By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In a captivating look back as part of the Final Four Stories by Stoiximan, Dimitris Itoudis shared previously untold aspects of the historic 2016 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title win in Berlin with Eurohoops.
The current head coach of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv returned mentally to the Uber Arena, a venue of immense symbolic value, as it was the same floor where he had celebrated the 2009 trophy as part of the Panathinaikos coaching staff alongside his mentor, Zeljko Obradovic.
This time, however, the two faced off from opposing benches in the championship game of the Final Four, with Itoudis leading CSKA against Obradovic’s Fenerbahce.
“By then, we had moved past the emotional weight of it because we had already faced each other in the Turkish League. That was the point where we had to overcome the reality of sitting on opposite benches after 13 years together,” the Greek tactician reflected on this unique dynamic.
Despite building a commanding 21-point lead through superior play on both ends of the floor, the game transformed into a nail-biter. “Fenerbahce came back in the second half and even took the lead,” recalled Itoudis. “Ultimately, for us to even have the chance to win that trophy, Victor Khryapa had to make a very difficult buzzer-beating follow shot.”
For Khryapa, the moment transcended a simple basket. It was a shot at redemption from miscues in previous Final Four tournaments. “He was the one essentially seeking atonement,” Itoudis explained to Eurohoops, “That redemption came through those difficult plays. He gave his team the chance to tie the game and fight for the trophy, eventually winning it in overtime.”
Beyond the tactical battle, the Trikala native revealed a touching gesture that played a crucial role in his players’ psychology. Just hours before tip-off, the CSKA roster was surprised with a video featuring their mothers. Itoudis himself was only informed fifteen minutes prior.
“The video moved the players and all of us deeply,” he shared. “It featured interviews with the players’ mothers, each telling a story from her son’s childhood and how he first got into basketball. It was incredibly emotional. Each mother ended with a wish for her son to win the trophy and make her proud. It was a truly significant moment that boosted the players’ morale and gave them that extra motivation.”
The Uber Arena served as a familiar stage for both coaches, who had shared a legendary tenure on the Panathinaikos bench from 1999 to 2012. During those thirteen years, they secured five EuroLeague titles together in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011, including a memorable victory at that very same Berlin venue in 2009.
The eventual triumph for the team coached by Itoudis secured the seventh of eight EuroLeague trophies for the Moscow outfit. Individually, it represented a career milestone as the first of his two championships as a head coach with the Russian powerhouse in 2016 and 2019.