Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman has once again erupted in fury against the refereeing after his team’s loss to arch-rival Olympiakos. Despite being without key players Juancho Hernangomez, Jerian Grant, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Panathinaikos fell 94-101 to Olympiakos in Tuesday’s championship game. However, coach Ataman opted not to use the absences as an excuse, instead directing his ire towards the officials.
In characteristic controversial fashion, Ataman declared, “It was theatre, not a basketball match. We can’t talk about basketball tonight.” Known for his incendiary statements, Ataman went even further this time, directly singling out two opposing players for criticism.
Ataman questioned the eligibility rules, stating: “Can Tyler Dorsey and Thomas Walkup play together for the national team? No, because they are both naturalized players. But in the league, they can. They are given this opportunity. This only happens in a league like this. In other countries, I don’t think that’s possible. Sasha Vezenkov plays for Bulgaria, so that makes three naturalized players, plus six foreigners, and three referees.”