By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Mateusz Ponitka shined at the 2022 Eurobasket, leading Poland to the semifinals. However, it all could have gone differently as he was on the verge of ending his career with the national team.
The decision to stay in Russia and play for Zenit Saint Petersburg after the war in Ukraine started wasn’t well-received in his homeland.
“I was the biggest enemy in Poland at that moment. People hated me, both me and my family. We received threats, crazy messages. Personally, I expected some people from basketball to stand up for me, but they added fuel to the fire. I was really close to ending my national team career. In the end, I talked with my wife, agent, and people from the national team before the EuroBasket. They told me they wanted me on the team, that they knew what I had given for the national team. Eventually, we found common ground, and I joined the team, and we finished fourth in Europe. A crazy story. I’m usually calm and hardly get excited, but my story from last year… I think it could be made into a movie. From zero to hero. Actually, from hero, to enemy, and then back to hero. A great lesson for me about what love and family mean,” Ponitka said in an interview with Mozzart Sport.
As the 29-year-old forward said, he ended up being a hero, and his amazing performances at the previous European championship opened new doors for him. Before the EuroBasket, he signed for Italian club Reggiana, but after, Panathinaikos came calling.
“I wasn’t in a position to immediately sign a contract with a EuroLeague team. I talked with my agent to play the EuroBasket and see what happens. However, I insisted on having a contract, and that’s why I signed with Reggio Emilia, but I had a good tournament, received offers, and eventually chose Panathinaikos. I knew I would have a role and an opportunity to showcase my skills. I had to be fair to Reggio Emilia, we paid some compensation, and that’s how I ended up in Athens.”
Unfortunately, Ponitka didn’t have much success in his sole season with the Athens team. The Greens had many issues in the EuroLeague, while Olympiacos dominated in Greece.
“Olympiacos was a fantastic team. They were close to winning the EuroLeague. They are really one of the best teams in all of Europe. We won only one game against them, which, of course, wasn’t enough. Now the story is different. Sloukas and Vezenkov left, of course, Olympiacos will still be strong, but Panathinaikos also completely changed the team, brought in new players and a new coach. It will be interesting to see how the rivalry looks in the upcoming season. As for life in Athens, it was perfect. It’s a pity that basketball couldn’t have been a bit better.”
Still, he showed again that he belongs at the top European level, and this summer new offers came pouring in. Eventually, Ponitka signed with Partizan Mozzart Bet.
“I had several offers, I had serious talks with Maccabi… But, I always dreamed of playing under Zeljko, to see what kind of person he is on and off the court. I’ve heard a lot of stories, of course, but it’s different when you’re a part of it on a daily basis. The big thing for me is that I can learn basketball from him. That was the main thing for me, not the money or the life in the city, but the chance to learn something new from the best coaching mind. I’ve already worked with Xavi Pascual, and now I’d like to see the differences with Zeljko. Also, I talked with Manos Papadopoulos, and he told me that I’ll see what it’s like to have such a coaching mind like Zeljko’s beside you.”
At one moment, it seemed Nikola Mirotic would join him, but he decided against continuing his career in Serbia and, in the end, landed in Olimpia Milano.
“Yes, I heard something about it… I don’t use social media, so I don’t know how things work on those platforms, but I read some articles about Mirotic and Partizan, as well as other clubs, and I saw that there was a lot of interest in him. Which is normal because he’s a great player, one of the best in the EuroLeague, and wherever he goes, he’ll be a big addition. I don’t know exactly what happened with Partizan, why he didn’t come, but maybe I’ll hear something during the season. He chose Milan, and there will be a lot of strong players with great potential there. It’s his decision, I don’t know him personally, but he chose Olympiacos, and they will have a strong team there,” Mateusz Ponitka said.