By Kostas Paraskevopoulos / info@eurohoops.net
Mike Batiste is leaving the Toronto Raptors and returning as an assistant coach to Panathinaikos, the club where he is a legend.
Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced the news via his social media accounts.
Batiste will be an assistant coach to his former head coach, Zeljko Obradovic, who also returned to the club.
Giannakopoulos made the announcement well past midnight with the following photo and the message: “Legends never leave… welcome back home”.
Mike Batiste also used the same post on his social media, practically confirming the deal.
Since 2014, when he retired, the 48-year-old former player turned to coaching, and for the last three years, he was among the assistants of Darko Rajakovic in Toronto.
Batiste played for 10 seasons in Panathinaikos, starting from 2003, winning the EuroLeague three times (2007, 2009, 2011).
He has also won the Greek league championship nine times and the Greek Cup seven times.
During his coaching career, he worked as an assistant for the Nets, the Hornets, the Magic, the Wizards, the Rockets, and, until this summer, also for the Raptors.
Make