By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Coach Aleksandar Djordjevic is getting ready for a season in Panathinaikos which includes many challenges. The Greens under him want to be again title contenders and this is going to be Dimitris Diamantidis final season as a player.
However, Djordjevic has one more big goal, something that was never done before: To change Diamantidis’ mind and keep him on the Euroleague courts after the summer of 2016. As he said to Eurohoops: “Diamantidis is a great, great personality, a leader, one of the legends of European basketball and my biggest goal is to make him change his idea (ed.note: about retiring)! I have already told him that, I want him to enjoy basketball the best way he can and to stay with Panathinaikos for at least more two years, because he can and he must! That is my opinion. Basketball needs Diamantidis, Diamantidis needs basketball. Panathinaikos needs Diamantidis and we all enjoy seeing him play. I consider myself blessed because I can coach him and I can learn from him”.
When he was told that Diamantidis never change his opinion on such matters in the past, Djordjevic smiled: “There’s always a first time in your life! I have my chances, yes, why not? There’s no one stopping me from trying! One is free to try… It’s not going to be me of course, it’s going to be him. He decides. He said it, it’s ok but he might be back. He might just get… I don’t know… one year off and then return. I did something like that in my career. I wanted more time with my family, I lost the passion for basketball, but I regained it and I wanted two more years in my career. It’s a great example. So this might be the solution, why not? Because he can. I was exhausted, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t tie my shoes, but he is still an unbelievable athlete. Why to stop? He may want more!”