EuroLeague champs Panathinaikos reward coach Ataman with new deal
Panathinaikos' head coach Ergin Ataman (R) and Kostas Sloukas lift the EuroLeague trophy in Berlin, Germany, May 26, 2024. (EPA Photo)


Greek basketball powerhouse Panathinaikos handed Wednesday a new three-year deal to their Turkish coach Ergin Ataman.

The Athens-based club, which clinched both the EuroLeague and Greek League titles under Ataman last season, confirmed the coach will remain with the team through the end of the 2027 season.

Panathinaikos President Dimitris Giannakopoulos expressed his delight over the new deal.

"I am thrilled to announce that Europe's best coach, Ergin Ataman, has agreed to be Panathinaikos' head coach for the next three years," he said.

Ataman had also clinched back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Turkish giants Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022.

He parted ways with the Istanbul side and took over Panathinaikos last summer on a two-year deal, winning the European and national double in his first season.

The experienced coach won the league championship with a comeback against Olympiacos in the final series and was named Coach of the Year in Greece.