Dimitris Itoudis salutes Maccabi: 'Sport has nothing to do with war' / News - Basketnews.com

Itoudis praised his former player, Oded Kattash, for his effort in coaching Maccabi this season. Sport united people, and Maccabi is the best example of it this year, the coach says.

Credit: Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS

Even since he departed Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Dimitris Itoudis hasn't been a frequent guest in interviews. However, he made one exception.

Points this season

48%88,5Points made:88,5Accuracy:47,6%Place in standings:1Record max:113Record min:66Best scorer:Wade Baldwin IVTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Ahead of the EuroLeague playoffs, which start on Tuesday, April 23rd, Itoudis nevertheless commented on the performance of one playoff team - Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and their head coach Oded Kattash.

"I am full of appreciation for what Maccabi Tel Aviv did this season. I applaud them for what they managed to achieve, despite all the difficulties," he said in an interview with Arale Weisberg from Walla Sport. "They qualified for the playoffs while playing good basketball, and they prove that sport unites and has nothing to do with violence, aggression, or war."

"I am happy for my friend Oded, who is having another successful season at Maccabi. As a basketball lover and fan, and also as a coach, I can only salute what he did," Itoudis said. "When he played for us at Panathinaikos, he was a playmaker who understood the game, and I'm happy that he's successful."

Both Kattash and Itoudis arrived in Panathinaikos in 1999, one as a player, and the other as an assistant coach. Both men worked together for two seasons until Kattash's career was cut short due to injuries.

"The feeling of seeing your former player arrive at this place is special. To all those who become coaches or executives, I always say, 'Welcome to the other side of the river. Now you have to think about 15 other people, and not just yourself.' It's a different approach and a different perspective," Itoudis says, echoing the thoughts of Sergio Scariolo.

Maccabi played only one home game in the famous Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv this season due to the war between Israel and Hamas that started on October 7th. Maccabi played the remaining home games in Belgrade, Serbia, throughout the entire 2023-24 EuroLeague season.

Maccabi will compete for a spot in the Final Four against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. The third and fourth games, if needed, will also be held in the Belgrade Arena, formerly known as Stark Arena.

"Surprising or not, this is one of their commitments. The players know who and what the games are for, and I assume that this representation of the country and the fans is significant and important for them," Itoudis said about it.

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