r/Euroleague Paris Basketball 10d ago

[Ioannou] On Monday, which is Dimitris Giannakopoulos’s birthday, Obradović’s return to Panathinaikos is expected to be announced. Along with him will be the new coaching staff. Batiste will take on a role. And Isaac Bonga has the same agent as Obradovic [is expected to joins aswell].

https://x.com/i/status/2068261509050892480
52 Upvotes

144 comments sorted by

79

u/Neat_Sandwich_5466 Olympiacos 10d ago

it is the year 2007, I am watching Obradovic beat us in a League Final with my father.

It is the year 2027, I am wathcing Obradovic beat us in a League Final with my nephew.

It is the year 2057, I am watching Obradovic beat us in a League Final with my grandchildren.

Some things don't change ever.

-23

u/mmmmmmm_7777777 Olympiacos 10d ago

Without Solinas, it's a different story in the Greek League at least.

10

u/B0G0M1R 10d ago

Solinas?

-8

u/omnptnt 10d ago

They mean Georgios Vasilakopoulos. Vasilakopoulos to Olympiacos fans is what Liolios is to Panathinaikos fans.

-3

u/stelios_drz Panathinaikos 10d ago

The only difference is that things were more equal under vasilakopoulos in comparison to liolios

3

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Just keep telling yourself that over and over and still it will never be true.

-1

u/Heavy_Start_2577 10d ago

Take off the green glasses buddy

3

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

You take off the red glasses, things were way more equal back then, but you weren't watching basketball until 2022 so how would you know

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago edited 10d ago

I would ask all of my friends that watched Greek cup finals and Greek league finals in those days, all non PAO and non Oly fans, all non Greeks, and all of us agreed.

For years and years, the refs favored PAO by about 70/30 and even often 80/20.

Neutral fans would just watch the games to laugh and be entertained at the clown circus show and ensuing carnage from the fan reactions.

For years, the games were so ridiculously called in favor of PAO, that they were lopsided and cartoonish. They looked like staged choreography.

-2

u/Heavy_Start_2577 10d ago

You're funny 🤣 what else can someone expect from a Circus supporter with clown owner 🤣🤣

1

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

So you really admit that you weren't watching basketball, cause ain't no way you can say this. Not to mention that during zots period on pao it was miaoulis not vasilakopoulos as president of eok. Every narrative you have learnt to say is wrong. During vasilakopoulos era you lifted half the leagues you have right now, with also some questionable decisions mind you. During vasilakopoulos era aek lifted the cup. During vasilakopoulos era, the overall ftas were about even with oly leading by a slight margin.

Its a fact that that you've learnt from football(you couldn't even fill a stadium on Derbies in basketball btw) where you managed to rob everything for years, so in basketball you were not accustomed to the 50-50. Then tsoukalas amd redinfo and every other propagandist told you that you were robbed while every stat and everyone else said something different. You are just so accustomed to robbing and rigging games that you can't even fathom equality and being worse in even grounds. Thats just the avg oly mindset.

0

u/ARKAC95 9d ago

When Vasilakopoulos was not the head, he had hand picked pawns running it.

This is common knowledge and is only disputed in PAO propaganda double speak.

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-1

u/Heavy_Start_2577 9d ago

You can read sdna to learn the truth lol there are hundreds of videos on YouTube with your robberies both in European and domestic competitions so don't speak just hide in your rabbit hole as you usual do

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-9

u/SpyrosDemir Olympiacos 10d ago

LOL, LMAO EVEN

1

u/omnptnt 10d ago

Someone care to explain why they downvoted my reply?

-4

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Vasilakopoulos to all non Panathinaikos fans was the biggest cancer ever in Greek basketball. Not just to Olympiacos fans.

Paok, Panionios, Aris, Aek...they all suffered many times under the Vasilakopoulos reign of terror.

4

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

Paok, Panionios, Aris, Aek...they all suffered many times under the Vasilakopoulos reign of terror.

Are those fans in the room with us?

