Koroneios: “The success of Panathinaikos is mainly due to the president, Sloukas is a phenomenon”

The veteran Panathinaikos basketball player, Takis Koroneoswas “hosted” on his “Live Replay” show EOK WebRadio and referred to the team’s seventh “star”.

The legendary guard spoke about his vision Dimitris Giannakopoulou who was justified, deified them Kostas Sloukas and Ergin Atamanwhile he did not fail to make a comparison between the Turkish technician and Zeljko Obradovic.

In detail what he said:

As for whether he expected such a course from Panathinaikos: “When the team started with Ataman and the way he started in the first games, I never thought he would get to 7th. With the money that was given and the players that came, for me the success of Panathinaikos would be to be in the Final-4, not to enter the play-offs. I had seen the game against Real in OAKA and later I saw that Panathinaikos, which had gained momentum, won it in Madrid and then I understood that everything is played out. I considered Real to be unfaithful.”

What is the reason for the “rebirth” of Panathinaikos: “It matters which team is claiming or “chasing” the titles. Panathinaikos has 7 European championships, it has a history. Yes, it was a rebuild, but the fact that the players must “bond” and play 2-3 years together does not exist at this level. Too many matches are played and this is no excuse for a team that has great personalities. I think it’s a combination. First, the president, the team’s philosophy, where Panathinaikos is aiming. From the beginning and for years now, the team aimed to win the title. Then the coach and the players.”

For the player who impressed him: “It is the soul of Lessor. This kid physically, in relation to the position he plays, is a short tall. But imagine that with the soul that this player gives, he responds perfectly. It’s not just the skill or technique you have, but the soul you give and how you put it. He gives 110% in every game. I admit him. Nan was heard a lot, Slukas too, but he was the hidden power.”

For Kostas Sloukas: “Because I like to watch the positions I used to play, Final-4 MVP is rightfully his. This position is by nature a position of strategic importance. Slukas is definitely the main driver and it is because of this player that he reached where Panathinaikos reached. Kostas is a phenomenon like a basketball player, because he was psychologically stressed, he made a very big contract and it weighed on him, he was too stressed to prove that he did the right thing. When he made 1-2 good games he was released. I expected it, because I know this position, I know how players feel under pressure. I knew that if 1-2 good games came, more would follow. His value is enormous and well done to him.”

For Ergin Ataman: “I have learned to judge everything by the results. One cannot say anything negative about Ataman, because the result is that he took the team and made it European champion. It’s already his 3rd. The result is a huge success and kudos to him. From here on, what he says and what he does does not concern me, I consider that the only criterion is the result”.

On whether Ataman reaches Obradovic’s level: “It is a bit premature to discuss such a thing. To be able to think about something like that, we have to see what he will do in the coming years. It’s a very good start. But I insist that everything is judged by how Mr. Giannakopoulos will see the coming years, how he will plan it. He’s a successful businessman and planning and vision play a big role, which he has and I think he’ll use in basketball as well.”

For the whole situation with the new OAKA: “The stadium is an inanimate thing, the essence is the ‘brain’, the man behind everything. The president has a vision, he is from Panathinaikos, he is a man who is not frugal with money, he spends money to make the team succeed. He was criticized by fans and this annoyed him a lot and rightly so, he was removed from the team. But he managed to build the court, get families to go and make it a real celebration of basketball. When you go to OAKA you really enjoy watching games. This is due to Mr. Giannakopoulos. Now that he has achieved his vision and plan and been proven right on every level, he will even more care about the team, making everything better. The fact that it has a stadium and facilities of its own is important, but the most important thing is that the Panathinaikos team is starting to grow in terms of infrastructure and work is being done.”