Obradovic returns where he became a legend, Macedonia fell by 29 points

A summer of big moves in basketball: Zeljko Obradovic returns to the Panathinaikos bench, while Macedonia's national team took a hard slap to start the summer. From Athens to Samokov, the story is the same - basketball never rests, not even in June.

Zeljko Obradovic is once again Panathinaikos coach

The most decorated coach in the history of European basketball is coming home: Zeljko Obradovic has signed a three-year deal with Panathinaikos, until the end of the 2028/29 season. Owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos announced the move with a photo on Instagram and the caption "The story continues…". Obradovic is no ordinary figure for the Greek giant - between 1999 and 2012 he brought them five EuroLeague titles and turned OAKA into one of the most fearsome arenas on the continent. At 66, he carries nine European crowns with five different clubs, a number no one has matched. After four years at Partizan, the legend returns to where the myth was born.

Giannis to Miami? The transfer of the summer gathers pace

The whole NBA is waiting for one domino to fall: Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. According to the rumours circulating, a three-way trade is in play between Milwaukee, Miami and Detroit, in which the Heat would get the Greek superstar and Duncan Robinson, Milwaukee a package of young players (Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland, Nikola Jovic, Khaman Maluach), and Detroit would receive Tyler Herro. It's all still just a framework, not a signature - but reports claim Herro's move to Detroit is "gathering pace". When so many names are shuffled for a single player, it means one thing: someone strongly believes Giannis is worth breaking up half a team for.

Brunson lifted the title, while Doncic is still waiting for his

The New York Knicks are NBA champions, and Jalen Brunson is Finals MVP - the same player who began his career in the shadow of Luka Doncic in Dallas. The two came in on the same 2018 draft: Doncic as the next big star, Brunson as an underrated second-round pick who battled "impostor syndrome" in his rookie season. Today the picture is reversed - Brunson has the ring and the MVP trophy, while the Slovenian ace is still chasing his first title. "I knew I'd be winning, that's just my mentality," Brunson said. Proof that talent opens doors, but character closes them - the contests.

Macedonian gem heads to the NCAA, national team fell to Bulgaria

The news at home is mixed. The men's national team opened its July preparation cycle with a convincing defeat to Bulgaria in Samokov, 68:97 - a 29-point gap for the team of coach Josep Maria Berrocal, a test that revealed more problems than solutions. At the same time, Andrej Mitrevski, a 22-year-old Macedonian international who had also been in talks with MZT Skopje, chose the NCAA - from next season he'll play for the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. The exodus of young Macedonian basketballers to American colleges continues, and it isn't always bad news: sometimes the road to the top runs precisely across the ocean.