Following Panathinaikos’ 72–55 away victory over Partizan, their fifth win in as many EuroLeague games, head coach Željko Obradović was asked by TalkBasket.net what Dimitris Diamantidis and Mike Batiste had contributed to the team since joining the coaching staff.
“Yes, I said that I have a group of people whom I love and respect, people who have worked with me for many years. There’s Alvertis, there’s Diamantidis, who returned this year, and Mike Batiste, who has already become a serious coach. Mike has really established himself as a coach. He’s doing an excellent job. You can see his contribution at every moment, especially in the work he does with the big men. All the other members of my staff are also doing a fantastic job, from the basketball coaches to the strength and conditioning coaches, the physiotherapists, and everyone else. It’s all about what my idea was, something that everyone embraced together: making Panathinaikos a family once again. For those thirteen years, that’s exactly what we were. People used to call us a big family, and I’m glad to see that happening again. There’s one thing that really makes me proud. We played a game against Promitheas in Patras on Saturday. Sunday was a day off, yet almost everyone was here at the arena. Everyone, absolutely everyone. The entire coaching staff. On their day off. And that’s how it is all the time. In other words, there are no days off for us. We don’t have days off. Some of the players came in to work, others didn’t, particularly those returning from injuries, and so on. But that’s the kind of atmosphere I was talking about, the atmosphere I wanted to create, and ultimately, I managed to do so. Above all, I owe that to the understanding of the club’s president, who allowed all these people to become part of Panathinaikos. I hope this will prove to be something very important for us. And as I said, I believe that those who matter most — the Panathinaikos fans — have recognized that atmosphere”, said Obradović at the press conference after his team’s triumph over Partizan BC.
As a former Partizan coach and a club legend, Željko Obradović received a beautiful and heartfelt welcome from the home crowd before tip-off, as fans showed their appreciation and respect for one of the most iconic figures in the club’s history.
