The Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals in June, and are considered by most to be World Champions. However, Ergin Ataman, head coach of the EuroLeague champion Panathinaikos B.C., isn't quite ready to hand that title over to the Celtics.
Ataman issued a challenge to the Celtics during an interview with Turkish network Rafine TV.
“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. They want incredible numbers to come and play a game in Europe. You are not the world champion,” Ataman said. “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.”
Ataman does have an excellent group of players at Panathinaikos, including former NBA players. Guards Kendrick Nunn and Jerian Grant forward Juancho Hernangomez, center Kostas Antetokounmpo, brother of Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and newly acquired point guard Lorenzo Brown are all members of the Greek EuroLeague champs.
Center Mathias Lessort, who was drafted in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, but has yet to play in the NBA, is also a key contributor for Panathinaikos.
Should the Celtics face Euroleague champs Panathinaikos?
While it's unlikely that the Celtics would ever agree to face Ataman and Panathinaikos in a formal competition to declare a true “World Champion,” there is a history of NBA teams playing international teams in preseason friendlies.
While NBA teams usually win, their international opponents are usually able to keep up and make the game competitive. The most recent instance of an NBA team losing during one of these competitions is last preseason when the Dallas Mavericks traveled to Spain and lost to Real Madrid Baloncesto 123-127.
While it's clear that the Celtics are the better basketball team, it would still not be a foregone conclusion that they would beat Panathinaikos, especially if they have to travel to Greece and play at their home arena like Ataman suggested.
European basketball fans are known to be some of the most intense in the world. The hostile crowd, in addition to the international travel, would make this potentially the most difficult environments the Celtics have played in.
The debate about whether or not the winner of the NBA Finals is considered the World Champion is not new. United States track star Noah Lyles made headlines last year when he called out NBA teams in a now-infamous press conference for calling themselves World Champions and was widely mocked.
“World champion of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong. I love the US at times. But that ain't the world,” Lyles said.
If the Celtics want to prove that they truly are World Champions, they should accept Ataman's challenge and travel to Greece during the NBA preseason to face Panathinaikos in a friendly. A game like this would continue to grow the NBA and Celtics' brand abroad, help build team chemistry during the overseas trip and would give them a far more competitive and engaged opponent than whoever they would face in the regular NBA preseason.
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