Ataman explains the heated moment with Messina / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

Ergin Ataman and Ettore Messina’s mutual respect and friendship are well-known in the European basketball sphere. Ataman repeatedly expressed that the Italian coach was his idol during the beginning of his own career. And when Messina won the Italian Cup, he immediately recorded a video with a joyful reference to his Turkish friend.

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But interestingly, there was a moment of confusion and a small altercation between the two great names during Game 4 of the Anadolu Efes-AX Exchange Armani Milano series.

After the game, Ergin Ataman clarified the reason:

"Ettore Messina is a very well-respected, very valuable coach. I, myself, have a lot of respect for him as well, obviously. We are definitely on very good terms. No problems whatsoever,” he said.

"However, in the first half, the referees constantly made warnings to our coaching staff about not overstepping into the court and calm down," the coach continued.

"At the same time, my assistants noticed that their bench was not calm at all and doing similar things as well. But the refs were not giving them warnings. Therefore, I pointed them to the refs, but I think Messina got me wrong at that moment," Ataman explained.

"But in the halftime, we made a small council with the refs and talked about it as well. We demanded from the refs for our assistant coaches to be a little bit vocal during the game. They must use that room to work. It was all about that."

Ataman also revealed that Messina gave him one last task to finish:

"After the game, we congratulated each other, as always. Messina wished me luck and said jokingly: 'You beat us today, so you have to make it worth eliminating us. You will need to win the title; go and win it."

"Therefore, we have to proceed in that way," Ataman concluded.

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