Panathinaikos brings EuroLeague glory to Melbourne

6 days ago 29

In a packed John Cain Arena connected Thursday night, Panathinaikos and Partizan… won implicit Melbourne.

The Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament – staged extracurricular Greece for the archetypal clip – drew a sell-out assemblage of 10,500, underlining the passionateness of section hoops fans.

Next up is Sydney, where KK Partizan will look the Sydney Kings and Panathinaikos will take connected the Adelaide 36ers tomorrow, Sunday, astatine Qudos Bank Arena.

Despite the pitchy lag of respective players who landed successful Australia lone hours earlier tip-off, the crippled was played astatine a precocious tempo, with some sides battling hard for the win.

Panathinaikos lifted its crippled successful the third and 4th quarters to unafraid a 91–82 victory, led by Kendrik Nunn (21 points) and Omer Yurtseven (20 points, 13 rebounds). Duane Washington top-scored for Partizan with 19 points.

Quarter scores: 20–27, 37–44, 62–58, 91–82.

The ambiance wrong the arena matched the occasion, arsenic Greek and Serbian fans – on with galore others – brought colour, sound and excitement to welcome two giants of European basketball.

Also successful attendance was Australian NBA subordinate and Boomers star Josh Giddey, who had trained with Panathinaikos earlier successful the week astatine facilities successful Port Melbourne.

Halftime delivered 1 of the night’s astir memorable moments, when Greek and Serbian creation groups successful traditional costume joined together connected court, performing to euphony from some cultures and electrifying the crowd.

At the post-game property conference, Panathinaikos manager Ergin Ataman expressed his delight that the tournament had made its debut successful Australia.

“It’s a antithetic acquisition for us. I judge it shows antithetic paths for the aboriginal of world basketball. From what I saw… it was an unthinkable ambiance for a affable game, successful a sold-out arena. Both teams played arsenic if it were a existent match, adjacent though neither is afloat acceptable yet. But they took it seriously, and the ambiance was fantastic. We played bully basketball, particularly successful the 2nd half, and we got the win.”

Asked by Neos Kosmos whether games successful Australia mightiness go a tradition if Panathinaikos wins the EuroLeague this year, Ataman smiled and said:

“Yes, we’ll see. Maybe adjacent year an Australian team will travel somewhere other successful the world to play… It’s bully to person games similar this successful the pre-season. What I saw was that the EuroLeague itself was present – which was strange for me: the referees, the caput of referees, the organizers, each present. Maybe EuroLeague is readying something antithetic for the future, to marque hoops much global.”
“The NBA is trying to support European teams close, possibly the EuroLeague will try to bring successful Australian teams, oregon possibly adjacent NBA teams will articulation the EuroLeague successful the future, due to the fact that it’s a much breathtaking competition.”

“As you know, the EuroLeague regular play is much breathtaking than the NBA regular season.”

Reflecting connected the timing of the visit so σύντομα aft EuroBasket 2025 – where Ataman’s Turkey and Yurtseven won metallic – the manager explained:

“It was very important for maine to beryllium here, retired of respect for my team, for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos family, and for each the friends and figures of hoops successful Australia.”

Yurtseven added that it had taken them 5 flights within 24 hours to scope Melbourne and Sydney, though his show connected tribunal showed nary signs of fatigue and gave him assurance for the play ahead.

Partizan manager Željko Obradović, who led Panathinaikos to aggregate titles during his clip with the club, besides praised the occasion:

“We’re blessed to beryllium present and to play successful a tournament that carries the sanction of Pavlos Giannakopoulos, a antheral who made an tremendous publication to European hoops and particularly to Panathinaikos.”

“It was a beauteous game, successful an fantabulous atmosphere, with fans from Greece and Serbia. We were missing some players, but that’s not a occupation – what matters is to understand what we did close and wrong successful our game.”

Obradović reflected warmly connected his ain past with Panathinaikos: “We played successful 27 finals together and won 23 trophies. Panathinaikos is similar my ain club. I’m from Serbia and Partizan is something I ever transportation within me, but Panathinaikos is, much oregon less, the same. The feeling is special.”