Mateusz Ponitka reveals contacts with Obradovic that brought him to Partizan / News - Basketnews.com

Mateusz Ponitka talked about his decision to join Partizan, the talks he had with Zeljko Obradovic and other teams, but also the way Panathinaikos made him feel.

Credit: Dainius Lukšta Credit Dainius Lukšta

Mateusz Ponitka arrived in Belgrade to join the ranks ofPartizan Mozzart Bet on a 1+1 contract, after a season with Panathinaikos Athens. By doing so, he essentially replaced Ioannis Papapetrou, who followed the opposite route and returned to his former team.

Mateusz Ponitka

Position:SFAge:29Height:197 cmWeight:93 kgBirth place:Ostrow, PolandProfileNewsStatistics

"First of all, I have to say that it's a great honor for me to be a part of Partizan," Ponitka said in an interview with Mozzart Sport.

"I don't want to use cliché phrases, but anyone who follows basketball, knows the history of the club, what kind of fans it has, and who the coach is. For all that, I have to be grateful to have the opportunity to wear the jersey of this legendary club," the Polish NT captain pointed out.

Following a solid season in the jersey of Panathinaikos, Ponitka became a free agent as his one-year deal with the Greens expired. The versatile forward revealed he had discussions with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, but in the end, he chose Partizan.

"Zeljko Obradovic's name and invitation made me decide in favor of Partizan," he said. "I like the team that wants to move forward. Even when I was in Panathinaikos, I saw that the team is great, that the club has great ambitions. I thought it was a great organization, and when I am officially part of it I will see for myself. So far, everything is going as I expected."

Ponitka 29, also revealed that his first contact with Obradovic was at the beginning of last season, when PAO played against Partizan for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament.

"The coach approached me and congratulated me on my EuroaBasket performances. We talked for a few minutes, and then we established an initial contact that left a great impression on me. No need to talk about the success of the legendary coach, everyone knows that, but then it was the first contact."

The Polish international got to witness his future team's strengths first-hand when actually playing against them.

"Partizan beat Panathinaikos twice, in those matches I was convinced of the qualities of the players. Kevin Punter is a leader and I'm really glad he stayed, and so is Zach LeDay, but there are still guys who showed great quality, fought and that's what I liked the most. I think I can fit into such a culture and atmosphere easily".

Almost a year later after their first meeting, Obradovic reached out to Ponitka and presented him with the project that he started two seasons ago. "I just wanted to be a part of it," the Polish forward said.

Ponitka has played in Poland, Turkey, Spain, and Russia, while last summer, it was expected that he would play in Italy for Reggio Emilia. Due to his outstanding EuroBasket run, coach Dejan Radonjic and Panathinaikos came knocking.

"I have great respect for everyone in Panathinaikos and I felt they appreciated me," Ponitka reflected. "They saw that I did my best in every game, that's what I've built my career on."

Even without a social media account, he knows what to expect when he finds himself in the Stark Arena.

"Just because I don't have social media doesn't mean I live under a rock. I played against Partizan, I saw what it looked like, and it looked amazing. The best atmosphere in Europe. Something every basketball player has to experience".

Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.