Obradovic Says Datome Brought Him Back to the Court

Panathinaikos coach Zeljko Obradovic said at a press conference on Monday that former player Gigi Datome helped draw him back into basketball after months away from the game. Obradovic said he had worked with basketball again for the first time in 20 days, and that it was his first time on a court since leaving Partizan.

He explained that he had been in Italy because Datome asked him to run a children's clinic there. “It was special for me,” Obradovic said, adding that the feeling of being on the court again was powerful. “When I am on the court and something drives me, I am the happiest man in the world,” he said.

The newly appointed Panathinaikos coach also said he expects to feel that way whenever he works with his players. Looking ahead, he said past success came from unity, but the focus now must be on the future. “We will work like a family and respect each other,” he said, calling that “the biggest key” for him.