**Panathinaikos Owner Seeks to Bring NBA Star Nikola Jokic to Greece**
In a bold move that has captured the attention of basketball fans and analysts alike, Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, the owner of Panathinaikos Basketball Club, has expressed his ambition to recruit three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic to play for his team. During a recent episode of the “Euro Insiders” podcast, Giannakopoulos revealed that he had made a serious proposal to the Denver Nuggets regarding a buyout of Jokic's contract.
Giannakopoulos, whose net worth is estimated between $500 million and $1.9 billion, stated that he approached the Nuggets with the intention of bringing Jokic to Athens for the upcoming season. “People are going to say, ‘OK, now he’s joking,’” he remarked, emphasizing the seriousness of his intentions. However, he acknowledged that his overture was met with rejection. “I did make a very serious proposal this year, both to his team and to him. I got a rejection. I know that he has one more year (on his) contract,” he added.
While Jokic is currently under contract for two more seasons, with a salary of approximately $59 million for the 2023-24 season and $62 million for the 2024-25 season, Giannakopoulos noted that the 2027-28 season is an option year for the player. “When I asked, he had a certain contract running. This was his last year. I tried to buy out his last year. They didn’t even, I mean, it took a few seconds to say, ‘Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye,’ from his team,” Giannakopoulos recounted.
Nikola Jokic, 31, has been a cornerstone of the Denver Nuggets since he was drafted in 2014. Over his 11 seasons in the NBA, he has averaged 22.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. His exceptional performance was pivotal in leading the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in the 2022-23 season. Notably, Jokic has averaged a triple-double in each of the last two seasons, a feat accomplished by only two other players in NBA history: Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.
The ambition to sign Jokic highlights Giannakopoulos's commitment to elevating Panathinaikos's status in European basketball. Last season, the team finished seventh in the EuroLeague with a record of 22 wins and 16 losses, but they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Valencia Basket. The club has been actively working to enhance its roster, which currently includes former NBA players such as Jerian Grant, Juancho Hernangomez, Kendrick Nunn, and Guerschon Yabusele.
While the prospect of Jokic joining Panathinaikos remains uncertain, Giannakopoulos expressed optimism about the future. “But … let’s wait until next year,” he concluded, suggesting that further discussions could take place as Jokic's contract situation evolves.
As the basketball community watches closely, the potential for Jokic to make a move to Europe, particularly to a storied club like Panathinaikos, raises intriguing questions about the future of international basketball and the allure of European leagues for NBA stars.