Yevgeny Pashutin, Lokomotiv’s head coach in the 2012/13 season:
“What I remember from that day is the immense joy I felt for the guys, for the organization, and for the entire region as a whole. It was a very big and significant event. Not many Russian teams have won European trophies. I still remember that time with great fondness.”
Sergei Bykov, Lokomotiv captain in the 2012/13 season:
“When Lokomotiv moved to Basket Hall before the start of the 2011/12 season, the club’s ambitions clearly grew up. I remember an invitation from Andrei Vedishchev. I wasn’t doing particularly well at CSKA, and I thought I’d be given a more significant role at Lokomotiv. And so it turned out: we had a strong coach, a solid roster, and we won the long-awaited bronze medal in the championship and earned a spot in the EuroCup. But in the penultimate game of the third-place series against Triumph, I suffered a serious injury, and most of the 2012/13 season was spent recovering. I returned to the lineup about a month before the EuroCup final, so that was an additional challenge for me: in addition to my ambitions of winning the trophy as captain, I wanted to show that I was fully back.
I remember the excellent energy that developed within the team: no clans, we were a united collective. Alexey Savrasenko, a master at creating the right atmosphere, took us all fishing about a week before the decisive game, and it had a very positive effect. When you’re fighting for trophies, the energy of the bench is crucial. Players who aren’t in the rotation often dampen the atmosphere. We had great team chemistry, a lively bench, and vibrant, loud, and charismatic fans. Everything worked out very well.”
Valery Likhodey, Lokomotiv forward in the 2012/13 season:
“We honestly didn’t even assess Bilbao’s strength before the game. We just knew we’d come a long way in this tournament, and now we had to go out there and win, that we had to give it our all—both those who would be on the court for nearly 40 minutes and those who would only play a few seconds. We didn’t start off very well, but we pulled ourselves together and, with such a unified team spirit, evened the game and then won—it was, of course, a great feeling: one for all, all for one.”
Richard Hendrix, Lokomotiv forward, MVP of the 2012/13 EuroCup Final:
“I joined Lokomotiv midway through the 2012/13 season, and I can say it was a great pleasure playing for that team – we developed a great chemistry, and we played really good basketball. I was confident we’d show everything we were capable of in the final against Bilbao. We managed to build a big lead, and at one point, our opponents started closing in, but I had no doubt we’d hold on. Nick Calathes and Derrick Brown played at a truly top level, Mantas Kalnietis and Simas Jasaitis hit crucial three-pointers at key moments, Alex Maric and I worked hard to secure dominance in the paint, Sergei Bykov provided the necessary intensity, and Jimmy Baron sealed the victory with his free throws at the end. The coaching staff and the entire organization did a fantastic job of molding us into a real team. The memory of those days will always be in my heart.”
There are no trifles in great victories. When you’re moving toward your goal, from one difficult opponent to the next, the players need to be able to fully concentrate on their tasks on the court. This means the entire team must perform at their peak professionally—from the head coach and management to the massage therapist and administrator. Winning the 2012/13 EuroCup will forever remain with those who contributed their hard work and their passionate hearts to this victory. Happy anniversary of this great victory, Lokofamily!
