Ergin Ataman repeated that Panathinaikos had to play American football in order to fend off Barcelona and stressed the number of offensive fouls called against his team. He also urged referees to protect EuroLeague star players, otherwise they might move back to the NBA.
A few minutes after his fierce rant on EuroLeague TV, where he roasted the referees of the EuroLeague Round 21 game between FC Barcelona and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Ergin Ataman apperared before the media in the postgame presser.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
27
|
| Jabari Parker | |
| Points | 25 |
| Accuracy | 11-16 |
| Rebounds | 8 |
| Assists | 2 |
"In the locker room, I already congratulated my players because they won the basketball game that was played in the first half," the Turkish coach stressed following the Greens' 82-73 loss in the Palau Blaugrana.
"In the second half, we weren't ready to play American football. That's my comment on the game," was Ataman's first statement.
Answering questions from the media, the Turkish play-caller said that Panathinaikos have shown that they are candidates to go all the way, reach the Final Four and win the title again.
"I think tonight we have a new record," he noted.
"Not from the players. Seven offensive fouls against us. New record. Players alone don't make records. You can check it out if you want. Seven offensive fouls against us," he repeated. "Then you can understand what I mean."
"Every time you write about the players' records, about the 3-pointers, about the points. About the record of Nigel Hayes-Davis or Sasha Vezenkov. Tonight you can write about the record of referees. Seven offensive fouls against us," he emphatically underlined.
Ataman congratulated Jabari Parker, author of 25 points and 8 rebounds, on "playing superbly" and commented on the dog fight between Kevin Punter and Kendrick Nunn.
"If we don't protect the stars of the tournament in the EuroLeague, then they will leave and return to the NBA," he said.
"They're going to play there. We will continue to play in the EuroLeague as if it were American football or a college championship game."
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