Rick Pitino’s team captures Greek Cup title
Rick Pitino is a champion again.
The former Louisville coach led Panathinaikos to the Greek Cup Championship by beating PAOK in the final 79-73 on Sunday.
Hired in December by the Athens club, Pitino took over a team that featured several players with NBA or NCAA ties.
Florida Gators product and former Memphis Grizzlies point guard Nick Calathes was named the game’s MVP after posting 19 points and nine assists.
Panathinaikos reached the final after their semifinal opponent, Olympiakos, forfeited the contest. The David Blatt-led team never came out for the second half in protest of the game’s officiating.
A member of the 2013 Basketball Hall of Fame class, Pitino has had three runs in the NBA: Boston Celtics president and coach, New York Knicks coach and Knicks assistant coach.
He won two NCAA titles, with Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013. He reached a total of five Final Fours with three different schools (Louisville, Kentucky and Providence).
Pitino’s tenure at Louisville ended in 2017 after the program was part of an FBI probe into college basketball.