By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following the death of his father, İbrahim Nuray Ataman, Panathinaikos Aktor head coach Ergin Ataman traveled from Greece to Turkiye and Istanbul to attend the funeral.
His father passed away on Thursday. He was 89.
Among friends and relatives, many active and retired players, including Cedi Osman of the San Antonio Spurs, and fellow coaches paid their respects on Friday.
Christos Serelis, an assistant coach under Ataman, was temporarily handed head-coaching responsibilities. The Greens welcome Peristeri bwin in OAKA later Thursday (19:15 CET). A potential win in Round 4 of Greece’s Stoiximan Basket League Regular Season Top 6 would cement homecourt advantage across the Playoffs of the domestic league, besides marking a tenth win in a row across all competitions.
Resuming the continental campaign, the Greek powerhouse shifts to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs next week. Hosting Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on Tuesday and Thursday starts a best-of-five series for a berth in the Final Four to be held in Berlin. Ataman is expected to return to Athens, to prepare and coach his side against the reigning league and cup champions of Israel.
After ranking 17th out of 18 teams in the 2022-23 installment of Europe’s premier club continental competition, Panathinaikos named Ataman as the new play-caller during the offseason to bounce back. A 23-11 record ranked second in the final standings of the 2023-24 Regular Season. Potentially securing three wins and eliminating Maccabi would clinch a spot in the Final Four for the first time since 2012.