Rogkavopoulos declares for NBA Draft

Nikos Rogkavopoulos has become the second Greek player to declare for the 2020 NBA draft.

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Nearly a week after Georgios Kalaitzakis declared for the NBA draft, countryman Nikos Rogkavopoulos has also filed to join the field for the upcoming draft.

Currently on the books at AEK, Rogkavopoulos has impressed on the international stage for Greece at the youth level, including at the 2017 U16 European Championship Division B as he led Greece to the gold medal and picked up tournament MVP honours in the process.

Speaking to EuroHoops, Rogkavopoulos said once he’s allowed to travel, he plans on going to the United States in order to workout for NBA teams.

“First of all, we have to get over the COVID-19 pandemic, and then when I can participate in workouts, I want to go to the States and fight for my chances. The truth is that at this point we don’t know when this can be done, but we will be there. That’s my plan; I am counting on the workouts.”

Rogkavopoulos doesn’t feature on any of the top draft boards as of yet, but the 18-year-old remains optimistic about his chances in the draft.

“I didn’t get a lot of attention until this season, but I believe in myself. I believe that the younger I get drafted and the younger I get to the NBA, the better it would be for my improvement.”

Born in Maroussi, Rogkavopoulos started his professional career with local side Doukas after foregoing an offer from Spanish giants Real Madrid. A year later, Rogkavopoulos moved to AEK on a six-year contract as he indicated his focus was to remain in Greece to continue his development. After the better part of three seasons at AEK, and having played in the Basket League and the Basketball Champions League, Rogkavopoulos believes he is ready for the next step in his career.

“The truth is that I don’t know if this is going to be easy or not. However, I am not the guy who takes everything easy and doesn’t care. I try to find my weaknesses, to improve, and always take a step up. I don’t care about the past; I don’t dwell on it. If I am healthy, I think I deserve to be in the NBA because of my work, my mentality, and my love for the game. I think that I will prove that I belong there”.

 The 2020 draft remains scheduled for 25 June, but with the 2019/2020 season currently suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is believed the league will reschedule the event dependent on the fate of the season. As it stands, Rogkavopoulos will have until 15 June to withdraw from the draft to wait another year.

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