European basketball’s most decorated head coach, Zeljko Obradovic, delivered a comprehensive analysis of the challenges facing his team at the start of the new season.
In an extensive conversation, he detailed injury concerns, roster integration, his relationship with his coaching staff, his unbreakable bond with the fans, and the upcoming EuroLeague campaign.
The non-negotiable principle
With high ambitions and massive expectations surrounding the new campaign, Obradović remains steadfast regarding the core values driving his squad. When asked about the one principle he refuses to compromise on—even if it might temporarily impact immediate results, his stance was clear:
“Simple principle: nobody is more important than the team. None of us. That’s how it is.”
Early-season injuries have severely disrupted roster continuity, forcing the coaching staff to adapt on the fly. Addressing how quickly fans can expect to see his complete strategic vision on the floor before having a full roster available, Obradovic candidly outlined the reality of their preseason preparation:
“Right now, we have a health situation that isn’t ideal. We have a problem, so to speak, because a large number of players joined late due to national team commitments. As a result, we played our first preseason tournament after completing just three joint practice sessions. This week brings us four more, and in the week before the EuroLeague kickoff, we will have three more, a total of 10 joint practices. It sounds like a joke, but that is our reality. We must use those practices to prepare the team, because there are no excuses. Nobody will care about that, nor is there room for justification. That is our life. We know how high the expectations are, and we must be ready to give everything we have. At the end of the day, people who love Panathinaikos understand basketball. They will recognize whether we gave our all or not, and in the end, that is what it comes down to.”
Frontcourt evaluation and transfer market reactions
Given early injury setbacks across the frontcourt, questions naturally arise about whether the current big man rotation is sufficient or if market adjustments are required before the official start of competition. Obradovic emphasized that roster evaluation remains a fluid, daily process:
“That is a question we will likely discuss every day from now until the end of the season. Not just regarding big men, but about everything within the team. So I don’t have an answer at this moment. We will see. There isn’t a coach in the EuroLeague who wouldn’t like to have more options. That is completely normal. Right now, you see some rosters with an incredibly high number of players. Our situation is what it is—including the younger players, we currently have 17 guys, but six of them are out of action. It is a good question; we must see how the start of the season looks and react if possible.”
Locker room hierarchy
Building a cohesive identity requires blending veteran leaders who have won titles in Athens with newcomers adapting to Obradovic’s high-demands system for the first time. The veteran strategist relies heavily on familiar faces to maintain standards across the locker room.
“We are the Panathinaikos team now, and we must all be on the same page. The good thing is that I have players who have worked with me before, specifically Kostas Sloukas, Mathias Lessort, and Isaac Bonga. Also, I am extremely glad to have Dimitris Diamantidis and Mike Batiste alongside me. The rest of the staff knows me as well; I know some people from the past, and there are also young coaches doing a great job. All together, we need to be aligned and help the players understand the philosophy we want to establish this season and, hopefully, in the seasons to come.”
Instilling the responsibility of representing Panathinaikos is a collective mission shared across the technical staff rather than an individual duty.
“That is not just my job, but the job of everyone on the staff. The day before we started preseason preparations, I had a meeting with the entire staff and told them: ‘Guys, we are here to help the players think about nothing else except basketball.’ That’s it. Communication is extremely important. We try to explain things to them, but I believe that as the season progresses, it will be much easier for them to grasp where they are.”
When asked what the very first rule new players learn upon arriving in his system would be, Obradovic offered a short, direct response.
“Ask them. I don’t know.”
No ‘yes men’ on the coaching staff
Surrounding himself with trusted former players like Mike Batiste, Obradovic actively encourages open debate and differing technical opinions within the coaching staff.
“That is more than welcome. I have explained this many times. I don’t like and don’t have associates who will say all day long: ‘Yes, coach, you are right.’ No, completely the opposite. We have discussions and will continue to have them, and that is precisely why I trust them. I want to listen because I am a human being, I make mistakes like everyone else and I want to understand what they think. What their opinion is on specific situations or on everything important to the game, the team, or the club. So, of course, that is very welcome.”
Upgraded facilities at OAKA and the connection to fans
Reflecting on his return to Athens, Obradovic pointed out significant structural improvements within the organization while highlighting the permanent connection he shares with the fanbase:
“There are many very positive changes. First of all, OAKA looks incredible. The conditions we have here cannot be compared to what existed in the past. Everything is under one roof now. The staff is larger, and we take better care of the players. Caring more about everything now doesn’t mean it was bad in the past, no, that was simply that period. There are many positive things, and we must keep moving forward, never being fully satisfied and always trying something new.”
Despite coaching rival EuroLeague clubs over the years, his emotional bond with Panathinaikos supporters remained completely unbroken:
“Even when I was the coach of Fenerbahce and Partizan, I never lost the connection with these people. Every single day when there was a practice or a game here, a group of fans would come to visit me after practice. My players were always surprised by what was happening. That connection is something very special, and I never lost it with this club or with the people of Panathinaikos. In fact, you know that I am an honorary citizen of Athens, and a few years ago I bought an apartment here. So this is, you could say, my city.”
Facing Partizan and personal benchmarks
Panathinaikos opens its EuroLeague road schedule in Belgrade against Obradović’s former club, Partizan. However, the head coach refuses to lose focus on immediate duties.
“If I start thinking about that now, I believe I will get myself into trouble, because before that game I have many other matches and work to do. When the time comes for that game, then I will think about it.”
Ultimately, Obradovic’s primary driver remains the rigorous personal benchmark he set at the start of his coaching career over three decades ago.
“The same expectation I set back in 1991 when I started working as a coach: to be ready for every question from my players, to work hard, and to prepare every single detail regarding the game of basketball. When I know I have done that, I am at peace with myself. It is an incredibly beautiful feeling when you know you are clean before yourself. There is nothing more special than that.”
