Panathinaikos AKTOR head coach Ergin Ataman abruptly walked out of a post-game press conference after being questioned about a controversial gesture made by player Evan Fournier during Sunday’s finals game at OAKA stadium.
The incident marked the latest escalation in a contentious Greek basketball championship series.
Clearly frustrated, Mr. Ataman sidestepped the question by comparing Fournier’s gesture to a similar one he alleged was made by Kendrick Nunn during a EuroLeague game at Peace and Friendship Stadium earlier in the season.
He refused to address the specific incident directly, instead launching into a broader criticism of the Greek league’s handling of sportsmanship and crowd behavior.
"This is the first time in my career I’ve seen things like this happen in a top-level league," said Mr. Ataman.
"What occurred tonight and in previous games is not acceptable. Not from the referees, not from the federation."
Mr. Ataman went on to accuse fans of directing racial insults toward his Turkish nationality, claiming he had informed the Turkish ambassador in Athens ahead of the game of possible provocations.
"I told him not to expect a statement from me if this happened again. I asked him to inform the embassy," Mr. Ataman said. "The federation accepts it, the referees accept it. But I do not."
The Turkish coach also defended Panathinaikos fans, asserting they showed restraint by not interrupting the match despite the alleged provocations.
"In any other country, fans would have stormed the court," he said.
Mr. Ataman further criticized Olympiacos for fielding few Greek players, drawing a contrast with Panathinaikos.
"They wave the Greek flag, but how many Greeks are in Olympiacos? One. We have five Greeks in our starting lineup," he said, naming Kostas Sloukas, Dinos Mitoglou, Ioannis Papapetrou, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, and Alexandros Samontourov.
His abrupt departure from the press conference marks the latest flashpoint in a highly contentious Greek basketball finals series between long-standing rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos.