opportunities don’t happen much. Unlike for example basketball players, who good players can get the opportunity for another year or two years, so as a coach it was special.I was clear that it can only happen in a very special situation, with a connection like I have with Panathinaikos and the people who know me here, it is a good situation For me so with a heavy heart, really a heavy heart, I decided to take the offer, but once I have made the decision look ahead, raise my head and go for it with all my might. I am very proud to say I want to be exactly where I am. I really enjoy it, it’s a place It’s fun for me to do basketball, very challenging places, so it’s really good for me where I am. “
On the compliment from Mario Hazonia, who said this week that he is the best coach he has had: “It’s a big compliment, but maybe he’ll come back to it after getting to know me a little better.”
About Hapoel Jerusalem: “I do not miss a game, and also by mistake we have some game or training I make sure to see it, I am their fan and the situation there. Again, what happened in the middle of the season even with my departure is not something that usually happens. Usually when a coach leaves then there is a big break, that was not the case, which makes the job of the coach who came in my place not simple at all, neither in terms of basketball nor in terms of dynamics and being sensitive like that. “Therefore, I trust very much who runs Hapoel Jerusalem, I think they will succeed in stabilizing this business, and I think the championship is open, there are some very good teams, there will be a very interesting playoff and I have no doubt that Jerusalem will be strong in the picture there.
