Efes' Tomislav Mijatovic on Ataman: 'He's one of the best of all time' / News - Basketnews.com

Mijatovic thinks Ataman is one of the best coaches of all time and believes Panathinaikos will have the same success Efes had with Ataman under the helm.

Credit: IMAGO/Seskim Photo TR - Scanpix Credit IMAGO/Seskim Photo TR - Scanpix

Tomislav Mijatovic took over the reins from Erdem Can at Anadolu Efes Istanbul. With him under the helm, the Turkish club clawed its way to play-in contention.

Free throws this season

81%12,9Points made:12,9Accuracy:81,1%Place in standings:13Record max:26Record min:3Most made FTs:Shane LarkinTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

With only one game remaining in the EuroLeague regular season, Efes need to win against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade at home to get to the postseason. Before taking over Efes this year, Mijatovic worked under Ergin Ataman, with whom he won two EuroLeague titles together.

Now at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Ataman has assembled a new team that's now near the top of the standings. Talking about his former colleague, Mijatovic had nothing but praise for him.

"We have a very good relationship with Ergin Ataman. We talk about everything. He is one of the best of all time, and I spent five years with him," Mijatovic told Anadolu Agency. "I express my gratitude to him for the words he said about me. I can't find words to describe it. I feel lucky to be the friend of such a great coach and person."

"One of my biggest gains in life is the friendships I have made with such quality coaches. I will do my best. I hope I will reach the point he envisions for me. Ergin builds teams that will achieve great goals. He did this throughout his career and won many championships. He also created a winning team at Panathinaikos. I am 100 percent sure that he will achieve the same success [as he did with Efes]," Mijatovic said.

With 16 wins and 17 losses, Efes are currently 10th in the EuroLeague standings. Panathinaikos, meanwhile, are placed second with 22 wins and 11 losses, sharing the spot with two other teams at the moment - AS Monaco and FC Barcelona.

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