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Experienced head coach Erkin Ataman reminded that the Greek Panathinaikos team he took over last season achieved important achievements such as the Euroleague and Greek League titles.
Ataman stressed that they were ambitious for the new season, saying: “We kept the entire team. We only changed one player. We hired Lorenzo Brown from Maccabi instead of Luca Vildosa. This is a player I wanted very much.” The president said “Your contract will be signed before the end of the season, we need to extend it, we need to win more championships together.” “We immediately extended the contract for three years,” he said.
“Our goal is to fight for and win these titles again in these three years. At the beginning of last year, I said, ‘My goal is the Europa League title.'” “Everyone would laugh if I said that. We are one of the biggest favourites for the Europa League right now. We will try to continue. Of course, our job will not be easy. We will face an opponent who wants to beat the champions in every game we play.”
“If an NBA club has a dream of success, we’ll come and talk”
When asked about his career plans, Elkin Ataman said that he signed a 3-year contract with Panathinaikos and is very happy in Greece, and said: “I no longer have any dreams about the NBA. I am the coach with the most dreams. The successful results and championships of the Euroleague in the past five years If any NBA club dreams of bringing in a European coach and achieving what he has achieved in Europe, they will come and we will talk. I have no plans to leave Panathinaikos, and if there is an NBA club with such a dream, they will come and we will talk,” he said.
Ataman commented on national basketball player Alperen Şengün’s statement that European coaches cannot succeed in the NBA:
“Alperen might say they can’t succeed, but he means something else. There’s a different mentality in the NBA. It’s more of a showmanship mentality. Coaches’ selections for teams aren’t success-oriented. I mean, ‘Before, whether they’re going to succeed, they need to try it out and see if the mentality there is to bring in European coaches. But like I said, our door is open for them to see if we can be successful in this.”
“Our concern is for Omar Farouk Yutseven”
Elgin Ataman said they have a budget for long-term player reinforcements and said: “We can’t add an ordinary player there. I’m a little worried that the player we add will upset the balance of the team. Because we have set up a system, I am considering not to make a transfer at the beginning of the season. Sap Ataman has a very good name in his mind. “We have been thinking about this player for two days, and he has left the NBA. Omar is a very good player, and I think he will do well in Europe.”
Ataman said Ömer Faruk Yurtseven is a player who always wants to play. He said:
“We also have the most important big man in Europe in Matthias Lesot. Getting a very important player like Omar Farouk and making a transfer will give us a lot of strength on paper. However, we are worried about how this will be reflected on the court. Frankly speaking, we are considering it, so he is a very important player for us to focus on, and even if we can participate in the European Cup next year, he will be one of the most important players for our national team. I really hope that Furkan Korkmaz will come to Europe, it will be a very good choice for him, “It will also have a positive impact on our national team. I hope that Omar Farouk can do the same. “
“Hopefully our sports solidarity will also be reflected in Türkiye-Greece relations”
The experienced head coach stressed that from day one, they had a lot of interest in Greece, saying: “Today, many Turks say, ‘We became Panathinaikos’. For a Turkish coach, there is a lot of interest in Greece. The Greek Prime Minister called and said, ‘Only Panathinaikos has a place in Europe, not because of league titles, but because I see that the environment you have created here has greatly contributed to the integration of the two peoples, both in the public and political aspects, and I thank you,” he said.
Commenting on his decision to continue with Panathinaikos, Ataman continued:
“Hopefully, our sports solidarity will also be reflected in Turkey-Greece relations. From time to time there are tensions. I do see very important progress and very important developments between the peoples of our two countries. Good friendships are positive, and there is dialogue between our president and Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, one of our biggest supporters.”
“The only medal I’m missing in my career is with the national team”
Reminding that he has achieved many successes in his club career but has yet to win a medal for the national basketball team, the experienced head coach said: “We are watching the competition at the Olympics. My dream is to lead the Turkish national team to such a level. It is not easy, but we will participate in the European Championships with our NBA players. “I am very confident in the national team this season,” he said.
Ataman stressed that the teams participating in the European Cup are all strong teams, and he concluded:
“There are very strong teams but we showed that quality at the last European Championship. We have very talented players. We are looking for important recruitments. We are particularly looking for scoring playmakers in the 1-2 positions. There are few players I am keeping an eye on and we have not discussed yet, and if we can recruit such players, there is no reason why we cannot win a medal in the European Championship.
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