Panathinaikos owner expresses preference for playoff series against Olympiacos

Dimitris Giannakopoulos, the owner of Panathinaikos BC, publicly stated his desire for a Euroleague playoff series against Olympiacos in a recent social media live stream. He argued that Panathinaikos would be unlikely to lose a best-of-five series against their rivals. For this match-up to occur before the Final Four in Athens, specific conditions must be met. Panathinaikos would first need to lose to Monaco on Tuesday. Subsequently, the team would need to win its next game on Friday against the loser of the Barcelona-Crvena Zvezda match. If Panathinaikos defeats Monaco, they are slated to face Valencia instead. Giannakopoulos expressed confidence in his team's ability to eliminate Olympiacos in such a series. The comments were made on April 20, 2026, as the team evaluates its post-season path.