Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman has recently challenged the Boston Celtics, questioning the NBA’s practice of labeling its champion as “world champion.” Fresh off winning the EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos, Ataman argued that true global supremacy in basketball should be settled on the court by matching up the NBA champions with EuroLeague’s best. Specifically, Ataman invited the Celtics to face his team at the OAKA Arena in Greece, saying that if Boston wants to prove its world-champion status, they should “come and beat us”【7†source】【8†source】.
The debate taps into a broader conversation about the “world champion” label in sports, as the NBA features largely U.S.-based teams. The Celtics, led by stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, captured their 18th NBA title, a league record, by defeating the Dallas Mavericks last season. Although such a cross-league game is unlikely to happen soon, it has generated significant buzz, with some fans intrigued by the prospect of the NBA and EuroLeague champions squaring off【8†source】【9†source】.