Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman reignited a fiery debate in global basketball. In a bold statement, the three-time Euroleague champions questioned the NBA’s self-appointed status as the world champions. He argues that EuroLeague squads could beat many NBA teams if even one key player were missing.

Atama is currently leading Turkey in the FIBA EuroBasket. He referenced NBA titleholders like the Boston Celtics and challenged their claim to global dominance. However, he insisted the real test lies beyond U.S borders.

“If you took out one star player from these NBA teams, I believe that many EuroLeague teams can beat the NBA teams,” Ataman said. “There is no big difference between the NBA teams and between the EuroLeague teams. With all due respect to the NBA, they have many star playe

See Full Page