After 24 years of coaching in Germany, Dirk Bauermann had to leave his home country and move to Eastern Europe for the first time in his career.

The nine-time German champion and former coach of the Germany national team landed a job in Poland this season as head coach of its national team and also took over the coaching position in Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, Lithuania.

RealGM sat down with Bauermann in Vilnius to talk about the changes in his life, time with Lietuvos Rytas, German basketball, Dirk Nowitzki, his new role with Poland national team and much more.

RealGM: First of all, I've heard that Toronto Raptors' assistant general manager Maurizio Gherardini was the person who helped you to get in touch with Lietuvos Rytas. Could you tell me how did you end up signing a contract with Lietuvos Rytas?

Bauermann: Well, he called me and said that he had helped the club in many different ways and they had asked him for advise in terms of who to look at for a possible replacement for the old coach. He [Maurizio Gherardini] recommended me, we have known each other for a long time. He was the GM in Treviso and we played against them with both, Bamberg and Leverkusen, in the Euroleague. He recommended me to them and I guess they had me on the radar as well. They called me and it didn't take long to come to an agreement. The negotiating process took only one or two days. I had been waiting for the right situation, a top professional European team and seemed to be a good fit.

RealGM: After joining Lietuvos Rytas, you definitely found things you liked or didn't like. Could you name the positives and negatives of the situation you found in Vilnius?

Bauermann: The one thing that I didn't like was all that snow. Even at the beginning of April, we had minus 10 degrees in Celsius at night. Other than that, it has been very good three weeks here. Fans in Vilnius welcomed me with open arms because it's a basketball country. I was happy about the positive reception. The club is very professional and the only purpose is to win. Everybody is investing in winning and I really like our team. We have a young group, which invested in winning and so far everything is good.

Of course, before I came here, I looked at the tons of video. After I signed here, I looked at even more video. I just thought that the team had room for improvement at the defensive end of the floor. They needed to develop a collective identity. I thought that working a lot on defensive fundamentals, schemes, rotations we could then develop team identity. Something we can base our game on. That was the first cornerstone sort of speak of what I've tried to do here.

RealGM: In the Germian media, you've mentioned that you're the first German to come to work for a Lithuanian basketball team. What does it personally mean to you?

Bauermann: I think it's a sign of respect for myself, which I appreciate, but it's also a kind of respect for German basketball. Europe recognize that we're not just a soccer country. And we're not a country that just has [Dirk] Nowitzki and that's it. We have good players, good coaches and hopefully I'll be able to open the door for other coaches. Hopefully that will be a side effect of signing here.

RealGM: Is there a thing or two that Lithuanian basketball could learn from Germany?

Bauermann: I would never say what somebody could learn from somebody else. They have to decide. But I think German basketball has grown in the last few years a lot. Because first, the league is very strong and well governed. The management of the league (BBL) is at very high level and they do a very good job. We have great infrastructure and all the gyms are pretty much brand new. Also in Germany, you have a very interesting loyal fan base. The basketball community is tremendous. Almost all the games are sold out on the regular basis. The normal sports fan is not interested in basketball, that's the difference. In the States, they are interested in football, baseball, basketball or even hockey. And they have preferences and they watch one sport more than the other. In Germany, the regular sports fan is a soccer fan, who doesn't care about basketball. That's the problem. Like I said, the league is very strong and professional, teams are doing a good job. And what I think that really helped is the fact that we have gone from possibly having 12 Americans on your roster to now six-max, which I think was a really important step.

RealGM: You've been coaching one of the most ambitious European teams, Bayern Munich for two seasons. Bayern is well known for its soccer team, but they haven been declaring intentions to establish itself on elite European basketball scene as well.

Bauermann: Obviously, being one of the biggest clubs in Europe, I think you can legitimately compare them to Real Madrid or Barcelona. It was a huge step for German basketball that they decided to focus not only on soccer, but also start developing basketball as well. The club has great recourses and they really want to do it. They can easily build a Final Four Euroleague team. They have money, resources and sponsorship. And also the city is great and is made for basketball. Another question is what are the goals. Do they just want to play in the Euroleague or do they want to become one of the top basketball teams in Europe and compete for championships. That's what they do in soccer and if they decide they want to be in basketball where Real Madrid and Barcelona is now, they can very easily do that, that's not a problem. So far, the program has grown very quickly. The gym is nice, the fan support has been great and sky is the limit for them.

RealGM: Taking you back to Lithuania, one of Lietuvos Rytas' players, Nemanja Nedovic, might be drafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. So far, what's your opinion on Nedovic?

