The Panathinaikos BC President, Dimitris Giannakopoulos, in view of all taken place these last few days made the following statement:
“In view of all occurred the last few days and counting from the dramatic Greek Cup Final, with a sense of total responsibility and aiming first and foremost towards the sport’s well being, which the Giannakopoulos family serves with consistency and passion over the last few decades, I would like to state the following, hoping to find the Angelopoulos brothers next to me for the voyage, keen supporters and ready to aid along the way.
It is high time the “BATLE” be transferred inbounds of the court and for all eyes to steer attention towards the real protagonists, who are none other than the athletes of the two teams, the golden boys of the Greek and not only the Greek basketball, Diamantidis, Spanoulis and all the others.
We, the new generation of the athletic society’s administrators, must take a leap of faith, recognizing and correcting or even managing to make moves of precaution of human moments of stress and passion, which have only motive the true and unselfish love for our team.
We, who give even life itself for the competitive basketball, should not be the ones to keep the fire burning, the fire of fanatics and light the torch towards the phenomenon of non diligence of public laws.
We first must guard all built with such a labor by our predecessors and send out a loud and clear message towards the Greek society and mainly towards its youth.
Above all for us is sportsmanship! We condemn all forms of violence wherever it might root from. We do not quest to skirmishes and bickering inside or out of court establishments, but only a rich and full show-time experience inside the courts, equal treatment and fair confrontation towards all.
In view of the Greek League Finals, I would like to openly send an invitation toward the Angelopoulos brothers. Together, hand in hand, we can achieve numerous things towards the well being of the sport idea and more specifically of the Greek basketball. But above all, the return of the Greek family to the courts with a sense of safety!
The times call for wisdom, responsibility, big heartiness, joining of forces, low key attitudes and hard work from all of us in the correct direction, even if we are obligated to leave aside egoisms, expediency and mentalities which lead to dead ends.
Let this announcement be the dawning of a new, more hope bearing stride for the Greek Basketball world. It lies within our hands to be able to achieve it and we will achieve it because we owe it to ourselves, to our athletes, to our very fans, to the new generation of sports, to the entire Greek society, which awaits many more distinguishes and achievement from the Greek basketball”.
