Just a month ago, Ergin Ataman made headlines when Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo called him the 'best coach in the world' and said he wanted to play for a tactician like him.
Now, the Turkish basketball star is leaving the door open for a possible coaching stint in the NBA. Ataman was recently interviewed by the Spanish media outlet AS and asked if he wanted to be a head coach in the Association.
“Before, it was my dream, now it’s not, but if you want a star coach from Europe, here I am. Why would I be afraid of training NBA stars?” Ataman said, as translated by eurohoops.net .
Three EuroLeague titles in the last four years
The 58-year-old Ataman is coming off a successful first year as head coach of Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos. After taking over last year, he engineered a turnaround that saw the club go from 17th last season to EuroLeague champions this campaign.
Before coaching in the Greek Basket League, Ataman was the coach of Turkish club Anadolu Efes since 2017. He led them to the EuroLeague title four years later and became the first Turkish head coach to accomplish the feat. Anadolu Efes repeated as champions in 2022, cementing Ergin's status as one of the best coaches in Europe.
“I don’t feel like number one in the world," added Ataman. "I have no way to compare myself to NBA coaches. And I’m not number one in the history of European basketball, but if someone gives a gold medal for the last five years…. In five years, I have reached four finals and won three titles. I think it’s something special. If we talk only about results, I am the best in the last five years.”
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Giannis told Ataman he would love to play for him
The 2022 NBA champion and two-time NBA MVP was on hand when Panathinaikos defeated Real Madrid 95-80 in the 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship game. While Ergin and his club celebrated on the court, 'The Greek Freak' stole headlines with his message to the title-winning coach .
"You are the No.1 coach," said Giannis as he congratulated Ataman. "I would love to play for a coach like you."
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While Antetokounmpo didn't mention if he wants to play for Ataman in the NBA right now or somehow in Europe someday, his comments caused some stir. Giannis' Bucks took a lot of heat after firing head coach Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 start.
Milwaukee replaced him with Doc Rivers, who went 17-19 and could not lead the team past the first round of the 2024 playoffs. Doc isn't in danger of losing his job right now, but if something happens next season, you bet the Bucks will think about Ergin.
Related: “Jrue Holiday’s and Grayson Allen’s blood on his hand” - Bill Simmons speculated if Giannis is a teammate-coach killer
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