Riga, Latvia – Ergin Ataman is the national team coach of Turkey; however, he is also the head coach of Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos .

And now, if Greece beats Lithuania, these two roles will collide, and Ataman is welcoming the challenge.

As he said, when asked which team he prefers as a semifinal opponent: “I have great feelings for all the Greek people, for Greek basketball. I have five ( Panathinaikos ) players in that team, I also know all the other players, from Olympiacos , from other teams, and of course Giannis. For sure, as a basketball roster, Greece is maybe the best team right now. And as a coach, I would say that nobody wants to play against Greece in a semifinal”.

Still, Ataman called facing Greece in the semifinal his “destiny”: “I have five players there, big

See Full Page