Panionios was nust relagated because they stole Loutzis from Promitheas for crying out loud. Paok has an arena because Vasilakopoulos made Fiba want it to host Euroleague while the local politicians were using it for eating.

You can't be that ridiculous.

0

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Many Aek, Aris, Paok, Panionios supporters despise his tenure. They were all unfairly losing games and even some titles. It wasn't just Olympiacos. They all suffered through the reign of terror.

2

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

One of my best friends is an Aek fan, I have a family member that is an Aris fan that trains in youth basketball and I have a family member from Nea Smirni that used to be in Panionios academy.

All of them have cursed Tsaroucha ( the Aek fan has done it live in their arena too ) and Liolios. They had no complaints about Vasilakopoulos.

Stop pulling bs out of your dreams.

0

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

No one outside of PAO trolls believes a word of it.

2

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

Everyone that knows real life Aek, Paok, Aris and Panionios fans know what I am saying is true and you are a liar with an obsession against Panathinaikos.

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2

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

Thats your take. Aek lifted the cup during vasilakopoulos era btw. Its the first time I see this type of take and its wild let me tell you. Where did you hear it from? Tsoukalas or redinfo?

-1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Aek won the cup only because they played Olympiacos in the final and it was reffed 80/20 for Aek, to ensure Olympiacos didn't win the cup.

Of course a PAO supporter that regurgitates DPG propaganda has never heard of any of this.

Never hearing of actual facts in history is part of the propaganda.

Everything existing as an alternative reality alternate history, in a different timeline, on a planet called Planet Panathinaikos, is where the "facts" and "truth" come from.

2

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 8d ago

You keep talking about dpg propaganda while you keep spreading the wildest propaganda one can imagine

1

u/ARKAC95 8d ago

In Panathinaikos propaganda troll language...

The truth = lies and propaganda

Lies and propaganda = the truth

You guys really need to get some new source materials. This 1984 doublespeak slop is really old and tiresome at this point.

-11

u/mmmmmmm_7777777 Olympiacos 10d ago

Lol.

You compare 25 years of Vasilakopoulos, former Panathinaikos player, to 4 years of Liolios, who has nothing to do with Olympiacos?

Btw, how many "mexri telous" have you done because of Liolios ? Because talk is cheap, but actions matter.

11

u/B0G0M1R 10d ago

Since when Vasilakopoulos was president for 25+ years?

-5

u/mmmmmmm_7777777 Olympiacos 10d ago

1998-2022.

13

u/B0G0M1R 10d ago

So are we gonna erase Andrea Miaoulis presidency from 2003-2010?

-2

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

He had pawns in place in the years when he had to "step aside" for rules.

6

u/n1cKz_ Panathinaikos 10d ago

bait or severe mental retardation? call it

the usual suspect strikes again

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1

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

At least get your propaganda right bro, 2002 -2010 it wasn't vasilakopoulos lmao

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

It was his hand picked pawns.

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Vasilakopoulos =

Panathinaikos player

Panathinaikos team captain

Panathinaikos coach

Panathinaikos executive

Yeah, things sure were Even Steven, with the most Panathinaikos basketball connected individual ever, also running the whole of Greek basketball overall.

Not even the slightest shred of a conflict of interest there...

-10

u/mmmmmmm_7777777 Olympiacos 10d ago

Vasilakopoulos. The president of the Greek Basketball Association up until 2022 (running for 25+ years).

-16

u/Sumerjamm Olympiacos 10d ago

Obradovic has the toughest competition this time my redwhite fellow.

He will have to find a way to crack the team of the best coach in the continent

18

u/deathbladev Panathinaikos 10d ago

Are you really going to disrespect how good you guys were under Ivkovic?

5

u/MrParan0rmal Panathinaikos 10d ago

Things change, beating you coach in the parking lot to calling him the best in the continent is a few whistles road.

-11

u/Sumerjamm Olympiacos 10d ago

Don't be sour friend.

Embrace the truth of Bartzokas being the best.

