Panathinaikos Owner Praises Hapoel Tel Aviv Owner and Coach Pini Gershon

Dimitris Giannakopoulos, the owner of Panathinaikos and a prominent figure in the EuroLeague, gave a notable interview on August 9, 2026, with Euro Insiders. He praised Ofer Yanai, the owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv, calling him an "amazing figure" and expressed admiration for his involvement in the team's affairs. Giannakopoulos acknowledged that each owner has their own management style and emphasized that results ultimately determine success, noting that Hapoel Tel Aviv is a relatively new team still gaining experience.

Giannakopoulos also discussed Panathinaikos' roster construction for the season, which includes many star players. He highlighted the importance of the coach in managing such a team, citing examples of coaches like Dušan Ivković, who excelled with younger squads, and others like Ergin Ataman and Željko Obradović, who successfully lead star-studded teams. He included Pini Gershon among the latter group, praising the former coach's ability to get the best out of star players.

This interview sheds light on Giannakopoulos' views on team management and coaching in professional basketball, as well as his respect for Israeli basketball figures such as Yanai and Gershon.