Panathinaikos Basketball Club’s presence in Sydney promised to turn it into a “Green” city and the people did not disappoint with droves of “Trifylli” faithful, young and old, all congregating to celebrate the team’s historic presence Down Under.
Thousands of supporters turned out for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament spectacular at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, with them able to bask in the team’s glory as they won 106-89 against Adelaide 36ers.
The event was enriched with a Hellenic flavour with pre-game festivities including a performance by the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW dance group, while the Greek national anthem was sung by Maria Maroulis.
The hearty crowd, adorned in Green colours and carrying team flags, began packing in from before the earlier fixture between KK Partizan at 4.30pm all the way up to the match’s start time in the evening.
The Sydney supporters did not go unnoticed by the visiting club.
Fans turned up adorned in Green colours and flags, both of Greece and of the “Trifylli”. Photo: Dimitri Kallos
“It was a great atmosphere,” said Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman, who added ” we had a very good experience playing here in Sydney”.
Recent signing Nikos Rogkavopoulos noted the trip served as a means of both professional and personal joy.
“Overall, I think it is a very nice experience here. I am very thankful for the hospitality and also I have family here in Australia that I saw and it is double happiness for me. It was a very nice week,” he said.
Answering in Greek, Rogkavopoulos added:
“There are many Greeks in Sydney. I think we made them very happy. (Regarding seeing his relatives in Australia) I had the chance to see my family here for the first time ever. It is an experience that I hope to relive again.”
While the experience was enjoyed most by the Panathinaikos fans, it was not lost on Adelaide 36ers who had high praise for the Greek giants.
One of many Panathinaikos fans who arrived hours early in anticipation of the event. Photo: Dimitri Kallos
“I think, for the NBL and for the Adelaide 36ers, it was a huge honour to be invited and just a really cool kind of event to play, to me, the best club outside of the NBA,” said 36ers coach Mike Wells in response to a Neos Kosmos question at the press conference.
36ers star Bryce Cotton admitted that it is tests like these that the players really live for and use as tools to measure themselves against great talent.
“This was a great opportunity, I wasn’t aware that it’s the first time the tournament was held elsewhere, but from a pure athlete’s standpoint it was a great measuring tool for us as a team,” Cotton said in response to a Neos Kosmos question.
Wells, who has a decorated career as an assistant coach in the NBA, noted that games like these are what coaches like him also look forward to,
“That talent, that roster, what coach (Ataman) does, it is a pretty fun to watch those guys after being in the NBA for 26 years. I’ve seen them. As well as Bryce playing in a game and measuring himself against great competition, you want to have a chance to coach in that game.”
Photo: Dimitri Kallos
Panathinaikos players getting warmed up. Photo: Dimitri Kallos
Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Ergin Ataman at the press conference. Photo: Dimitri Kallos
Players warming up ahead of the spectacle. Photo: Supplied
Photo: Supplied