Dimitris Giannakopoulos announces plans for OAKA name change / News - Basketnews.com

OAKA to be renamed in memory of Pavlos Giannakopoulos, his son Dimitris says.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

During an Instagram Live session, Panathinaikos Athens owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos hinted that the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA) will be renamed in honor of his late father, Pavlos Giannakopoulos.

Points this season

45%79,3Points made:79,3Accuracy:44,8%Place in standings:12Record max:98Record min:64Best scorer:Dwayne BaconTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

"Can the arena name be other than Pavlos Giannakopoulos? I respect Nikos Galis immensely, but he has been honored. He has ten stadiums called after his name. OAKA is not Nikos Galis, it is Pavlos Giannakopoulos," Dimitris said.

Pavlos Giannakopoulos was a legendary owner and president of Panathinaikos, who led the Greek powerhouse to 6 EuroLeague titles, 13 Greek Championships, and 9 Greek Cups.

OAKA also contains a training facility, which has been named after Nikos Galis since 2016.

Panathinaikos received full control of OAKA for the next 49 years after Wednesday's meeting.

Following the obtained control, the Greek club will receive 100% of the income both from the tickets and the parking fees, and 70% of general revenue from events. Previously, Panathinaikos had been renting the arena for numerous years, so the move will save the franchise an amount between €500,000 and €1 million.

Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.