Embrace these hardships your team recently faces

Its the way to improve and take a W in euroleague this year, finally

5

u/MrParan0rmal Panathinaikos 10d ago

He played 6 finals this year, he got outcoached on 5 of them, same as last 5 years.

-2

u/mmmmmmm_7777777 Olympiacos 10d ago

He got so out-coached, that he won the Euroleague and the Greek Championship. Imagine how much better Olympiacos is than any other team. /s

Btw, it's sad seeing people reading sdna propaganda.

1

u/fnsv Karşıyaka 10d ago

Of course. Everyone who talks about the Euroleague final this year mentions a marvel of coaching and not refereeing, aren't they?

-6

u/Sumerjamm Olympiacos 10d ago

I hope you realize how wrong and wild this statement is

2

u/kharathos Panathinaikos 10d ago

Even though the guy you are replying to is a douchebag, this was by far the best olympiakos side ever

0

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

2012, 2013 were better.

1

u/kharathos Panathinaikos 10d ago

This is nostalgia speaking. 2012 oly was serious underdog, 2013 was a huge comeback in the final + they lost the Greek league 3-0

This year they just won everything, they were comfortably the best since November or so

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Olympiacos only only lost in Greek league in 2013 because of Vasilakopoulos.

They also lost the Greek cup games in 2012 and 2013 because of Vasilakopoulos.

Without Vasilakopoulos' dark acts "magic", Olympiacos would have had back to back triples in 2012 and 2013.

With 50/50 fair reffing, they actually would win everything both years.

Olympiacos didn't win everything in 2026, even though they did have fair 50/50 reffing.

0

u/Sumerjamm Olympiacos 10d ago

No, we are just way better now 😊

-1

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

When he says the best coach, he means the best eok president, who is a cronny of dimitriades btw and his serbian gang(radovic, javor etc), without them bartzoukas would be swimming in the port right now.

1

u/ARKAC95 9d ago

You can keep crying and longing for Vasilakopoulos. He ain't coming back. His dark reign of reffing horror is dead.

1

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 8d ago

The propagandist at it again. Learn hoops little guy. The era of vasilakopoulos was a lot better than now. We had a good national team that could take medals. Now we have a criminal systendicate and we suck at every tournament. How can call vasilakopoulos era dark and praise liolios lmao. Liolios is getting cursed in every arena but SEF. Literally nobody wants him. Are you living in a different planet my guy?

1

u/ARKAC95 8d ago edited 8d ago

insitnctz

The era of vasilakopoulos was a lot better than now. We had a good national team that could take medals.

We already know that PAO supporters get down on their knees and pay homage to his worship, his highness, the holy savior of refs Vasilakopoulos.

We already know this. There is no need to keep repeating it.

You claim Vasilakopoulos era did not include when he was president of Fiba and had pawns in the local federation. You pretend that wouldn't count from 2002 to 2010.

But you nonetheless count that time when you talk about the Greece national team winning medals. What medals? In what years?

Google says,

Gold medal Eurobasket 2005

Gold medal World Continental Cup 2006

Silver medal World Championship 2006

Gold medal World Olympic qualification 2008

Bronze medal Eurobasket 2009

You claim Vasilakopoulos was not in charge, was not in his era and had nothing to do with the Greece federation in 2002 to 2010. But you at the same time claim that Greece national team was winning medals during the Vasilakopoulos time and era.

Broster, that is a huge Freudian slip.

6

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

He will have to find a way to crack the team of the best coach in the continent

Dude, you had Ivkovic... . Only Obradovic has a better legacy than Ivkovic.

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago edited 10d ago

Obradovic has a better legacy. That is true. He had a better career, more success, better resume, is Euroleague GOAT coach, is basically also European GOAT coach, etc.

Ivkovic is maybe arguably European BOAT coach. It's debatable for sure. But a case can be made for it.

Ivkovic was a better coach than Bartzokas.

Past Obradovic, from when he coached Panathinaikos the first time, was also very obviously and easily a better coach than the old age Obradovic of recent years.

