Pavlos and Thanassis Giannakopoulos were at the “Peace and Friendship” stadium this afternoon. Both were honored at the ceremony of the PSAT choice awards. The Hellenic Sports Reporters Association (PSAT) honored them for their offer to sports and more specifically to basketball, leading Panathinaikos and Greece along with it to the top of Europe over and over again. Being for years at the driver’s seat of the Panathinaikos BC the Giannakopoulos family can proudly showcase 29 titles: 13 Greek League Championships, 9 Greek Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup and crown jewel of the collection the 6 European Championships.
Pavlos Giannakopoulos was asked what is to be expected of Panathinaikos this season and he did not hesitate to gaze high in his predictions: “As per usual, a European Championship. The team has already conquered 6 and we are after No 7”.While when questioned about Mr. Zeljko Obradovic, he stated: “Mr. Obradovic left his mark not only on Panathinaikos but on the entire land. We do not know what might happen in the future. The one certainty is that he will always be in our hearts, because he has offered priceless services”.
Thanassis Giannakopoulos answered to a question concerning Panathinaikos’ support from the family: “The team will always have our support because we are born and bread Panathinaikos and we have offered besides money, me personally, two heart attacks. We aspire for Panathinaikos to star in any department either the name of the game is football, either basketball, either… backgammon. And this is something the whole world knows”. When asked if Panathinaikos will proceed with the same people at the driver’s seat he stressed: “The issue is not if it will be us. Panathinaikos has a history that goes all the way back for over 100 years and it might very well have those much more at least ahead of it… Administrative units come and go. The important thing is anyone who can help to do so. We, as a family, always help Panathinaikos”.
