Βy Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Less than a week after the sudden passing of Dejan Milojevic, the European basketball community suffered another shock as former Israeli player and coach Lior Lubin passed away at 46 after fighting a serious illness.
Lubin was part of Oded Kattash’s coaching staff in Panathinaikos and won a EuroLeague title in 2003 with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Both clubs will honor him before their upcoming EuroLeague game with a special ceremony, Walla Sport reports.
The news of Lubin’s passing shocked his friends in the basketball world. Dimitris Diamantidis, who had the pleasure of working with him as the CEO of Panathinaikos, said, “I am in shock. I am unable to speak; I can only send my condolences to Lior’s family.”
Georgios Papagiannis heard the tragic news in Istanbul.
“How could this be? How did this happen? Lior was, first and foremost, a great person. We only worked together for a short time, and he pushed us forward in every game and every practice. I’m really broken right now. Everyone who worked with him respected him enormously. He was an excellent coach and personality,” Papagiannis said.
Ioannis Papapetrou spoke about Lubin after a win in the Greek derby.
“What a great man. I was honored to play for him. He had a special spirit and a great sense of humor. He always spread love and tried to help everyone. This loss is huge.”
Former Panathinaikos player Mario Hezonja shared his condolences on social media.
“Rest in peace, my friend, Lior. You embraced me since the first day back. Your enthusiasm, positivity, and basketball knowledge pushed and inspired the entire team to win in a very difficult time. My condolences to Oded and family,” Hezonja wrote.