The owner of the Panathinaikos Athens basketball team reacted angrily to the team’s defeat in Istanbul on Tuesday evening at the hands of Fenerbahçe, ordering that players return to the Greek capital by coach, instead of taking a scheduled flight back.
Tuesday’s loss, 79-61, for Panathinaikos meant the Athens club’s elimination from the quarterfinals of the Euroleague tournament, and came after two straight losses at home.
Nevertheless, three of the team’s foreign players, Chris Singleton, Mike James and Kenny Gabriel, all US nationals, along with veteran Greek forward Antonis Fotsis, refused to get on the bus for the more than-14 hour ride, returning by plane instead at their own expense.
The coach was expected to make it way back to Athens by Wednesday afternoon.
