By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following Game 3 of the Stoiximan GBL Finals 2026 on Monday, where Olympiacos prevailed to secure a 2–1 lead over Panathinaikos Aktor in the best-of-five championship series, Ergin Ataman, the head coach of the Greens, released a statement on Instagram.
Addressing Olympiacos fans, Ataman expressed his dissatisfaction with the chants encountered at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
“Yesterday, throughout the game, you once again chanted offensive slogans directed at my country, Turkiye. I want you to know that I have great love and respect for Greece and the Greek people, whom I consider brothers and sisters,” he mentioned. “It is, of course, your right to come to the games carrying flags and I respect that. But let me remind you of one fact; yesterday in the Greece League Finals third game, your team was unable to field a single real Greece National Team player.”
“I am proud of the fight my team shows under every circumstance and I would like to once again highlight the contribution that the four Greek National Team players who represented our team on the court yesterday continue to make to Greek basketball,” added 60-year-old Ataman.
Turning his focus to the ‘passionate’ Panathinaikos supporters, the Turkish play-caller issued a rallying cry for the remainder of the series.
“Despite all the developments that have overshadowed basketball itself we will not give up. We will keep chasing the championship until the final possession and the final second. And when all is said and done, we will be the ones celebrating victory on the court,” he wrote.
Ataman and Lessort point to free-throw disparity
Because of his ejection in the closing seconds of Game 3, Christos Serelis, the assistant coach, stepped in to speak at the postgame press conference.
“After two games here at the SEF, I want to make only one observation. Two very high-level teams, obviously, with not many differences, competing for a championship. In these two games, the free throws were 61-18 in favor of Olympiacos,” noted the 51-year-old Greek coach, focusing on the free-throw discrepancy.
Ahead of Game 4, Ataman also addressed Panathinaikos’ complaints about the free-throw disparity in the Finals.
The Turkish coach first joked when asked about comments made by New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown after Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
“Is he coming to Panathinaikos?” Ataman laughed.
He then reiterated his concerns about the officiating.
“I have great respect for Mike Brown and the NBA, but I have coached in 44 or 45 Finals during my career and I have never seen such a difference in free throws. It is very strange, something historic. We cannot use it as an excuse, but in 45 Finals I do not remember anything similar. Maybe Olympiacos is that good, maybe the referees are that good, or maybe we are that bad.”
Mathias Lessort, much like coach Ataman, also touched on the officiating.
“We are trying to fight with the weapons we have. To be aggressive and play with intensity. I believe the other team is doing the same. Anyone watching these games can see how different the criteria are. We have never experienced such different treatment before. The numbers do not lie. We are not a team that should have such a large discrepancy compared to our opponents,” Lessort said.
Panathinaikos handed suspended arena ban
Panathinaikos have been sanctioned with a one-game behind-closed-doors penalty by Greece’s Standing Committee for Addressing Violence (DEAB), while club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos was fined €50,000.
The punishment stems from incidents during Game 2 of the Greek League Finals, but it will not affect Game 4 on Wednesday, as tickets have already been sold. Instead, Panathinaikos will serve the arena ban in their first home game of the next domestic season.
Earlier, Giannakopoulos and Olympiacos general manager Nikos Lepeniotis were both banned from entering playing venues for one month by the HEBA sports judge, while Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas received a €10,000 fine.
Game 4 follows in the Telekom Center Athens on Wednesday.
GBL Playoffs
Quarterfinals (best-of-three)
Olympiacos – Kolossos H Hotels Collection 2-0 (117-76, 97-58)
AEK – Aris Betsson 2-1 (87-81, 81-90, 102-99)
Panathinaikos Aktor – Mykonos Betsson 2-0 (99-75, 90-76)
PAOK – Peristeri Betsson 2-0 (91-79, 77-72)
Semifinals (best-of-three)
Olympiacos – AEK 2-0 (94-77, 95-68)
Panathinaikos Aktor – PAOK 2-0 (114-102, 102-94)
Finals (best-of-five)
Olympiacos – Panathinaikos Aktor 2-1 (82-76, 58-68, 102-92)
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