It’s easy to understand why Kendrick Nunn is loved by Panathinaikos faithful. Sure and steady demeanour on the floor, an air of superiority against his opponents and will to win games. Nunn joined Panathinaikos team late but he immediately became the superstar in a star-studded team.
When Panathinaikos announced the signing of Kendrick Nunn, the Greens were struggling to win games consistently. They were barely over .500 after seven games. Nunn brought almost immediately his toughness to Panathinaikos offense and the ability to create shots without needing the others to participate.
“I want to win at the highest level. This is my mentality and it fits perfectly with that of Panathinaikos. I don’t want to promise anything. I will give it my all in every practice and every game. With my leadership skills and experience, I aspire to help the team win. As I mentioned above, I want victories but also to win titles with Panathinaikos.”
This is what Nunn said in the team’s official website after signing his contract with Panathinaikos. After the first couple of games, the former Lakers guard found his footing and started to produce positive results. It was exactly what he needed after two disappointing seasons in LA where the Chicago native’s career was set back by injuries.
He missed the whole 2021-22 season and played 70 uninspired games between the Lakers and the Wizards during his final season in the NBA. Many feared that his promising career had its pick during his first two seasons in the NBA with the Heat. Nunn fit like a glove in the Heat culture. He had his best seasons there and he was even a potential suitor for the Rookie of the Year accolade.
He followed his excellent rookie year with an even better one with his shooting splits improving and his role as a semi-starter being established by Erik Spoelstra.
“Heat Culture didn’t influence me to become the player I am now. I was that kind of player before I went to Miami. That’s why they scouted and signed me. But I had a great time there. I had two good years in the NBA with those guys.” Nunn told Basketball Sphere.
Waking up the Green giant
Panathinaikos was coming off one of the worst seasons in its EuroLeague history as the Greens finished second from last in the 2022-23. They went on to rebuild their roster and brought Kostas Sloukas in from arch-rivals Olympiacos this past summer.
However, after the first few weeks, the Greek giants appeared to be missing scoring punch alongside Sloukas. Nunn was clearly the answer as he was still waiting for a chance in the NBA. Nunn wanted to start fresh somewhere. He found Athens as the perfect place to build back his reputation as he was head and shoulder better by every other option in the Panathinaikos roster.
He scored 19 in a close-fought loss to Partizan and a then career-high of 24 points in a loss to Real Madrid during his first weeks of his EuroLeague career. However, Panathinaikos was already starting to put the building blocks for a successful season.
Ergin Ataman had two very talented guards in his hands as Nunn started to feel more confident in his ability to dominate in the EuroLeague level. He helped Panathinaikos to 21 wins in the next 28 games leading the way in scoring.
He did the same in the playoff phase where he led in scoring average with 19.2 points. As a result, Panathinaikos will make his first trip in a EuroLeague Final-Four in 12 years.
“It’s my third playoff run and I’m still learning. My teammates are great, they allow me to do what I do well. It’s a team effort, we played great defense and we have two more (s.s. matches) to go,” said in the post-game presser after Game 5 win over Maccabi.
Nunn commits to Panathinaikos without leaving the NBA dream behind
Since he came to Europe, Nunn made clear that his goal is to return to the NBA at some point. For now, he confirmed that he signed an extension with Panathinaikos as reported by Chema De Lucas.
The superstar guard leaves open the possibility of going back to US with an NBA-out clause, but he also confirms that he enjoys his time in Athens. Nunn success in Europe could lure more high-level NBA players to come over and play in the EuroLeague.
The Oakland product bet on himself coming to a very tough and competitive environment away from the NBA and succeded becoming a vital factor in the Green success story of the 2023-24 EuroLeague. Maybe Nunn find his real home in Athens.
