Βy Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos is hosting this year’s “Pavlos Giannakopoulos” tournament at the Panathenaic Stadium, marking a historic moment for the club and basketball in general, as the sport returns to this venue after many years.
At the press conference organized by the European and Greek champions, Dimitris Giannakopoulos thanked the three participating clubs—Partizan, Efes, and Maccabi—for taking part in another “Pavlos Giannakopoulos” tournament and made a special mention of Željko Obradović, under whom Panathinaikos won five EuroLeague titles and who was one of the late Pavlos’ most beloved people:
“This year’s tournament is somewhat different. We have some of the top teams in Europe with us. It’s the first international game at the Panathenaic Stadium in 56 years, making it a sporting, social, and cultural event at this historic venue.
The first game since 1968. I want to thank all the authorities for granting us permission to hold these games.
I hope, God willing, the weather will be on our side so that the fans can enjoy a unique event,” Dimitris Giannakopoulos initially stated, and continued:
“I feel like I’m among friends. We’ve always worked with Maccabi for the good of basketball, and the same goes for our friends from Efes.
I remember seeing Ergin (Ataman) in blue, and I used to say I wanted to see him in green. That dream became a reality last year, with great success.
I’ve saved my big brother, Željko, for last. No matter which team he’s with, he’s always here and accepts our invitation.”
Panathinaikos owner told an interesting story about Partizan’s head coach, Obradović.
“I want to share a story with you. My father had an office at home that hasn’t been touched. There are probably more photos of Željko than of me. That’s why I call him my older brother, like a father to me. Let’s all show that sports unite us. We don’t see countries or religions. We want to bring people to the stadium; basketball should unite and bring joy and entertainment.”
Giannakopoulos was asked about his investment and whether he believed in last year’s tremendous success for Panathinaikos:
“Looking at the EuroLeague, I see significant growth and young people falling in love with basketball and investing in it. When I decided to invest my time and money again, my aim was only for the top. That’s why we brought in Ergin and the players. The top is always the goal. We achieved it in a year. Of course, I believed it, because otherwise, you can’t achieve anything in life.”
The owner of Panathinaikos emphasized his hope that OAKA will be 100% ready next year to host even NBA teams along with European ones and added:
“The ‘Pavlos Giannakopoulos’ tournament is already part of the EuroLeague calendar. You can do everything for the fans, but also see it as an investment. I had said before that it’s not worth putting money into a bottomless pit. Basketball is business, and that’s how we need to see it in Europe and Greece, while also providing a great experience for the fans.”
Obradović: Pavlos was like a father to me
Željko Obradović did not hide his love and gratitude for Pavlos Giannakopoulos once again:
“I want to thank Dimitris Giannakopoulos for the invitation this year as well.
You all know well the relationship I had with Pavlos and the Giannakopoulos family. He was like a father to me. He helped me throughout all the years we worked together at Panathinaikos. He is one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. Congratulations once again to Panathinaikos for their incredible season last year.
Athens is my city. I don’t feel like a stranger, and I’m always happy because I always see friends here.“