ESP/USA – Panko in his prime

SAN SEBASTIAN (ACB) - Andy Panko hasn’t played in the Euroleague or Eurocup with Lagun Aro GBC, but the Pennsylvania native has been in the bright lights on plenty of occasions this season in Spain.
 
Every game in the ACB, he says, is big.
 
Panko has gone toe to toe with Real Madrid, Regal Barcelona, Power Electronics Valencia, Caja Laboral and Unicaja Malaga - all Euroleague teams.
 
He’s also had to battle against the likes of CAI Zaragoza, CB Granada, Meridiano Alicante and Menorca Basquet - teams in the lower end of the table that are not in European competition but are nevertheless very dangerous.
 
"That's what is so great about this league," he said to FIBA.com.
 
"Any team can beat any other team on any given night.
 
“It's not like some other leagues in Europe where the top two or three teams are always going to win and go 20-1 or whatever.”
 
Panko, who has played in Puerto Rico and also competed in Greece, said: "The ACB is difficult.
 
“If you don't come to play, you're going to lose.
 
"Even if you do come to play, there are circumstances where you can play well and lose. That's why Spain is the best league outside the NBA."
 
One such game for Panko and Lagun Aro came against Real Madrid in week 24.
 
Panko caught fire, connecting on three of six shots from long range and scoring 31 points.
 
Just when it seemed Lagun Aro had victory assured late in regulation, Madrid came back to force overtime and then won.
 
“That’s Spain, that what’s I’m talking about,” Panko said.
 
“We thought we had the game won, they get a couple of offensive rebounds and (Sergio) Llull hits a three from the corner and we just ran out of gas (in overtime). We just didn’t have enough firepower for Madrid.”
 
He had the consolation of being named as the ACB’s Player of the Week following the Madrid game with a valuation of 41.
 
Panko is averaging 12.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.
 
He has buried an impressive 38% (32 of 85) of his shots from behind the arc.
 
How long can he keep this up?
 
"I'm only 33 and I actually feel better playing now than I used to," he said.
 
“I’m hoping to play for a couple of more years and then I’ll be able to get Spanish passport so who knows what’s going to happen after that.”
 
Panko, who played college basketball at Lebanon Valley University, an NCAA Division 3 school, is under contract at Lagun Aro GBC for another year.
 
He’s in no rush to leave.
 
"We've found a great place and I am very comfortable there with my wife and two kids,” he said.
 
“San Sebastian is a small city and we love it there.
 
“I have no health problems, am injury free so far.”
 
While fans in Spain often watch Panko on television or read about his high-scoring games in the sports pages, they also discovered recently that his family had to be evacuated from their home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1979 during the Three Mile Island nuclear crisis.
 
That part of Panko’s background came to light because of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan which was caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunamis on March 11.
 
"I was only two years old when it happened," Panko said of Three Mile Island.
 
"We had to leave and go to Scranton (PA), which is where my father was born.
 
"My father was a doctor, though, and he actually stayed back in case of emergencies to help people.
 
"I don't think there were any repercussions 20 years later, though, because it (radiation) was contained. There was no leak."
 
Panko has seen the images of the Japan disaster and Fukushima, which is the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
 
"It's terrible,” Panko said.
 
“My heart goes out to them.
 
“My family and I pray for them every day."
 
FIBA