By Michalis Gkioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos Athens star guard Kostas Sloukas addressed an incident between him and teammate Omer Yurtseven that took place in Game 4 of the EuroLeague playoffs against Anadolu Efes.
With 3:38 to play and Efes up 71-66, Sloukas sent a pass inside the paint to Yurtseven but the latter didn’t catch the ball that slipped off him and went out of bounds.
Sloukas was then seen talking to the bench and asking them to substitute Yurtseven.
“It was a wrong move. Obviously, I’ve regretted it,” Sloukas told Eurohoops. “In the heat of the moment, when you have ‘300 pulses’ it was very wrong. I’ve talked with Omer and he’s understood it because he knows it was an important play. And it wasn’t just about this play, there were other two plays on defense when I talked to him. He missed his player and we gave up an important dunk.”
There are delicate balances and details in this kind of games. One – two consecutive mistakes can decide a result. It was very wrong. I’ve already talked with Omer, he’s a great guy, I’ve known him since we played together at Fenerbahce.
My reaction was very rough and that was very wrong. I’ve apologized to both Omer and the team. But, as I said, there are delicate balances and against this kind of teams, one – two mistakes can tip the scales in favor of the opponent.
This will be the 12th EuroLeague Final Four for Sloukas, a four-time champion. The Greek guard has won the title with Olympiacos Piraeus (2012, 2013), Fenerbahce (2017) and Panathinaikos (2025).
“The sweetest thing is to be there,” said Sloukas. “To be among the best four teams in the EuroLeague. Especially after winning the championship last season. You put the stamp that you belong in the EuroLeague elite after a rough period of Panathinaikos that were out of the Final Four for 13 years.”
“I didn’t expect to be here when I was growing up. Not even close. I was always moving step by step. Things went that way. I consider myself very lucky. Obviously, I’ve worked a lot. People say that when you work then fate is on our side. But I think the luck factor also plays a part.”