Bauermann: Nemanja definitely has NBA potential, there's no question. He's super athletic, but a lot of guards are. It's important to be athletic, especially in the NBA, but more importantly he has tremendous court vision and scoring ability, which is important nowadays in modern basketball. He's not just a scoring point guard, who dominates the ball and makes everybody around him fall asleep. He has a very good feel when to take over and when to be distribute and facilitate. He's still young and it's a difficult position to play, but I think most importantly he needs to make a personal commitment to the defensive end of the floor. With his athletic ability and his instincts, he can dominate the game on the defensive end. But it must be something that he wants to do. And then I think he can be a very complete and a very good NBA guard.

RealGM: On his latest interview to RealGM, Nedovic said that Lithuanian and Serbian basketball school is pretty much similar, while your coaching style reminds him American basketball style. Could you explain that?

Bauermann: Obviously, what I do is in terms of general approach to the game that we're taking, it's definitely a European approach, a very team and defense oriented. I shouldn't say that American teams aren't [playing] pass oriented, not off the dribble, not a whole one-on-one, but like a team game. Obviously, there are a lot of American teams who play like that. I think if you look how NBA teams play. Nobody moves the ball better than Miami Heat or executes better in half court than San Antonio Spurs. I think it's almost unfair to say that the American game is more individual or more off the dribble. But I think it's probably more about how I carry myself and how I relate to the players. That sort of things. Not the basketball part as much, but how I relate with players, how I coach them and how I try to get most out of them.

RealGM: In your opinion, what the future holds for German national team after the retirement of Nowitzki?

Bauermann: I think we have an up-and-coming generation of players that turn 23 or 24 this year and will be a foundation for our national team for years. Tim Ohlbrecht is the oldest one of that group and he's now with the Houston Rockets. And then you have five-six players, who in couple years will definitely be Euroleague level or even NBA - Tibor Pleiss, Ohlbrecht, Robin Benzing, Philipp Schwethelm, Ellias Harris, who might be drafted, Bastian Doreth and Per Gunther. It's very balanced and it's not like four big guys and no shooters. We have a really good balance and I think sky is the limit for our national team. I gave them first opportunity to play national basketball when they were 19-year-old. They played in U20 European championship and two days later they were in the national team's training camp. Later they all played in EuroBasket 2009, 2010 FIBA Worlds and EuroBasket 2011. Now they're all national team players and the future looks very bright.

RealGM: You had a chance to work with Nowitzki for such a long time. Could you name at least few things what you've learned from Nowitzki?

Bauermann: I think the main thing they see is that you can be a world's superstar, but it doesn't have to change who you are as a person. That's number one. So to turn nose up is not a good thing. I think they all learned from Dirk that you can be a humble person, a regular guy, who is friendly to everybody, to the kids, just be a normal person and still be a superstar. Second thing that I think they learned was an unbelievable work ethic. You practice hard, you try to win every drill and scrimmage. And you always work extra - after every practice he stayed longer and worked on his outside shot, obviously. A lot of players and coaches talk and say things, but to me talk is cheap, it's what you do. He lead these young men by example. By being humble and normal, and talking to them. He showed them how really you need to a professional, how hard you need to work. The dedication and making winning your only priority, not the stats. In German basketball, we could not have asked a better role model.

RealGM: We all heard many stories about Nowitzki's work ethic, but is there anything specific about his training?

Bauermann: I think he does some drills with Holger Geschwindner, his mentor and coach, that were specifically designed to help him, being a 7-footer, balance his mobility, technique, but more importantly, his footwork and balance. Those things are unusual, but very well designed and very creative. You have to give Holger a lot of credit for Dirk's development.

RealGM: Do you think that humbleness is what separate Nowitzki from other superstars and makes him so popular?

Bauermann: I don't know many superstars, but Chris Kaman was the same way. He was a cool guy, very coachable and fun to be around. I can't say, but I know that he's one of the most pleasant, humble and smartest players that I ever coached.

RealGM: Moving to your other new position as a head coach of Polish national team, how did you end up landing a job there?

Bauermann: They contacted and they obviously they knew me from all those championships. They liked how I coached and how my teams play. It didn't take long to come to an agreement. It's a lot of fun to coach at EuroBasket. You play against some of the best teams, players and coaches. With that regard, it was kind of no-brainer for me. Plus, I think the team really has a lot of potential. I think it has a really good combination of older guys, who both played in the NBA and Euroleague level. Maciej Lampe, for example, is having the best season in his career with Caja Laboral. But also we have a really good generation of young players, who were born in 1993. [Przemek] Karnowski, [Tomasz] Gielo, [Mateusz] Ponitka. I think it will be fun to work with both these young guys same as with very good veteran type players.

RealGM: How do you look at this job in Poland - as a challenge or as an opportunity to archive great results?

