Final Four, Greek Cup: Crete gives basketball opportunity for its own turbulence

The truth is, big words don’t always work well. So without being able to know the result of the Final Four, it’s clear that something good is happening here in Heraklion. Both organizationally and competitively.

But on Sunday (February 20, 5 p.m., ERT3, Match Center at Sportish) everything will be counted. The winner gets everything and the loser will not be able to smile. It has to do with Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, who had very comfortable first three days of the tournament, but if they don’t win the final, the return journey will be bitter. No matter how much progress has been made in the mentality of the two eternals and in Greek basketball in general, victory is the difference between success and failure. There is one wedding in Heraklion, not four.

The same applies to the federal government. The atmosphere has been festive so far, from Thursday to Saturday everything went exactly as it should and the weather permits. We are still living in a time of pandemic, the stadium cannot be full, the slogans and the voices of the fans are clearly missing, but it is not possible to change everything in one day.

Steps have been taken, Heraklion has finally entered the basketball rhythm thanks to 3on3, in short it has become a very good start. Anyone who plays basketball in Greece knows that there is a lot of room for improvement, but let’s wait for when our life gets back to normal. At the moment it’s not about spoiling the scene on the last day, because the last impression always remains and Olympiakos – Panathinaikos obviously have the edge. This is the greatest sporting rivalry that Greece has.

So everything seems to be going well for now. The basketball “chaos” is afoot with a mediator between the EEC and Crete itself with its mentality, but as locals well know, a spark can burn it all and reopen the vendetta. As there are many in Greece who invest in hostilities and vendettas and will always do everything in their power to create tension.

Not that Panathinaikos OPAP and Olympiakos will stop being opponents, but there are limits to everything. It’s different to ask for victory, to celebrate the trophy, the title, dominance on the floor. It’s another thing to want to humiliate your opponent, stand back and kill them. Greek sport has been searching for those boundaries for years, and Greek basketball has its own chance to lead the way.

Finally, the good news comes from the mentality of team administrations, especially the eternal ones. Everyone is looking to the future, not looking back, and doesn’t want to miss the opportunity. Anyone who has a gun and wants to shoot the other knows that death will find them all in the end. That’s why the longing for victory and cup on Sunday afternoon in the 47th Greek Cup final is great, the title is very important for both Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, but above all the next day is important.

Only one will celebrate, only one will return with the beautiful trophy, but the most important thing is the basketball ruck. That is why Crete seems to be the right place at the right time.