Dimitris Giannakopoulos emphasized the significance of the 8th "Pavlos Giannakopoulos" was highlighted by Dimitris Giannakopoulos, who placed particular emphasis on the presence of Zeljko Obradovic, as well as on the image taking shape in Greek basketball.
The Panathinaikos executive wished everyone a successful season, marked by good health and free of injuries, while thanking the three teams that accepted the invitation to participate in this year’s tournament.
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He made a special mention of his father, explaining that the tournament serves as a way to keep his memory alive every year. As he emphasized, this year’s tournament holds even greater emotional significance, as Obradović returns for the first time as Panathinaikos’s head coach.
At the same time, Giannakopoulos expressed his satisfaction with PAOK’s participation in the tournament and the investment being made in the Thessaloniki team. He also mentioned the roster upgrades made by Aris, expressing his hope that there would be more such moves in Greek basketball.
The goal, as he noted, is to have more strong Greek teams that can compete at the top level in Europe and contribute overall to the rise of Greek basketball.
Here is what he said in detail at the press conference:
“Good evening, and health and love to everyone. May we have a great season, free from injuries. May the teams achieve their goals, and may the fans enjoy the games. This is the 8th tournament. I’d like to thank the three teams that immediately accepted the invitation and came to see our teams, to see where we stand, but above all, to honor Pavlos. I heard that Pavlos passed away eight years ago. He hasn’t been gone for eight years; we’ve been here for eight years, and we’re honoring him here at the end of September during these two days. He’s up there with Thanasis, watching all the other games. This year may be the eighth, but it’s very special, because it’s the first time that, in every respect, he’s here—accepting the invitation first, as Panathinaikos’ coach, Zeljko. That gives us an extra emotional reason for it to stay etched in our memories. Last year we said it might happen in China, but it didn’t. Better here, so we can watch it and everything. Here’s to many years ahead, and may we stay healthy enough to be able to do all of this. I’m glad to see PAOK at this table, that a man has been found— Millions love PAOK, and a person has stepped forward who is ready to invest and make PAOK a great team, just as it is and just as it was. We see Aris growing stronger. I hope there will be other initiatives like this, so that Greek basketball doesn’t have to rely on Panathinaikos’ successes to be at the top of Europe. Let there be other teams as well.”
*photo source: Panathinaikos BC
