Greek-American basketball player John Poulakidas, who became the talk of the town a few days ago with his stunning 28-point performance in Yale's NCAA March Madness win over Auburn, revealed that he is in the process of getting a Greek passport, adding that it would be a dream for him to compete in Olympiakos or Panathinaikos.
"I speak a little Greek, but I haven't learned it very well. I think it was my best game. Growing up in America and playing basketball, you dream of winning a March Madness game. It became a reality for me. Being able to show what I can do at this level was a great feeling," said Poulakidas, speaking to ERT3.
"I am in the process of being issued a Greek passport. I know a lot about the two teams that play in the EuroLeague, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. It would be a great dream and honor to be able to play in one of these teams and represent Greece in the EuroLeague, at such a high level. Many people tell me that they love me, support me and that they hope to see me play in Greece one day for the National Team. I have many messages from Olympiakos and Panathinaikos fans who say they want to see me in their team's jersey and that's nice," he added at another point.
"Both my parents are Greek. My father's parents are from Greece, my grandfather was born in Sparta. My father's mother is from the island of Chios. On my mom's side, both parents are from the Peloponnese from a village called Rizes. All my grandparents are Greek, all my family and ancestry are Greek. I have a younger sister, Hypatia, who is a freshman and also plays basketball in New York. My brother Ilias is in high school in Illinois," Poulakidas emphasized.
