Euroleague champs challenge Celtics to determine a "World Champion"
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics are NBA Champions after beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals for the franchise's 18th title. But if they want to consider themselves "World Champions," they apparently have to go through the Euroleague champs as well.
Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman, whose team claimed the Euroleague title with a 95-80 victory over Real Madrid in the final back in May, wants a piece of the Celtics. If he had it his way, he'd get the C's to Athens for a real bout to determine the world's basketball champions.
"After the Boston Celtics became the NBA champions, they tweeted, 'World Champion Boston.' The EuroLeague also tweeted, 'Beat this team first,' with our photo. They see themselves very highly," Ataman said in an interview on Rafine TV on Wednesday. "They want incredible numbers to come and play a game in Europe. You are not the world champion. If you want to get the world champion title, come and beat us, the EuroLeague champion. If you are so confident, I say come and beat us in OAKA."
The Athens Olympic Sports Complex is Greece's largest sports venue with a capacity of 75,000. If Panathinaikos could get the Celtics overseas to compete for a symbolic world crown, they'd probably have to add some more seats.
Unfortunately, such a thing will never happen. As Ataman, compensation is a big issue. So is scheduling, as most of the Celtics are resting up after their historic regular season and march to the NBA title. Three others -- Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White -- are getting set to go for gold on the world stage at the Paris Olympics for Team USA.
Panathinaikos had an impressive season, going 23-11 during the regular season to end a five-year tournament drought and enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed. After beating Maccabi Tel Aviv, 3-2, in the quarterfinals series, Panathinaikos pummeled Fenerbahçe Beko, 73-57, in the semis before winnings its seventh Euroleague title with a finals win over the top-seeded Real Madrid.
Panathinaikos has former NBAers Kendrick Nunn and and Jerian Grant on its roster, as well as former Celtic Juancho Hernangomez, who played 18 games with Boston during the 2021-22 NBA season.
Would they have any shot against the Celtics? Probably not, but anything can happen in just one game.
While the NBA champs taking on other championship teams from around the world is a fun concept, chances are it will never happen. We'll just have to settle for the Olympics every four years.