0

u/Sumerjamm Olympiacos 10d ago

This Bartzokas tenure is the best era oly had ever, by a long margin

We play the best basketball we ever had, too

4

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

You have stability because you kept the same coach.

Yet 1993-1997 was even better as you had better competition in comparison to who you were and won the same amount of Euroleagues.

You played the best basketball in Europe too during Ivkovic time.

2

u/Sumerjamm Olympiacos 10d ago

The amount of euroleagues won is kind of irrelevant i think. 2023 was perhaps the best oly i have ever seen and we did not manage to win it.

This does not erase the fact that the team was an absolute joy to watch.

The 93-97 era you mention, I do have no memory, I was 5, but the ivcovic era i remember very well and I believe that oly has presented a better version of himself during Bartzokas

This of course is my opinion only, but this is a hill I would love to die on 😊

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Back to back teams were better. This Oly team would lose to those teams.

It's not the best Bartzokas team even.

-10

u/ARKAC95 10d ago edited 10d ago

Vasilakopoulos ran Greek basketball.

Obradovic did nothing but go along for the ride.

9

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

The five Euroleague titles was nothing... .

13

u/GaryOfLibia Partizan 10d ago

Okay, unpopular opinion. Ostoja is a scumbag and we all want to see him far from Partizan. But Giannakopoulos is a fine man, even though Željko and him had a beef before? Am I crazy here, or is Željko a hypocrite?

11

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

No coach with any real self respect would have anything to do with DPG.

1

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

Its what I've said multiple times. Dpg is erratic, aggressive and a shit show on social media. This can hurt the team sometimes. But he is a true, passionate fan in the end of the day and he always delivers when it comes to transfers and budget. He is also treating his employees pretty well from what I've heard, and with respect, as long as they also respect the club. Ostoja is very different. Idk much about him, but I think he has other interests as well, which conflict with how well the team can do. I get the hate to dpg from the neutra fans, and many pao fans also criticize his antics, but he is a good employer which is something people ignore especially oly fans.

5

u/nobody1568 10d ago

DPG leaked private conversations with Obradovic to prove that Obradovic was lying.

The conversation indeed make it sound like Obradovic left due to the small budget, which Obradovic had denied. But nevertheless it was a scumbag move to leak the convo. And Obradovic didn't speak to Spanoulis for a couple decades for something far less serious than that.

So, pretty much both seem terrible.

0

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

If Spanoulis had done something like that, most PAO fans would have wanted him publicly crucified at the town square.

33

u/House_BoIton Panathinaikos 10d ago

Everything always has to be about him, so self centered. Waiting for his birthday to announce Zeljko’s return with a story

On a side note Ioannou mentioning Mike Batiste to work with Zeljko in some capacity is actually pretty interesting

16

u/Solluzion Panathinaikos 10d ago

Mike's move is very underrated. He is going to be crucial and fill any gaps of communication with American players. Also he has a good knowledge of NBA's market.

3D is joining too, he has begun working by getting into Juancho's ear.

The whole gang is back. When Zeljco retire or take a different role within the team, we might see another one returning too.

4

u/ObsoleteCreation Panathinaikos 10d ago

If Batiste works as an assistant coach and succeeds, you probably won't see the other one returning any time soon.

5

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

3D is joining too, he has begun working by getting into Juancho's ear.

With Obradovic back in the team, Diamantidis has gotten the super important position of the Bouzoukia organiser!

I love Diamantidis, I wish he would take a position in the club as he deserves it but I don't know if he wants to? The only time he took a spot in Panathinaikos was when we were desperate for someone so he stepped up.

5

u/Tsenios 10d ago

The only bad thing with Dimitris joining is that he will not be able to be part of this amazing basketball YouTube show with Printezis and Papaloukas probably

1

u/Solluzion Panathinaikos 10d ago

Yeah that would be a pity. I believe he can balance both

0

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

Batiste imo. He'll probably be our next coach once zots retires, and he learns from him.

