The Boston Celtics are NBA champions. Panathinaikos, a Greek league team, is the EuroLeague champion.
If Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman had it his way, his team would be welcoming the Celtics to Athens for the title of world champion.
Ataman made these comments to Rafine TV (h/t Eurohoops).
"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. 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."
by helt1skelt1
28 Comments
Any other team and I would say there’s no chance they even consider it, but with Joe Mazzulla I bet he’s thinking about it
It was so funny when the Celtics account tweeted that and there were a bunch of idiotic Europeans tweeting “AMERICAN champions” like a team with Kendrick nunn and Juancho HernanGomez as it’s best players is actually the best team in the world.
We would legitimately win by 40 if we cared
id pay to watch this curb stomp
https://preview.redd.it/eohzvqqqtadd1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d6b498d2b1baf46420bf1498668eab5a3ee336c
This being their logo is hilarious. The Temu Celtics
I have my doubts that a team composed of a lot of players who either went undrafted or washed out of the NBA would be able to put up much of a fight against this Celtics team, but I’d watch it just to see how much we’d win by
a pre-season tune up would be cool
I have a friend from Europe who is convinced that palathinaikos would beat the Celtics at home because “the Celtics haven’t played in front of real hostile fans and actual defense” I wanna shut him up so bad, please Joe make it happen you psycho, I want Payton Prichard to give them 40.
He’s correct.
The Celtics won the NBA title, not the Intercontinental Cup.
Popovich and the Spurs have it right by showing only NBA champions and the year the title was won.
They don’t even have Guerschon Yabusele tf they going on about
They don’t even have Guerschon Yabusele tf they going on about
LOL. Get get your shine box Ergin.
The current euro league MVP is an American (Mike James) who was last in the NBA in 2021 and averaged 5 points a game. Hilarious to see European teams think they are on the same level as the NBA
Let them start by beating each playoff team that the Celts went through for the chip.
There is no way you can beat Euroleague champions by 40 in front of these fans and the great Coach of Ataman
You will fear you May not go alive of that building
Boston can win by 5-10 though
https://youtu.be/dtWbTZbfkI8?si=EZCU-azvEIV8HzUR
You could leave off the Celtics currently in the Olympics and we’d still stomp them by 40.
All jokes aside it would be kind of cool for the NBA and other professional basketball leagues around the world to get together and play international tournaments like how soccer federations do.
All for it, but if we’re up 40 at halftime there should be a mercy rule.
Additionally, the argument that the NBA champion not a world champion is ludicrous, because the best players in the world all come to play in the NBA. And all the best players in the world who can’t make it in the NBA go to play in Europe.
It’s not like it’s exclusively Americans playing in the NBA, it’s a complete farce to suggest it’s not a “world championship”. Yes it is. You had to beat all the best players in the world to win it.
For those who don’t know the coach, this is pretty much his style. He likes to talk big, point fingers to players on a loss, get heated with fans etc.
I also think that we would blow Pana with a big margin but i do think the idea is cool and it would bring NBA and European basketball closer.
This is what every minor league loser says to try to gain clout. if the Euro League Championship meant anything, other teams would want to play them but as it is they don’t and anyone could care less except for the Greek team LOL.
Jerian Grant for 3!!! Cuts the Celtics lead to 37 with 2 minutes to go in the second quarter!
I’m confident all it would take to beat them is Pritchard and 4 dudes from a YMCA
Love the confidence from that European coach. The Celtics should invite them for a preseason game in October and make it the de-facto “world championship.” Logistically speaking that’s the only real way to do it. It would be cool to put this stupid “world champion” argument to bed. If it’s a blowout, we can put it to bed forever.
They’d get stomped but as an international fan YOU AREN’T WORLD CHAMPS FOR BEING THE CHAMPION OF THE BEST DOMESTIC LEAGUE. Why do Americans not get this?
Ataman comes from a school f LEGENDARY Turkish coaches! Some of the greatest minds of the game like Aydan Siyavus and Aydın Ors… However, this is still a bit crazy to challenge us!
Celtics aren’t world champions correct.
But when other people say this are they insinuating that the best team in Australia, Europe, Asia could beat the Celtics? Because they wouldn’t. The china national team lost 2 Summer league games.
LET’S DO IT!
holup, our star player Derrick White is busy though.
I know I’m preaching to choir here but being the champion of the 100%, without a doubt, no brainer, best league in the world, does in fact make you a world champion.
Reminds me of the weird argument euro and South American people bring up about how people from the US shouldn’t call themselves American because anyone from north and South America is really American. Such dumb pedantry trying to dunk on the US.