Why Dejan Bodiroga can be the one who ends Panathinaikos' long-time feud with EuroLeague / News - Basketnews.com

On the occasion of Dejan Bodiroga's visit to Athens, BasketNews+ takes a look at the stormy relationship between Panathinaikos and the EuroLeague over the course of 20 years.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

On a Saturday afternoon, Thanasis Giannakopoulos was wandering around the hotel lobby without taking a bite. It's May 2002, andPanathinaikos Athensare in Bologna, where the EuroLeague Final Four of a new era is being held.

Points this season

43%75,5Points made:75,5Accuracy:42,8%Place in standings:13Record max:89Record min:65Best scorer:Derrick WilliamsTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

At one point, the Greek club's VP started peeling an egg and shouted: "What should I do? Should we leave? Should we stay?"

No one who has heard stories from that Final Four will fail to recognize the moment. In the summer of 2001, Panathinaikos, joined by Maccabi and CSKA, gave up on FIBA's Suproleague to accompany the other European powerhouses that had lined up under the umbrella of ULEB.

ULEB's refusal to distribute the money to the teams had instilled the idea in both Giannakopoulos bros to boycott the competition. Before that Final Four, PAO's owner and president, Pavlos Giannakopoulos, gave an interview explaining the situation.

"People from ULEB have signed a contract which they said they would abide by, but they, unfortunately, ignored it. They barely gave us $500,000 against the sum of $3,500,000 we had agreed upon. Of course, at some point, we thought we should leave.

We even think about withdrawing from the Final Four, but that's a very difficult decision because Panathinaikos is a club with 90 years of history and cannot deprive its fans of the right and the joy to watch their team."

On May 5, Panathinaikos were scheduled to play hosts Virtus in the final game. After giving it some thought, both Pavlos and Thanasis Giannakopoulos left the hotel early in the morning to attend a EuroLeague colloquium in the presence of representatives from different organizations - the NBA, the Premier League, Formula 1, etc.

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