Moustapha Fall acknowledged Panathinaikos' performances without Mathias Lessort and broke down his role in recruiting Evan Fournier to Olympiacos. The veteran center also addressed the possibility of rejoining France after his absence from the last FIBA window.
Moustapha Fall has long been a crucial figure for Olympiacos Piraeus, anchoring the defense with his towering presence and impacting games beyond what statistics often reveal.
The veteran center once again showcased his value in the latest installment of the Greek derby against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, playing a key role in Olympiacos' 76-74 victory in Round 29 of the EuroLeague regular season.
Fall's contributions on both ends of the court were instrumental.
Despite an early statement block against him by Wenyen Gabriel, Fall remained unfazed, dominating the paint in Mathias Lessort's absence.
The 33-year-old big man was essential in sealing driving lanes, frustrating Panathinaikos's guards, and limiting MVP candidate Kendrick Nunn to a scoreless first half.
Numbers alone do not always tell the full story of Fall's impact, but this time, they perfectly reflect his dominance.
He finished the game with 10 points on 5/7 shooting, five rebounds, three assists, and a season-high four blocks, including two in the first quarter to set the tone defensively.
Despite trailing by as many as 19 points, Panathinaikos reacted and came one Kostas Sloukas 3-point shot short of completing a monumental comeback.
"That was a long, very difficult game against a very good team," Fall told BasketNews when all was said and done last Friday night.
"I think that Panathinaikos are doing pretty well, given Mathias Lessort's loss. He's a big piece of what they try to do. But even without him, they're competing very hard, and they're beating a lot of teams," the French big man praised Olympiacos' main rivals.
While Fall's dominance on the court has been undeniable, his influence extends beyond game day.
One of the most interesting storylines of Olympiacos' season has been the arrival of Evan Fournier. As it turns out, Fall played a significant role in bringing his fellow Frenchman to Piraeus.
Fournier, a veteran NBA shooting guard, had long flirted with the idea of returning to Europe.
"Every summer,
