Mike Batiste said he was happy to be back with Panathinaikos, which he described as his second home, in an interview with the Serbian outlet Mozzart Sport. The American discussed his collaboration with Zeljko Obradovic, his decision to leave the NBA, and Dimitris Giannakopoulos’s desire to bring Nikola Jokić to the team.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be back here. Everyone knows my history with Panathinaikos; I played here for 10 years and made friends for life—people I consider family. I’m happy to be back at my second home. The role of a coach is very different from that of a player, but I’m putting all my experience—both as a player and as a coach—to work for the club. “The season presents challenges, and we’re taking it one step at a time,” he emphasized.
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“Zeliko called me this summer. We had a very substantive discussion. We talked about the family-like atmosphere he wants to create around the players and about the importance of having people like me, Dimitris Diamantidis, or Alvertis—who are pillars of Panathinaikos. My experience works to my advantage: the players respect me because they know I played here and won titles. When I speak, I know I have their undivided attention, and I don’t take that for granted,” he added.
Regarding his departure from the Raptors, he said: “Darko Rajaković was very happy for me. I wouldn’t say the decision was easy, but it was the right one. He stood by me in an incredible way. We talked at length, and his advice and encouragement gave me extra motivation. In Toronto, we built a special relationship over three years, but learning from Darko was like going to school—hands-on training from one of the best. I’ll be forever grateful to him.”
In fact, he recalled an interesting detail from the beginning of his NBA career that connects the Serbian coaches: they both hail from the same city, Čačak. “When I signed with Toronto and spoke with Željko, he told me, ‘Watch out—Darko and I are from the same city in Serbia!’” This shows the love and respect Serbian coaches have for one another, as well as how close-knit their coaching community is. We regularly exchange information, and Darko encouraged me to accept this opportunity.”
Regarding his collaboration so far with “Zoc,” now as his assistant, he said: “We exchange views during and after the game. We discuss the details we need to correct. Even though we’ve been together for a short time and are facing roster issues, there’s always room for improvement. Zeliko really appreciates the way I see things, just as I appreciate his. I’m open-minded and always ready to learn something new.”
When asked about Dimitris Giannakopoulos’s frequent statements that he would do everything in his power to bring Nikola Jokić to Athens, Batiste laughed. “That would be fantastic! If such a situation were to arise, I’d take action behind the scenes and do everything in my power to help make it happen! Jokić is one of his favorite players, and I’m sure he’d try everything he could. I know Nikola has commitments in the NBA, but it’s worth trying to see what happens. You never know!”
Finally, he recalled the epic showdowns he had against Partizan throughout his career. “Man, those games were always incredibly tough! Playing at ‘Pionir’ and later at the big arena… The fans in Serbia—and especially Partizan’s fans—create a unique, yet extremely challenging atmosphere for visiting players. When Panathinaikos and Partizan face off, it’s always a special game.”
*photo source: Panathinaikos BC