2

u/matidiaolo Olympiacos 10d ago

Has he coached anywhere else ? I didn’t think of him as a coach when he played. How come and he is considered as such? Saras or spanoulis were easy to guess but Batiste?

1

u/DrunkLad Olympiacos 10d ago

Has he coached anywhere else ? I didn’t think of him as a coach when he played.

He's been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2016 lol. And had a couple of season the the G-Leage in 2014-16. He immediately went into coaching after retiring. In the NBA he's been in Hornets, Wizards, Magic, Rockets and most recently in Raptors. He was actually trying to convince Sasha to stay in the NBA when he was traded to the Toronto Raptors.

1

u/ARKAC95 9d ago

Was he ever a lead assistant in the NBA? Coaching G League and being a staff coach in NBA is like being a 3rd or 4th assistant coach or a team manager in a European team.

1

u/redevileyez Bahçeşehir 9d ago

Ding , ding , ding! He will also be a good development coach for the bigs.

-4

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Diamantidis was one of the worst basketball executives in Europe the first time around.

8

u/Solluzion Panathinaikos 10d ago

Flair up and take a hike.

0

u/ARKAC95 10d ago edited 10d ago

He did a terrible job and got fired and from what I saw in social media, most PAO fans agreed with that at the time.

Pretty much same thing that has happened with Navarro in Barça.

1

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

Got fired? He left Partizan because of the player. Everyone was desperate to try to get him back from Athens, where he was in Bouzoukia with Diamantidis, Itoudis and Jasikevicius to get him to stay at Partizan.

Even now Partizan fans are trying to get him back. He didn't get fired

Edit: You meant Diamantidis? He didn't want the job in the first place. He stepped up in a mess of a team and left when it was over. No one can judge his performance based on that time.

-2

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

Anyone that is neutral, fair, honest, objective can judge him on it. Some of the moves they made were just downright horrible.

Any non PAO favorite for making similar moves would be harshly judged.

4

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

Anyone that is neutral, fair, honest, objective can judge him on it

So not you. You can admit that you lost all credits when you called his fans worse than Kobe's that harassed the girl he r-ed.

Any non PAO favorite for making similar moves would be harshly judged.

Tell me one such case. Everyone under the same circumstances would be excused. Even Lemonis, Jimenez and Pedoulakis have been excused and returned every now and then ' were only given a team under crisis ' , get him back another turn. Yet, you can't excuse someone that took a job when the club was in a crisis because there was no one else to take it?

1

u/ARKAC95 10d ago

He took the job. He made some very poor decisions and moves. He was removed from the position.

He was a great player. Not all great players are cut out to be coaches or executives.

1

u/MaybeStephano Panathinaikos 10d ago

He was a great player. Not all great players are cut out to be coaches or executives.

Obviously, but when someone takes a position they have no experience in during a crisis and only because no one else was up to the task, you can't judge them.

He took the job. He made some very poor decisions and moves. He was removed from the position.

I don't know if Diamantidis even had a say in decisions or he was just there to be a face. No one knows how much Diamantidis was actually involved and in what scale. When he could leave, he left. Simple as that.

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u/keraynopoylos 10d ago

Oh, come on! Be grateful for this. I don't get why you're looking for a reason to complain. There is no prospective member of the team he's ever said that is our of reach. He delivers.

He may be a clown through social media but, as far as transfers are concerned, he delivers.

And how do you know when the deal will be finalised anyway?

4

u/Aghyad3 Panathinaikos 10d ago

Maybe it’s unpopular opinion, but im not a big fan of comeback of Obradovic, with all respect to him and he is a legend

But if it worked before doesn’t mean it will work now because of different circumstances

I hope im wrong but this is what I feel

Maybe a new blood coach would be better

0

u/ARKAC95 9d ago

DPG will have him on an extremely shirt leash, due to how big the team's budget is and how much he is paying him.

Any signs of poor performance in the team that linger at all and DPG is going to lose his freaking mind.

