Since May, Nick Calathes has gone from Gainesville to Greece, had his rights traded from Minnesota to Dallas and made the jump from the Southeastern Conference to the European championships.
Friday night, Calathes was back in the O'Connell Center, taking a few minutes to answer questions while sitting in the stands and watching the UF volleyball team sweep Mississippi State.
The former Gators star played with the Greek national team in EuroBasket 2009 in Poland this month, averaging 4.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, two assists and 1.6 steals while playing more than 17 minutes per game.
Greece took home the bronze medal in the tournament. Led by Los Angeles Lakers center and tournament MVP Pau Gasol, Spain topped Serbia to win the championship.
"It was a great experience for me to learn the game, learn a new style for the summer," Calathes said. "That's the national team, so that's the best players in the whole country. It's definitely different … different competition, playing against Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, all those guys."
His father, John Calathes, said the transition hasn't been very difficult given Calathes' ability to adjust to whatever role he needs to play.
"He can run a slowed-down pace, he can run the fast break, he can do whatever," John Calathes said in a phone interview. "One of his real strengths has always been being able to find out what the coach wants and giving him what he wants."
Calathes will have plenty of time to get used to the slower pace of European basketball, as he signed a contract earlier this summer with Panathinaikos, an elite Euroleague club.
"It's kind of a decision you can't pass up. He's going to be playing for the best team in Europe, arguably the world," John Calathes said. "To have an opportunity like that, to be able to go over to Greece and play for the Greek national team and stuff like that, it all just kind of goes together. From his standpoint, it's the opportunity of a lifetime."
His deal with Panathinaikos is worth around $1.1 million per year and includes a house, car, tax credits and endorsements. According to his father, Calathes' new four-story home has a balcony with a view overlooking the city of Athens.
Calathes isn't the only former Gator making a living on the court in Greece these days.
Taurean Green, the starting point guard on UF's back-to-back national championship teams, is now playing for AEK, a Greek League club located about 10 to 15 minutes from where Nick and his brother Pat reside.
Green has been friends with Calathes and his brother since they were young, as they all played together on an AAU squad for 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds.
Should Calathes want to return to America, the soonest he can opt out of his contract with Panathinaikos and play in the NBA would be the 2010-11 season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves picked him 45th overall in this year's NBA Draft but traded his rights to the Dallas Mavericks.
Calathes said he has spoken to Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and that "everything's good" regarding his standing with Dallas.
"They have my rights and everything like that," he added. "Whatever happens, happens, but right now, I'm focusing on Panathinaikos this year."
