By Bugra Uzar/ info@eurohoops.net
A few months after he lost his brothers, Kostas and Pavlos, Thanasis Giannakopoulos passed away on Tuesday (19/3). The brothers were managing the Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos until 2012 including the period when current Fenerbahce coach Zeljko Obradovic led the team to many successes as the head coach.
Obradovic spent 13 years in Panathinaikos (1999-2012) during which he made a strong bond with Thanasis who was always there to help him with everything he needed and is saddened by the end of an era:
“If you have spent 13 years in your life with one person that helped you with everything and lately we lost all three brothers… it’s something tough and I’m really sorry. I want to send my condolences to the whole family, to his daughter, to his wife and all the members of the Giannakopoulos family. He was a great person that helped me all the time and not only me. He helped everyone he worked with. They will always be in our hearts. And everyone will remember for sure what they did for basketball and especially for Panathinaikos”, Obradovic said.