Diamantidis Tells the Story of Number 13

Panathinaikos legend Dimitris Diamantidis told Arena Sport about the place number 13 holds in his career and about a memory he shares with his former teammate Saras Jasikevicius.

Diamantidis said that when he went to Iraklis, he took number 13, which was available and which nobody wanted. He said Jasikevicius had worn the number at Maccabi and with the Lithuanian national team, and that when Jasikevicius came to Panathinaikos he asked Diamantidis for number 13. Diamantidis said he replied, "Saras, this number is mine now!" and described how he ended up being the one who kept wearing number 13.

Diamantidis said Fragiskos Alvertis played an important role in his decision to choose Panathinaikos in the summer of 2004. He said Olympiakos was also interested but did not make a formal offer because of administrative problems. He added that an offer also came from Aris, but he chose that club after Panathinaikos clearly told him they wanted him.

Diamantidis said that for a time Spanoulis, Jasikevicius and he played together as point guards in the same squad, and that Mike Batiste, a tall player with high basketball IQ, was also on the team. Describing Zeljko Obradovic, who returned to the club this summer, as a genius, Diamantidis said he got players to put the team first.