 Now in its fifth Eurocup season, Gran Canaria 2014 is in a good situation to reach the quarterfinals for the first time and to fight for a spot in the Eurocup Finals. One of its main references is team captain Sitapha Savane, a rock-solid center who has helped Gran Canaria go from totally unknown to a well-respected club in European competition. Savane arrived to the Canary Islands - just 1,500 kilometers away from his native Dakar - a decade ago and has earned respect from everyone due to his work ethic, professionalism and commitment to his team. Savane is more than just a player in African basketball; He opened the door for a lot of players to develop in Spain. After so many long trips from the Canary Islands to continental Europe to play Eurocup games since late 2004, Savane hopes to see his team's hard work pay off, as he told us in this Eurocupbasketball.com interview. "It would be one of the greatest moments in my career. We have been to the Spanish League playoffs and the King's Cup final eight, but this would be a new experience," Savane told Eurocupbasketball.com. "We would be doing something that nobody did before and would give us the chance to write our names in our club's history books."
Hello Sitapha. First of all, congratulations on the big win against Nymburk. It was very important because you couldn't afford a home loss and you bounced back from that 30-point loss in Belgrade, right?
"We needed to take a step forwards this week. Not only did we lost by 30 against Crvena Zvezda, but also by 50 in a Spanish League game against Regal FC Barcelona. Our goal this week was to be able to bounce back from this situation. We managed to get an important home win in the Spanish League and did the same again in the Eurocup against Nymburk. The 15-point margin is quite good for us, too, as we have to face them again in two weeks."
Gran Canaria is unbeaten at home in this Eurocup season and has been very strong at the CID - Centro Insular de Deportes - in competition history. Why is it so difficult for teams to beat Gran Canaria in your arena?
"Like you said, we have been very strong at home throughout the years, and there are two main reasons for that. First of all, playing at home gives an extra motivation to any team and that helps us to do better in our arena. Of course, our fans help a lot, too. With fans like ours, our chances to win at home are always greater."
This is your fifth Eurocup season, so you are already a veteran of the competition. How do you see the evolution of the competition system, now that every single point counts from the very beginning?
"It has been an improvement and I think it made the competition stronger, too. It has been a good step forwards. With the old system, the Eurocup regular season was less exciting than it is now and it was tough to bring a lot of fans to our arena. It has all changed in the last couple of years and you cannot see the difference, in terms of attendance, between a Spanish League and a Eurocup game."
 You will face Nymburk right after the competition break, in a critical game to reach the quarterfinals. Do you see this as the key game in the Last 16 for your team to reach the next round?
"Yes, absolutely, it is the key game. Of course, we have to play two more games and anything can happen. If we managed to beat Nymburk again, however, we will almost have a foot in the next round. We are ready to give our best and get there with the right motivation."
Crvena Zvezda leads Last 16 Group L and has been unstoppable this far. Now that you played against them, which are their main strengths and what do you have to do to beat them?
"They have proved to be really solid, and their latest scores are there to prove it. They are talented, ambitious and hungry, a combination that always pays off, as they are showing everybody. We had a very ugly loss against them in Belgrade, but managed to learn from it. We will have to play with their same intensity level to beat them over here."
Turk Telekom is still looking for its first win, but has good, experienced players. Do you think they can have a decisive role in the outcome of this group.
"First of all, there are three games left and Telekom still has a chance to make it to the next round. I am sure they will play an important role, even though things have not gone the right way for them, to everyone's surprise. Still, they know that they have a chance if they win all three games, and their results will impact the outcome of this group."
You are a reference in African basketball and the new players coming out of your continent see you as an icon, from Christian Eyenga to Boni Ndong. What does that respect mean to you and how do you see the future of African basketball?
"I have to give it a lot of importance and it is something to be proud of. This is my 10th season in Spanish basketball, where I started in the second division. I have moved up step by step by working really hard, and I think this is why I earn the respect of so many people. Representing African basketball is something I take with a lot of responsibility, and the future is bright for the sport in our continent. You can see it by the increasing number of players coming from Africa to play not only in Spain, but the rest of Europe too."
You are once again playing for coach Pedro Martinez, who coached you in the past already. Martinez already made it to the Eurocup final with Akasvayu Girona. How is Pedro as a coach and what do you think he does best?
 "This is the third time that Pedro Martinez has coached me and he has been very important in my development as a player. He always asks you to give your best, and nothing else. Being honest, I wouldn't have reached this far if I did not play for Pedro so early in my career. He always asks you to give your maximum in each and every practice or game. Being the kind of player than I am, it is great to work with him."
After such long trips during the Eurocup season, the shortest one would be to Vitoria to play the Eurocup Finals. After so many years in the competition, what would it mean for you, the club and your fans to play the Finals and have the chance to win the title?
"It would be very exciting and a great achievement, especially for our fans, who are always there to support us. A club like ours doesn't have many chances to win Spanish or European titles. The fact that the Finals are in Vitoria means that we could have more fans in the stands, too. I am sure they will be there if we make it. As for me, it would be one of the greatest moments in my career. We have been to the Spanish League playoffs and the King's Cup final eight, but this would be a new experience. The expectation would be different, too, because we would be doing something that nobody did before and would give us the chance to write our names in our club's history books."
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