Panathinaikos small forward Ioannis Papapetrou spoke to Basketball Sphere about the current season, the upcoming match against Crvena Zvezda, his time at Partizan and his relationship with teammate Mathias Lessort.
Panathinaikos entered this season very ambitiously. After several years, during which the Greek giant did not belong to the elite of European basketball, the owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos decided to significantly increase the budget and thus attract the best to defend the colors of his club in the OAKA arena.
Undoubtedly, it was so. Coaching and playing superstars began to arrive one after the other. From the EuroCup, EuroLeague or NBA, it didn’t matter – Athens was once again becoming an attractive destination for many. Most importantly for Giannakopoulos, it seemed to be the reshape of Panathinaikos, to whom the Final Four is a must.
,,I am not satisfied at all”
One of the pieces in that puzzle of Ergin Ataman became the new/old member of “Greens”, Ioannis Papapetrou. After a year’s break, he returned to Panathinaikos. He had behind him a successful team season in Partizan, due to winning the ABA League and participating in the play-off, when it comes to the EuroLeague, but individual games were a real obstacle in considering a possible extension of cooperation.
The Greek team used that opportunity and returned him to their ranks. After a first term from 2018 to 2022, Papapetrou began a second one last summer. However, not everything went smoothly. He had to undergo knee surgery and at the end of the season he is trying to catch up with the biggest challenges, which are yet to come. There is no doubt about that, as Panathinaikos is in fifth place in the EuroLeague.
“I feel good, healthy and ready to help the team”, Papapetrou started talking to Basketball Sphere.
“When it comes to whether I am satisfied with the season, I am not at all. It’s still too early to be satisfied, it’s not yet time to draw any conclusions, given that it’s an early stage of the season and we should focus on finishing it in the best possible way. Only then can we talk about whether we are satisfied or not. For now, that is not the topic”, the former Partizan and Olympiacos player was clear.
,,Partizan is something special for me”
Panathinaikos is currently on a record of 18 wins and 11 losses. Every duel until the end will be extremely important in the fight for the best possible position before the playoffs and the first challenge in which the Greek team can show its determination to continue climbing to the top will be against Crvena Zvezda. The team of Ioannis Sfairopoulos and Panathinaikos clash is scheduled for tonight at 20:00.
“I expect a very difficult and physically demanding match. They play great at home, they have top fans and a very strong home ground, so it will be challenging to beat them, especially because of that physical aspect, which is always pronounced against them.”
It won’t be a game like any other. Last season, Papapetrou had several opportunities to see for himself the rivalry between Crvena Zvezda and Partizan, his former club. About black and white – all the best.
“Of course that match will be special. Partizan is something special for me, I played there, I love that club. I would describe it as a very successful period. We had a quality season, achieved a lot and almost made it to the Final Four. We won the ABA League at the end, which was very important for the club and I’m very happy for what we gave the fans, for all the memories we were able to create.”
“Lessort is like my son”
During his period in Partizan, there were ups and downs, both team and individual. Nevertheless, only gratitude can be read from the words of Papapetrou.
“I wouldn’t change anything when it comes to that season. Everything was as it should be. The results were great. I had the opportunity to play for one of the best coaches of all time, in a club that marked the history of European basketball. Therefore, I have to look at that experience positively.”
After him, Mathias Lessort, a former teammate in Partizan, came to Panathinaikos. The French center is playing great and is one of the best players in the league. It was Papapetrou who helped him adapt to Athens, from which the whole team benefits. The two, as stated by the Greek national team player, have a special connection.
“The connection with him is incredible. We are very close, he is a great guy and a great player. He is like my son, that’s how I treat him. I teach him everything and I am very happy to spend the second season with him”, concluded Papapetrou in a short conversation with Basketball Sphere.