Ataman: “I would like to try in the NBA, but only as a starter – That’s how Giannakopoulos got Sluka”

It was rainy Ergin Ataman in an interview with As. The Turkish coach did not hide that he would like to try working in the NBA, but only as a head coach. At the same time, he referred to how he “built” him Panathinaikos to reach the top of Europe and the league by revealing the background behind his acquisition Kostas Sloukas. In detail, the 59-year-old technician spoke about:

-conquering the Euroleague: “Incredible feelings. It is the first time I have experienced such a celebration. It was impressive. Similar to Madrid’s Champions League football celebrations! The fans have a huge basketball culture here and have really appreciated what it means to win after 12 years. It is a very important thing. For them and for Panathinaikos. They have a long history, but in recent years they have had some tough losses. And that’s why it was incredible to be able to experience something like that. I even received a call from the Greek Prime Minister to congratulate me. Not only because of basketball, but also because these kinds of events help the relationship between the countries, between Greece and Turkey. Mr. Erdogan, our president, always calls me. But this time Mr. Mitsotakis has done it too. It was much more than a title. What I experience in Athens goes beyond basketball.”

-if he feels like a top coach, as Giannis Antetokounmpo called him: “No no. I don’t feel number one in the world. I have no way to compare myself to NBA coaches. And I’m not the number in the history of European basketball, but if someone gives a gold medal in the last five years… (laughs) . In five years I have reached four finals and won three titles. I think it’s something special. If we’re only talking about results, I’m the best of the last five years.”

-whether he has ever been offered by the NBA: “No. Everyone knows I would like to try the NBA in the future. To be the first European coach. I already know that Jordi Fernandez is there, but he has trained there, he has not trained in Europe. I am referring to the first European who made the jump from Europe. Throughout my career I have always been the first. In Siena, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Efes, Panathinaikos. For me it is very special to have someone come and ask me to coach in the NBA. No one has done it like this. As I said, two years ago we had these discussions. Although it was something that did not convince me. They told me I should go there to be on the staff for a few years, to be an assistant coach… But now I’m 58 years old. I don’t want to compare myself to anyone, but with the results of the last five years in hand, I am number one in the Euroleague. So why should I go and become an assistant coach in the NBA?’

-whether he would now consider an offer from the NBA: “If anyone wants to offer me an opportunity, with what I have achieved in Europe, it has to be as a first coach. That’s why I say that until now I haven’t had any serious contact and I haven’t really thought about it. It’s a different world. I am very happy in the Euroleague and in Panathinaikos. Three or four years ago I would have told you it was my dream. Now it isn’t. Of course, the NBA comes to Europe and gets a lot of stars: Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Jokic, Sengun… If you want a star European coach, here I am.”

– the world of Panathinaikos: “The stands are full in the regular season games. When the tickets for matchday five against Maccabi went on sale, they were all sold out and there were 100,000 people on the waiting list. If the Final Four were at Wembley, there would be 50,000 or 60,000 Panathinaikos fans! Everyone wanted to be there. And for the final, they bought the tickets from the fans of Olympiakos, from Fenerbahce… The atmosphere was amazing! And also, they know how to support the team. They give a lot of energy to the players. It is not easy to recover from 36 points by Real Madrid in the first quarter. Any other team, after the first quarter, would have thought that Real Madrid would win easily. But the character of the team, mine and the support of the stands allowed us to get back into the game. The atmosphere in Berlin was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

-if there is a magic recipe: “There are no miracles. For a coach who has won the Euroleague several times, it is not a miracle. At the beginning of the season it might have seemed like a miracle to win at the end, but in the second half of the season we started to win a lot of games against big teams. We beat Real in Madrid. We played 49 games to get there. We won in the semi-finals and reached the final. It’s not a miracle for me.”

-how his players reacted when he told them on the first day that they would win the Euroleague: “On the first day, arriving in Athens, I told them ‘Listen to me. I am the two-time Euroleague winner in a row. Only last year I failed. I am in Panathinaikos and I have come for you. Only the players I think will win are here.’ Only two young guys and Grigonis were still there and I told them the goal was to get to the Final Four. And during the season, after each win, he repeated the same thing to them: ‘We’re going to make it to the Final Four.’ And I told them something very important: ‘Let’s finish the regular season in second place. If we finish the regular season in second place, I guarantee you we will win the title. Let’s keep the second place and we will win the Euroleague’. And it worked”

-how they built the roster: “We all sat together in June and July, every week. President Giannakopoulos, Sani Betsirovich, Dimitris Kontos (sports director) and me. I told them the names I liked and they made their comments. I studied them and then, before calling the managers’ offices, we spoke to some of their former clubs and former managers to find out about their personalities and character. Because for me it’s important to be a good player, but the most important thing is to be a team player. If you only play for yourself, you’re not going to win championships. The first one we secured was Lessor. I spoke to him on the phone four or five times. It was difficult to convince him to come to Panathinaikos, because the team finished penultimate the previous year. It was a complicated transition. But when we got to Lessor everything was easier. The others began to arrive. And we got Sluka! Honestly, when the president asked me ‘Do you like Slukas?’ I told him of course. But, I honestly thought it wouldn’t be possible. And they said please wait. Don’t even think about signing another guard. And I trust President Giannakopoulos a lot. I knew he wanted to do something special. Every day he told me to wait and I did. It seemed impossible. He was the star of Olympiakos and we are talking about Panathinaikos! But the president and Dimitris Kontos did it.”