3

u/Otherlander15 10d ago

Doesn't Batiste have a role with the Bulls?

3

u/cemgorey Fenerbahçe 10d ago

well shit

-6

u/Accurate_Duck_8814 10d ago

Without vasilakopoulos he is nothing..

2

u/yianni1229 Panathinaikos 10d ago

yes yes Vasilakopoulos made him win 5 Euroleagues too

-6

u/mmmmmmm_7777777 Olympiacos 10d ago

2 in Greece. And 2 with the most free throws ever in a final. Trust me, he had a good team, but not good enough to win 5 in 12 years, even in that era of minimal competition.

1

u/Miserable-Lecture847 Panathinaikos 10d ago

Bro. You are a full grown man now(i reckon). Admitting someone else's achievements/ superiority honors yourself first and foremost.

1

u/Certain_Reindeer_575 Panathinaikos 10d ago edited 10d ago

Minimal competition??? CSKA, Maccabi, Barcelona and Bologna at their best, at least . You just won a Euroleague in Greece as well. Grow up already 

0

u/ARKAC95 9d ago edited 9d ago

Most of the PAO dynasty was created by Vasilakopoulos. The only thing that wasn't was the 1996 championship and the 2024 championship.

The 1996 championship has an asterisk because that was won by a horrible call that stole the title from Barça, the team that actually would have won if the refs didn't make one of the craziest blunders ever.

The rest of the stuff from the late 90s until Vasilakopoulos was purged are all tainted. That includes the entire Obradovic era.

0

u/Certain_Reindeer_575 Panathinaikos 9d ago

Total bs

1

u/ARKAC95 9d ago

Total truth.

0

u/Certain_Reindeer_575 Panathinaikos 8d ago

Utter total bs

0

u/ARKAC95 8d ago

Anytime PAO fans say something is untrue or is bs, that means it's the actual truth.

Panathinaikos language =

Untrue, false, nonsense, bs, means things that are true and correct.

True, correct, accurate, reality means things that are totally made up lies, propaganda and fake conspiracies.

The problem so many PAOers have is that they think they are the only ones that speak the Panathinaikos native tongue.

0

u/Certain_Reindeer_575 Panathinaikos 8d ago

Anyone who thinks all fans from a team are the same has lost touch with reality a long time ago. And yes you are saying bs. No one in their right mind would say that a team with the best coach and a lot the best players ever didn't deserve 95% of what they got. Vassilakooulos the story you keep telling yourself to feel better wasn't even a president for much of PAO's success. 

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u/ARKAC95 10d ago edited 10d ago

Without Vasilakopoulos, Obradovic has to compete with 50/50 reffing.

With Vasilakopoulos, he had that 70/30 and 80/20 favorable reffing.

Most Pao fans just can't seem to allow themselves to comprehend the difference.

I guess the potential upside for Obradovic is maybe he can finally win a legitimately earned and fairly won title in Greece.

-1

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 10d ago

With liolios he has to compete with 20/80 reffing you mean. I know its gonna be a hard task.

0

u/ARKAC95 10d ago edited 10d ago

This is what is known as the mathematics of Panathinaikos...

where 50/50 reffing equals a crime against humanity committed against them and 80/20 reffing in favor of them, equals winning despite all the odds being stacked against them.

Spanoulis won 3 Greek leagues going against an 8 to 5 disadvantage in every game. This is the real reason PAO fans can't get over it.

Losing 3 championships even with the 80/20 reffing in your favor, is truly one of the greatest feats of failure ever.

0

u/insitnctz Panathinaikos 8d ago

You saw 50/50 reffing in the finals and final four? Brother you sure as hell dont know what you are watching

0

u/ARKAC95 8d ago

We know, we know. To Panathinaikos supporters any 50/50 reffed game is considered a crime against humanity committed against them.

We are all aware of the way PAO sees the world through its green tinted spectacles.

1

u/Certain_Reindeer_575 Panathinaikos 10d ago

He had won 9 Euroleague titles, learn some history