Kenneth Faried talks about Panathinaikos, derby against Olympiacos and playing with Nikola Jokic
Kenneth Faried spoke about getting a second chance and the “revival” of his career with Panathinaikos this season.
One of the best stories of the current EuroLeague season is Kenneth Faried. The popular “Manimal” is experiencing a new basketball life with the Greek club, at a moment when no one could have predicted he still had this level left in him. At 36 years old, Faried’s career was realistically winding down as he moved through teams in Mexico, Taiwan, and Italy. Speaking about that period and the opportunity Panathinaikos gave him, here’s what Kenneth Faried said in an interview for the “Man to Man” podcast:
“I was playing in Taiwan… I have nothing against Taiwan, but I wanted to play at a higher level and I knew I could play at the top level. I’m happy that Panathinaikos believed that I could still ‘put up’ numbers at that level, but I don’t think anyone knew how much I could really achieve. But I knew it, my family knew it, and the people around me knew it because they saw how much time, effort, and work I put in — not only on the court but also off the court: with my mind, my body, how I eat, how I read, and the things I do.”
Faried also reflected on his previous EuroLeague opportunity and his short stint with CSKA Moscow in 2021/2022, which didn’t turn out particularly successful:
“In Moscow, Nikola Milutinov was injured at the time, as was Toko (Shengelia). I went there to help, to play a few minutes, or do whatever else the coach felt was right. If they liked me, I would stay. But if they felt they needed something else, then I had to leave. And that’s exactly what happened. I guess I wasn’t the perfect fit or the player they needed at that moment.”
That #MVPSmile of Kenneth Faried with his well-deserved November MVP award 😃
The MVP of the Month selfie brought to you by @Moto 🤳 pic.twitter.com/QPo14j8zfS
— EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) December 9, 2025
In the derby against Olympiacos, Kenneth Faried will face several of his former teammates — specifically the mentioned Nikola Milutinov, as well as Kostas Papanikolaou and Evan Fournier, with whom he played during his time with the Denver Nuggets:
“It’s going to be interesting. I’m here to enjoy the moment, play basketball, and do my job. I still have love for my people, for the guys here, and of course we still communicate often. But it’s going to be a ‘war’ — whatever happens on the court — with respect, because that’s how I play. I don’t play to lose.”
An unavoidable topic was Nikola Jokic, with Faried sharing his view on him and the anecdote about the famous “The Joker” nickname:
“He got the name ‘Joker’ not because of his game, but because of the way he was always joking, literally. Jokic is a happy person, always… It was great for me, because my energy is the same. We were happy together, and that made us connect. I was his last assist on his first NBA triple-double!”
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