Bauermann: With the results, you never know. If you base it on that, you could be quickly disappointed. I think you have to base it on substance, level of commitment that the team and federation have, people that are responsible. People in the federation are great and it's all about the people, professionalism and commitment to winning. Like I said, EuroBasket is a tremendous challenge, our group is very difficult. It's just fun to work at the highest level.

RealGM: Some time ago Marcin Gortat and Lampe made a commitment to play for Poland in the upcoming EuroBasket 2013. What was your reaction to this?

Bauermann: I talked to both of them. I talked to Gortat and he played in past summers. So with him it was never a question. Lampe had some problems last summers because he had bad ankle. I talked to him and I told him what the plans are and how important I thought he was for the team success. He immediately told me he's coming and just tell me when I need to be there.

For the second year in a row, underdog Olympiacos Piraeus stunned CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague Final Four and once again the Russian club has to leave the competition without the title.

At the beginning of the season, four-time Euroleague champion and current head coach of CSKA, Ettore Messina, was meant to be the savior Moscow needed, but it wasn't enough to achieve big success in London. CSKA once again failed at a crucial moment, but Messina believes there's still some work left to be done in Moscow.

RealGM sat down with Messina in London to talk about what the future holds for CSKA, the Euroleague Final Four format, Viktor Khryapa and things that money can't buy.

RealGM: What was the first thought that came to your mind on the morning following the loss on Friday?

Messina: That we badly lost the game. I woke up with very few hours of sleep with the idea that we lost and we played poorly. We need to find a way to make players want to win. We cannot throw in the towel and there's a lot of work that has to be done. We need to find a way to convince them that there's some work to do.

RealGM: Last summer, CSKA president Andrey Vatutin told RealGM that his plan is to build a team for at least three years. Do you believe CSKA's plan remains the same even after Friday's loss?

Messina: Usually at the end of the season, regardless of whether we win or lose, I sit with the president of my club to talk about the situation and obviously the future. We discuss the adjustments that we may do or not, thus it is difficult for me to answer the question now. We will have some discussions at the end of the season, for sure.

RealGM: As you know, 14 of 15 players have contracts for the next season. Do you think that this group of players are still able to bring a championship to Moscow?

Messina: First of all, we talk about the team, which had a great Euroleague season. But we're talking about the team that collapsed again at the most important moment of the season, which was a shock. At this point, you can think two ways. First, let's make minor adjustments and we can solve the problem, or you might think let's change everything. I have no idea what the feel of the club is and I will make sure at the end of the season that at least they hear my personal opinion.

RealGM: Do you agree that building a team with long-term vision is better than rebuilding a club every single year?

Messina: It must be better with this, I agree. This team went through forced adjustment during last summer. We lost three key players not because we wanted. Two went to the NBA and one retired. Once that happened, we're talking about three players who were 70 percent of our scoring power, thus we had to make adjustments. All season long it seems that we were moving on and we were going on the right direction. And then all the sudden there comes a game like the one on Friday and everything looks like a disaster. You have to detach yourself from this very close field and think about it with cold mind.

RealGM: Leaving Friday's game behind us, Viktor Khryapa was one of the best players in the league all season long, but he wasn't selected to the All-Euroleague First Team. Was that a surprise for you?

Messina: I thought he deserved the first lineup and I think he was a great candidate for the MVP award as well. But that's out of my control. And even if this made him [Khryapa] upset, it's just something you have to deal with. He was absolutely a key player of our team. If not him, we wouldn't be in the final four because he was so consistent all season. He played a major role, for sure.

RealGM: Talking about the current Euroleague format, you play many games all season long and there's only one decisive game in semifinal and final. Do you think it is the way it should be?

Messina: I always said that [a series is better]. The experience in the 2001 Euroleague best-of-five final series was one of the best experiences that I had as a coach. Not only because we won, but also because those five great games got all the attention in Europe and South America or around the world. Comparing with the Final Four, just as you said, you have a bad day and you basically destroy your season. Same happens if you get injured. But I understand why they use the format of the Final Four. There are marketing reasons. However, as a coach, I always said that to decide who is a champion, there must be a playoffs.

RealGM: Looking at this season, did you like the decision to extend the Euroleague Top 16 phrase? 

Messina: I have to say the second stage was great. All those great teams playing games every week… I really like the way it is. Basically, the Top 16 becomes a true regular season. The regular season is more like a qualification. I would put it like this.

RealGM: We've seen so many cases when teams that have money cannot achieve great results. What is the key ingredient in terms of building a championship team?

Messina: Chemistry. And you also have to find the right people before the right players.

RealGM: Can you buy chemistry?

Messina: No, but choosing the right people is very important and maybe sometimes you have to sacrifice a little bit in terms of talent. But you have to make sure you have the right people. 

