Photo: Peter Baba

Giannis Antetokounmpo recently admitted in an interview that returning to Europe at some point in his career is not something he rules out.

Those words immediately drew attention, especially from Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman, who quickly seized the moment and issued what sounded very much like an open invitation.

Speaking about the possibility, Ataman left no doubt about his admiration for the Greek superstar.

“Giannis is my favorite, the most complete player in the NBA,” the Turkish coach said, adding that whenever he sees Antetokounmpo in action, he can only wonder, “How are we going to stop this game?”

He praised the Milwaukee Bucks forward’s versatility, pointing out how he can operate like a guard, run the floor, dominate the paint, score from anywhere, and also anchor the defense.

“He is a player whom I greatly admire,” Ataman continued. “I don’t know if circumstances will ever bring us together. Giannis himself has stated, ‘I want to play in Europe one day.’ Dimitris Giannakopoulos has seen this too. He wanted to sign Jokic, but maybe Giannis will play for Panathinaikos in the future!”

Ataman also found himself addressing a different subject: comments made by Dennis Schroder about him on social media. The Panathinaikos coach did not hesitate to respond.

“Schroder is a good player, but I can’t comment on his personality issues,” he remarked.

For Ataman, more important than pure performance are qualities of character.

“For me, leadership, humanity, and a humble approach are more important than good performance. Schroder doesn’t need to apologize to me. Everyone has their own opinions, and I don’t care. But when I sign a player, I first look at his personality and his limits of dignity.”

The coach explained that emotions often run high in dramatic games, recalling Schroder’s behavior during Germany’s win against Turkey in the EuroBasket final.

“They won a game they thought they had lost, and players experience an extra level of excitement in such situations. Schroder, in this video, also had a personality problem in the midst of that excitement. It’s not that big of a problem. I attribute it to his young age.”

Ataman then added a sharper observation.

“NBA coaches should think about a player who plays for a different team every year. That already demonstrates Schroder’s situation.”

Looking back at the EuroBasket final itself, where Germany denied Turkey what would have been its first-ever gold medal, Ataman still carries a sense of missed opportunity.

“We were in control of the game the whole time,” he recalled. “Before and during the game, I always believed we would win. It never even crossed my mind that we would lose.”

The turning point, according to him, came late.

“In the last two minutes, we conceded a three-pointer, and our opponent took the lead. That’s when we panicked. At that moment, we lost the momentum of the game.

“Alperen Sengun, who was playing better than everyone else, missed a layup under the basket in the last minutes. In those 50 seconds, the game got away from us.”

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