Mike Batiste: 'I'm in the stands as a Panathinaikos fan' / News - Basketnews.com

Legendary EuroLeague and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens player Mike Batiste revealed that he would support his former team in the Berlin Final Four, provided that they make it.

Credit: Fotodiena.lt/T.Lukšys Credit Fotodiena.lt/T.Lukšys

One of the premier big men of his era,Mike Batiste's playing career saw him dominate the paint for Panathinaikos Athens, where he remains a club legend. Even today, he continues to keep a close eye on the Greens from afar.

2-pointers this season

55%19,8Points made:19,8Accuracy:54,7%Place in standings:9Record max:26Record min:13Most made 2FGs:Mathias LessortTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Batiste played 10 of his dozen EuroLeague seasons with Panathinaikos, where he won three EuroLeague crowns and nine Greek championships and was twice named to the All-EuroLeague team. In that time, he averaged 10.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 204 games in a Panathinaikos uniform, while teaming up with fellow legends of the club such as Frankie Alvertis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Saras Jasikevicius, Antonis Fotsis, Nick Calathes and many more.

These days, Batiste serves as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, but he makes sure to watch Panathinaikos play as often as possible. He recently sat down with Javier Gancedo of the EuroLeague’s official website to talk a little about this season’s Panathinaikos squad.

"Of course I'm following the team," Batiste said. "Every game that I watch, they're playing together, they're playing for one another and they're making it very difficult for their opponents. They have a way to play, they have an identity and you see that through the TV screen. And again, it reminds me of, you know, my times of when we had our success. And I'm hoping that it would end in the right way in terms of those guys winning the championship."

The second of Batiste's EuroLeague championships came in the same arena where the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four will be played in Berlin, Germany, this season. And if the Greens, whose last Final Four came in 2012 with Batiste in the middle, can end that drought, he hopes to be there.

"It'll be like a déjà vu moment, you know, to actually win in Berlin in 2009 and then, 14-15 years later, your team is back in that same position. But this time I'm in the stands as a fan watching those guys," Batiste noted. "But if they're there, I plan on being there, supporting them, cheering them on and hopefully, and in the end they will be holding the title."

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