By George Adamopoulos / gadamopoulos@eurohoops.net
Zeljko Obradovic is back where he feels like family. In an interview with Eurohoops, the 66-year-old Serbian mastermind opens up about his second stint at Panathinaikos Aktor. Moving seamlessly between the memories of 1999 and the ambitions of 2026, Zoc explains what continues to fuel his relentless inner drive.
For years, a popular rumor followed Obradovic suggesting that whenever he finally lost his motivation, he would abandon the courts to open a beach bar in Greece. While the legendary coach admits the idea isn’t entirely a joke, fans can rest assured that his retirement remains far on the horizon. His return to Athens was sparked by a profound appreciation for the city, the sport, and a seamless alignment with club leadership.
“I know that people believe that this is like a joke, but I have one friend that really, really I would like to do this with him,” the Cacak native smiles when asked about the beach bar. “I don’t know if it will be possible. If you love something, you can do anything you want.”
Instead of serving drinks, he is back to chase titles, driven by an unchanging ethos despite the passage of decades.
“Past, everybody will remember, but you live in the present and the future, so you need to think about that,” he noted, dismissing the idea that he relies on prior glory.
“Communication and the meeting with Mr. President, Dimitris, was very good,” he added. “I talked to some other people also and I decided. I love basketball generally, I love this club, this city, so this it was my decision.”
The new era
The sport has undergone tectonic shifts since Obradovic first arrived in Athens in 1999. While the ultimate goal of fighting for championships remains untouched, the Serbian tactician emphasizes that modern basketball requires evolution, active listening, and a departure from the authoritarian coaching style of the past.
“The generation of players, they are more smart,” the nine-time EuroLeague champion explained. “They are asking questions. In the past, it was not like this so much. But now you need to have this possibility to answer them, to discuss with them.”
When pressed on whether a rigid, authoritarian approach still works, he is blunt.
“Listen, this is the wrong way to think, that something like that exists. I will be very straight on that,” he said. “It’s not a matter to be in like military service or something, no, everything is different. We talk about respect. Respect everything. I will respect you, you respect me, or everybody between us. This is the more important thing.”
Ultimately, Obradovic knows exactly what the passionate fans demand from this new roster, regardless of current injury setbacks.
“These people that will be over here in this wonderful gym, they understand basketball, but the more important thing is they understand if you fight or you don’t fight. According with this, they will support and they will not support,” he pointed out. “People to recognize that we have a team that wants to fight, that we play like a team, and that no one is more important than the team.”
Giannakopoulos legacy
Returning to Telekom Center Athens means reuniting with a rich tapestry of history.
“150 players that I coached them, they are now coaches in different levels. So, what else than to be happy?” Obradovic beams. “They know that I’m always ready for them, anything that they need, like I’m sure that if I call them they will be ready to help me. That makes me very, very proud.”
Reflecting on the management that built the team dynasty, he expressed immense gratitude toward the Giannakopoulos family, ensuring that the contributions of Pavlos, Thanasis, and Kostas are honored alongside the current vision of Dimitris.
“This is family,” Obradovic said warmly. “I thanked Dimitris Giannakopoulos to bring me back to the family and to give me the opportunity to know new people and to work with new people. I mean, a lot of times we talk about Mr. Pavlos, Thanasis, let’s say maybe Kostas was a little bit in the shadow, but they made incredible things for this club. And Dimitris continues. Because to be honest, this club now is another level, really. And I’m very happy to see that they don’t put limits, they always want more and more.”
Defeating toxicity with absolute respect
In Greece, the pressure is often toxic, but Obradovic refuses to let the noise alter his core principles.
“All my life I try to do this, I will continue wherever I am to respect the people,” he insisted. “I believe that this is the first thing that we need to try to do, everybody of us, everybody. Especially we that are inside over here, to give an example, to do the right things.”
When asked if his famous, fiery in-game reactions stem from a fear of being average, Obradovic balanced his competitive fire with a grounded philosophy on life.
“You will always have people to say that you are the best, like someone will say you are the worst. Thank you very much, I have my way, I have people that I trust, and this is how it is at the end of life because we have only one life and we need to enjoy life,” he stressed.
Finally, he rejected the ‘win at all costs’ mentality.
“To win at any cost is not good. I don’t like this. To win in any correct cost. This is something different,” he described his approach. “I will never like to do something that is not who I am, and to be in peace with myself.”
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