It was back-to-back excitement for Greek EuroLeague powerhouse Panathinaikos in Australia this week, as the club held its first open training session in Melbourne on Tuesday – and received an unexpected boost from homegrown NBA star Josh Giddey.
The Chicago Bulls guard, fresh off signing a $152 million four-year deal, surprised fans by suiting up in green and white at CourtSide, Port Melbourne, where Panathinaikos trained ahead of their blockbuster exhibition against Serbian giants KK Partizan on Thursday night.
Community day at CourtSide
The event drew dozens of students from St John’s Greek Orthodox College, Preston, as well as local schools from the Port Melbourne area. Young basketball fans, including children with special needs, filled the stands for a special community engagement session, cheering on their heroes and snapping photos with the stars.
Joining Giddey on the court were rising talents Kyriakos Karfitsas, Jackson Mackoy, Mojave King, Dillon Smith and Zac Triplett, who all trained alongside Panathinaikos imports Kendrick Nunn and Jerian Grant.
“It was a good opportunity to get back into a practice,” Giddey said afterwards. “They’re a very, very good, well-respected team and obviously have a game on Thursday. They were a little undermanned, so me and a couple of the guys came down, thought we’d help them out, get them ready.”
Nunn grateful, looking ahead
For Nunn, it was his first ever visit to Australia. The EuroLeague MVP and former NBA All-Rookie praised Giddey for lending a hand so soon after landing back home.
“We appreciate Josh for blessing us with his presence, helping us out at practice today,” Nunn said. “We didn’t go too hard on him, got to keep him healthy and looking forward to his season, so we thank him for helping us out a little bit.”
Nunn, who recently signed a multiyear contract extension with Panathinaikos through 2028, making him the highest-paid player in EuroLeague, is also relishing the chance to test himself against NBL star Bryce Cotton when the Greek champions face the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday in Sydney.
“You don’t see guys getting five-time MVPs, that’s sick. That’s unreal,” Nunn said. “I have a huge respect for Bryce… he’s doing a hell of a job here in this league. It’ll be an interesting game, seeing a EuroLeague club come here and play an NBL team in their city with their crowd, their atmosphere, it’ll be fun.”
Hero’s welcome
As the Melbourne sun set, the takeaway was clear: Panathinaikos has found a warm welcome in Australia, with fans young and old flocking to see their heroes – and even bigger names like Giddey lending their star power.
With a Thursday showdown against Partizan and a Sunday clash with the Adelaide 36ers still ahead, the Greens’ Australian tour is shaping up as both a sporting and cultural celebration, bridging basketball passion between Europe and the Antipodes.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Bill Roumeliotis.
