Euroleague Champion Ergin Ataman Calls Out The Boston Celtics: "If You Want To Get The World Champion Title, Come And Beat Us..."

In a recent interview on Rafine TV , European championship coach Ergin Ataman called out the NBA's newly-crowned champions. In response to the Celtics calling themselves the "world champions" of the sport, Ataman fired back at the franchise and challenged them to back up that status by beating the Euroleague champs on their home court.

“After the Boston Celtics became the NBA champions, they tweeted, ‘World Champion Boston.’ The EuroLeague also tweeted, ‘Beat this team first,’ with our photo. They see themselves very highly. They want incredible numbers to come and play a game in Europe. You are not the world champion. If you want to get the world champion title, come and beat us, the EuroLeague champion. If you are so confident, I say come and beat us in OAKA,” Ataman said.

Ataman led the Panathinaikos to the 2024 Euroleague title in his first season as coach. They went 36-22 last season and finished fourth place in the standings. While Ataman's role was limited as a non-player, he did enough to help them win the championship and his role in the run drew the attention of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who said point-blank that he'd love to be coached by Ataman .

Of course, Panathinaikos will never play a championship game with the Celtics but the "world champions" debate has been one decades in the making. While the NBA is widely considered the best basketball league in the world, plenty of people take issue with claiming their Finals winner as champions of the world given that only two countries in the world are represented by the league.

This year, the Boston Celtics were the latest to continue that tradition when they won the Finals but fans and people like Ergin Atama have been pushing back and challenging the Celtics to back up the title.

Ergin Ataman Believes The NBA Is A Show

Of course, Ergin's criticisms didn't stop there for the modern NBA. In the same interview, he called out the league for being more of a drama-filled soap opera than a game-focused product.

“NBA basketball is a show. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most valuable players in the NBA. My style, which these players like, includes my relaxed demeanor, connection with the fans, relationship with the players, the team’s playing style, and my bold moves. When we faced each other at the national team level before, Giannis was already interested in my style. After winning the final match, his enthusiasm peaked. If Giannis Antetokounmpo ever becomes the General Manager of a club, I would go to the NBA, but by then, who knows how old I will be,” Ataman said.

The NBA has changed a lot over the years and now it's at a state where things look entirely different from what it used to be. For some, like many overseas, the NBA product has been tainted and diluted by the new rules, the new style of play, and the obsession with driving engagement online.

Coach Ataman has taken a different approach with his Euroteam, with a focus on building connections and developing chemistry over anything else. It remains to be seen if his coaching style will make it to the NBA but it sounds like he's comfortable where he's at and is dedicated to seeing it through until the very end.

Related: Jayson Tatum Says The 2024 Celtics Would Beat 2024 Team USA

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