Ergin Ataman: ‘No big difference between NBA and EuroLeague teams’

Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman believes the gap between the NBA and EuroLeague is smaller than most people think. In an interview with basketball.com.au, the three-time EuroLeague champion dismissed the notion of NBA champions being called “World Champions.”

“I told people these things, if you took out one star player from these NBA teams, I believe that many EuroLeague teams can beat the NBA teams,” Ataman said.

The Turkish coach pointed to preseason matchups as proof. “Two or three years ago, in the pre-season, there were many games between the EuroLeague teams and NBA teams. If I’m not wrong, 70 or 80% of the games, the EuroLeague teams won,” he explained.

EuroLeague clubs have indeed enjoyed success against NBA opponents in exhibition play. Real Madrid defeated the Dallas Mavericks 127–123 in October 2023, while Fenerbahce shocked the Brooklyn Nets 101–95 in 2015. CSKA Moscow and Maccabi Tel Aviv also claimed preseason wins in recent years.

Ataman, who is also leading Turkey in EuroBasket, said that aside from the league’s most iconic names, there is not much separating the two competitions. “With all due respect with the NBA, they have many star players, they are really star players, like LeBron, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry. And most of them, if you took out one of them, a lot of EuroLeague teams would win,” he added.

The comments revive a long-standing debate about the level of play outside the United States. The NBA continues to attract the top talent, but EuroLeague clubs remain highly competitive, featuring international stars like Vasilije Micic, Kostas Sloukas, and Facundo Campazzo.

Ataman has built a reputation as one of Europe’s most accomplished coaches, winning back-to-back EuroLeague titles with Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022 before guiding Panathinaikos to the 2024 crown. His bold stance reflects the growing confidence among EuroLeague programs that their teams can compete with NBA rosters.

As Panathinaikos prepares for the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament in Australia, Ataman’s comments are certain to spark discussion ahead of another NBA season. The divide between the leagues may remain, but the Turkish coach insists the gap is far narrower than most fans assume.