By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Before dominating in the EuroLeague with Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos, the team in which Ergin Ataman spent most of his time consequently was Galatasaray, coaching on the yellow-and-red side of Istanbul from 2012 to 2017.
In two of these five years, from 2013 to 2015, he had Carlos Arroyo leading the team from outside of the perimeter. The Puertorican guard, who switched teams midway through the season after leaving their rivals in Besiktas, raised the bar high by contributing to the Turkish league title in 2012-13.
Talking to Semih Tuna from Eurohoops Türkiye, he talked about his relationship with Ergin Ataman. “I still talk to him to this day, I congratulate him after the games he wins. He taught me a lot about playing in Europe, pushing me to take my game to the next level. Apart from winning, we have been through a lot with him, our families are very close to each other. I’m very happy for him”, he first said.
Later on, he addressed how it actually is to be coached by the Turkish mastermind. “I think Ergin [Ataman] is very demanding, and because of this demanding side, there are moments during the season when you get frustrated. At the end of the day, when you win, you understand everything. He understands the game and his guards’ game very well, he pushes his guards to be better and enables them to showcase their talents to the best of their ability”, he underlined.
The former Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic player continued to praise him. “Also his perspective on the game… He is the goat. He’s a three-time champion, he’s got that magic. You need to applaud him and show him the respect he deserves. I think he knows exactly how to push every player to be better, he did the same with Kostas [Sloukas] and Kendrick [Nunn]”, Carlos Arroyo also said.
“[Ergin] Ataman is one of those coaches who will not allow his team to go away from what he has planned out of control and act outside of what he planned. I give Kendrick [Nunn] a lot of credit because he adapted very well in his first year”, he finally shared about the American guard.
Full Carlos Arroyo’s interview with Eurohoops:
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague