If you follow basketball in Serbia and regularly keep up with the EuroLeague, the nickname “Kumara” probably needs no explanation. It refers to one of the most eccentric and charismatic figures in European basketball: Dimitris Giannakopoulos, the owner of Panathinaikos.
Giannakopoulos spoke to Mozzart Sport on the court at OAKA ahead of the friendly tournament featuring Panathinaikos, Partizan Mozzart Bet, Bourg and PAOK.
When he heard that the Serbian outlet wanted to interview him, Giannakopoulos simply smiled and said:
“For my brothers from Serbia, sure…”
“I love Serbia”
The conversation quickly took a more informal tone when the journalists asked him about his nickname among Serbian fans.
“What does Kumara mean?” Giannakopoulos asked, before breaking into laughter.
After the meaning was explained to him, his response was simple:
“That’s good!”
Asked whether he was aware of how closely people in Serbia follow him, Giannakopoulos explained where his connection with the country began.
“When I was studying in London, my roommate was Serbian. Since then, I fell in love with Serbia and made many, many friends. That was long before basketball and long before coach Željko.
“I love Serbia, so I think the feeling is mutual. Yes, I really believe it is. To be completely honest, in Serbia I am a Partizan fan.”
“I knew Željko would return”
One of the main topics was Željko Obradović’s return to Panathinaikos and the enormous expectations surrounding his new tenure.
“I knew deep down that one day it would happen, that he would return here. It is destiny. I am very happy that it happened this year. I hope we have successful results.
“But as I said at the press conference, for me, the season itself is already a success.”
Giannakopoulos was also cautious when discussing the pressure on Obradović and the expectations surrounding Panathinaikos.
“History has shown that it’s not just about how you build the team. There are many things that play a role in winning the title at the end of the season — good health and sometimes luck.
“Yes, having coach Željko always gives you a competitive advantage. Having a good team gives you a competitive advantage. Now, I wouldn’t want to make predictions. But I think Panathinaikos will be one of the main contenders for the title.”
His thoughts on Partizan
Asked about Partizan’s new era and roster reconstruction, Giannakopoulos admitted that he had not followed all of the club’s offseason moves.
“I have to be 100% honest. I didn’t actually follow all the moves that happened this summer. So all I can do is wish them the best. But how could I make a prediction?”
“Stojan Vranković, forever in my heart”
Asked to choose one of the many Serbian players who have left a lasting mark on Panathinaikos, Giannakopoulos initially broadened the criteria.
“Does it have to be Serbian? Can I choose someone from the former Yugoslavia?”
He then immediately named Stojan Vranković:
“Stojan Vranković! Forever, forever and forever in my heart! Yes!”
When names such as Nikola Peković, Dejan Tomašević and Dušan Kecman were mentioned, Giannakopoulos singled out Tomašević.
“Tomašević! Yes! He played with his head. He played with his head. And I respect people, I respect players who use their mind more than their physical abilities.”
“I would love to see Jokic in a Panathinaikos jersey”
Giannakopoulos once again discussed his desire to bring Nikola Jokic to Panathinaikos.
“As far as I’m concerned, I stopped watching the NBA the day Michael Jordan stopped dribbling the ball. Seriously. I started watching the NBA again a little when Jokic went there.
“I believe he is among the 10 greatest players of all time. I would love to see him in a Panathinaikos jersey and I will do everything in my power to try to make it happen.
“The politics surrounding it are difficult, because I don’t think it is a matter for the clubs. I think it is about the fact that the NBA may not allow such a big star to leave.
“But Kumara gets everything done.”
Giannakopoulos reveals his past interest in Partizan
Giannakopoulos also addressed the long-standing reports that he once considered taking over and financially rescuing Partizan.
“I’ll tell you what I remember. It was during the time of Duško Vujošević, I think. Yes, Duško Vujošević, he was the coach then. I apologize if I’m wrong.
“I remember there was a period when Partizan had huge financial difficulties. That was around 10 or 15 years ago, probably in the late 2000s. And there were some discussions. There were discussions about business, investments… As I told you, I love Serbia. It was an idea. I was thinking about it.”
He then explained why the deal never materialized.
“Why didn’t it happen? Because I realized that you can’t take only the basketball club. You have to take swimming, water polo… the entire sports club, the whole organization. And that is a completely different matter.”
Asked what initially prompted him to consider entering Partizan, Giannakopoulos pointed to the club’s fan base and atmosphere.
“It was a proposal they made. I told you, I love Partizan. The fans there are the closest to this… the closest to this atmosphere and to the arena that Panathinaikos has.
“So yes, that was the idea.”
Commenta
Visualizza commenti