RealGM: Do you see those right people in Europe that you would want to have in your team? 

Messina: Yes, but we do not want to be affected by a very bad game and start thinking that what we did was all wrong and what the other do is all good.

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All basketball eyes in Europe are on the Euroleague Final Four in London, taking place in O2 Arena this weekend. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona Regal, CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus (last year's champions) are only two wins away from winning the most prestigious basketball title in Europe. 

RealGM sat down with Euroleague president Jordi Bertomeu to discuss the 2012-13 season, the new format of the competition, its biggest problems and the future of Euroleague.

RealGM: First of all, could you evaluate this Euroleague season from your perspective?

Bertomeu: The new format gave us very good results in terms of increasing attendance. Especially on Friday, when families got more opportunities to come to the games. Our TV ratings doubled comparing Fridays with Wednesdays. I think the second phase of the competition, Top 16, had a large success. We had many great games. Some people think it was probably a bit too long, but everyone said that it was very competitive. Also with one game left, only one team was secured its place in the playoffs, thus everyone had to compete from the beginning till the end. The traffic in the web, twitter and social media numbers comparing to last season were very good. We cannot say we're done, but it's the first year of this format.

RealGM: Could you explain why you decided to extend the Top 16 phrase instead of doing the same thing with the regular season? 

Bertomeu: Because when we decided to extend the competition, we had to be careful to not damage the product. To play more games just to play more games, it doesn't make any sense. People like to see the best teams play on the court. So we gave an opportunity for the best teams to enlarge the competition, but at the same time, we're maintaining the quality. As the compensation for the teams that cannot reach the Top 16, next year we will propose to the clubs that the teams that will not make to the next phrase can play in the Eurocup. They would have more games to play. At the same time, we have to protect the quality. With the previous format, there were groups of four teams in Top 16 and there were lot of tension. This year we had less tension and more quality. If we extend the regular season, the quality wouldn't not be the same.

RealGM: You've been talking a lot about the positive effect of playing games on Friday. At the same time, don't you think that this change creates troubles for domestic competitions?

Bertomeu: What we did is we gave an answer to the clubs who have been asking for a change. We had to leave Wednesday's for the Champions League (main soccer competition in Europe). I think there are no leagues that have trouble with this decision. In fact, there's no difference between playing games on Thursday and then Friday or Friday and then Saturday. And also most of the leagues help clubs and they play their games on Mondays. The only exception is probably the Spanish league.

RealGM: In your opinion, how important is it to maintain strong national competitions, or do you think Euroleague should be given a priority in Europe?

Bertomeu: For us it's very important, but the truth is that in last few years, with few exceptions such Germany, the overall level of main competitions in Spain, Italy or Greece decreased. That's why the international program is becoming more and more important. Clubs are asking for more games in Europe. They feel that this is what they need to give to their fans. For us, it's very important to keep European competition as strong as possible. We have the best competition than all region leagues and teams, which think domestic leagues are too small for them, want more games.

RealGM: Taking about the VTB league, at the beginning you were quite sceptical but now it seems that Euroleague 'became more friendly' with VTB. Is that correct?

Bertomeu: The only reason why we were a bit tough is that we didn't want any other competitions outside the structure. VTB was out of the structure and we had a conversation with them. I think there were good willingness from both sides and we came to an agreement. We did not want any other competition that would confuse people. I remember a couple years ago we had an opening game between Zalgiris and CSKA, and fans were confused is it VTB or Euroleague. We have to understand that fans want clear things and not to be confused. VTB could be like a Spanish competition. For example, Real Madrid and Barcelona play in Spanish competition but they also compete for the same trophy [as other European teams]. I think this is the main meaning of all of this.

RealGM: Lately there has been some tension between Euroleague and Panathinaikos. It seems that fining teams don't work, thus do you have any other ways to fight with teams that break rules?

Bertomeu: The truth is that this year, with the exception of Panathinaikos, overall the behavior of our fans was much better compared with last year. I would say that we used to have problems with Partizan and other teams in other places. But this has probably been the best year in history. Of course, we had problems with Panathinaikos, which I think is out of the normal expectations. They have to understand that they have to follow the rules. And of course, we cannot allow them to let 30,000 people in the arena if there are only 19,000 seats. Fans have to stay safe and enjoy games and this is our target. We cannot accept this behavior, having an open door to the games.

RealGM: Looking at the future, what would be the main thing you would like to improve in the near future?

Bertomeu: The best way to grow is that we focus on critical countries for us such as United Kingdom, France and Germany. We have strengthened our presence in those markets. We had a conversation with all of them and I think in a year or two that has to be our focus. 

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