Pero Antic Picks Three EuroLeague Winners: Truth or Emotional Football?

When Pero Antic sat down before the cameras at the 25th anniversary celebration of the ABA League, few expected the three-time EuroLeague champion to answer the question about this season's winner with a nostalgic smile. "I cannot choose between Olympiacos, Crvena Zvezda or Fenerbahce," he said, voice deep but firm. "These three teams all have red-white colors in my heart." That answer, to this writer, is not just an emotional statement. It is a strategic map drawn with memories — and memories, in basketball, are sometimes more reliable than statistics. But to understand why Antic said this, we need to go back to the journey of a player who left his mark on the floors of three European basketball icons. He began his EuroLeague career with Crvena Zvezda in 2026, playing his first two seasons in red-white before venturing across the continent. In 2026 and 2026, he lifted two consecutive EuroLeague trophies with Olympiacos — an empire the Greeks call "eternal red and white." By 2026, he stood at the top again, this time in the yellow-navy of Fenerbahce. Then he returned home, wearing Crvena Zvezda's jersey for his final season 2026-18, closing the career circle exactly where it began. That wasn't coincidence. That was destiny written in team colors. Now at 42, Antic is no longer a player. He is the President of the North Macedonia Basketball Federation — a position requiring neutrality and cross-national vision. Yet when asked about EuroLeague, he still chose to speak from the heart. "I love the red and white colors," he admitted. "That's the color that defined me throughout my career." And this is where I want to pause for a moment: should a three-time EuroLeague champion be allowed to let emotions influence his analysis? Or precisely because he has lived in those locker rooms, can he see things that data cannot measure? To answer, we need to look at this season's EuroLeague landscape — a landscape even the most objective analysts must admit: no team dominates absolutely. Olympiacos, the defending champions, lost some key pillars but kept the tactical framework. Fenerbahce is rebuilding with a younger roster. Crvena Zvezda, after years as mere visitors, is showing signs of being a serious contender. And Panathinaikos — the team Antic didn't mention among his favorites — just welcomed back a legendary coach. Željko Obradović. That name, in European basketball, carries weight equivalent to Sir Alex Ferguson returning to manage Manchester United. Obradović was associated with Panathinaikos from 2026 to 2026, winning five EuroLeague titles in 13 years. He was the architect of a dynasty Greeks still remember as their golden era. Now he's back, and Antic — though he didn't pick Panathinaikos as a championship candidate — still acknowledged: "The derbies will be more special than ever." That's an admission from someone who wore the rival colors. In basketball, nothing is more valuable than an enemy's respect. But this is also when I want to pose a contrarian question: could Antic's "red-white" loyalty be blinding him to real contenders? Real Madrid, who reached the finals last season, didn't appear on his list. Barcelona, with their expensive roster and sophisticated tactical system, was also absent. Could Antic be viewing EuroLeague through the lens of team colors instead of capability lens? Or precisely because he has lived in those locker rooms, he understands that in basketball, "the team you love" sometimes plays differently from "the strongest team"? This is the theory I call "empty arenas don't lie" — one of the signature phrases I often use in analysis. When there's no crowd, no media pressure, what remains is the team's true capability. But in EuroLeague, emotional factors never completely disappear. They lie in the cheers of thousands of Olympiacos fans at Peace and Friendship Stadium, in the rhythmic clapping of Red Star at Aleksandar Nikolic, in the towering expectations at Fenerbahce Ulker Sports Arena. And Antic understands this better than anyone. From a tactical perspective, all three teams Antic picked share common characteristics. Olympiacos builds their game on defense foundation and pace control — a style head coach Georgios Bartokas has maintained across seasons. Crvena Zvezda, under Ioannis Sfairopoulos's leadership, has evolved from a physically-oriented team to one that can play smart basketball in crucial moments. Fenerbahce is in a transition phase — this could be a disadvantage, but also an advantage if young players like Nick Calathes or new signings find quick chemistry. These are variables that Antic, with three championship experiences, certainly considered when making his choice. But what I find more interesting isn't the three teams Antic chose, but the team he didn't: Panathinaikos. Antic is Macedonian, not Greek. He doesn't carry the generational feud between the two Athens clubs. Yet he still didn't include Panathinaikos among championship candidates, even with Obradović's return. This suggests: either Antic rates Olympiacos higher than Panathinaikos even with Obradović, or he believes the legendary coach's return isn't enough to make Panathinaikos a championship contender this season. This is a bold judgment from someone who has faced both teams. And this is where I want to make a point many might disagree with: Antic's choice isn't analysis, nor is it pure emotion. It's a form of storytelling that successful former players often use to build their legacy. When Antic says "I cannot choose between the three red-white teams," he's telling the story of a man who spent his whole life loving team colors, and this season, he wants all three to win. That's impossible — only one team lifts the trophy. But in basketball, like in life, sometimes we choose hope over prediction. To understand better, we need to look at Antic's journey in each team's colors. With Olympiacos, he was part of a roster built around Vassilis Spanoulis — someone I once called "the conductor of controlled chaos." Spanoulis wasn't an ordinary playmaker; he was someone who created space from nothing, and Antic, with his consistent shooting ability, was one of the beneficiaries of the space Spanoulis created. With Fenerbahce, he witnessed a club's transformation from contender to champion, with Ekpe Udoh, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and eventually Kostas Antetokounmpo. With Crvena Zvezda, he returned home like a wanderer, bringing the experience of two European basketball empires to pass on to the next generation. Three experiences, three team colors, one common spiritual color: red and white. And this is the point where I want to pause to discuss a phenomenon I call "data trash is a gold mine" — one of the signature phrases I often use in my podcasts. In EuroLeague discussions, people usually focus on statistics: scoring, rebounds, assists. But the immeasurable things — like a player's love for team colors, memories of locker rooms, the connection between past and present — are what create the difference in crucial games. Antic didn't talk about statistics. He talked about soul. And soul, in basketball, is the hardest thing to quantify. However, I also acknowledge there's a blind spot in Antic's analysis: he underrates Real Madrid. Chus Mateo's team reached the finals last season, possessing one of Europe's most diverse offensive systems, with Sergio Llull still being one of the most influential players in the league. Real Madrid doesn't have red-white in Antic's DNA, so they're eliminated — not because they're weak, but because they don't fit the story. This is a weakness in Antic's logic, and I think even he would acknowledge it if asked directly. As for Panathinaikos, as analyzed, Obradović's return is a big variable but not enough to immediately change the landscape. Obradović is a tactical genius, but he needs time to rebuild the roster, to transmit his philosophy, to turn new players into a cohesive unit. EuroLeague waits for no one. Every game is a test, and this season's Panathinaikos might struggle in the first months, despite a legend's presence on the bench. This is why Antic didn't include them — not for lack of respect, but for objective reality. To conclude, I want to return to the initial question: Does Antic have the right to let emotions influence analysis? My answer is: yes, but with one condition. That condition is he must acknowledge it's emotion, not analysis. And Antic did exactly that. He didn't say "this team will win for reasons A, B, C." He said "I love these three teams and I cannot choose." That's the humility of someone who has stood at the summit and understands that basketball, at the highest level, isn't just about capability but also about luck, health, and timing. As someone who has followed EuroLeague for over 15 years, I believe this season will be one of the most unpredictable in the past decade. Olympiacos remains a top contender thanks to tested experience and tactical system. Fenerbahce has potential if new signings integrate quickly. Crvena Zvezda has improved dramatically and could create surprises. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Panathinaikos — all have reasons to dream of the trophy. And among those contenders, a three-time champion sits in North Macedonia, smiling with memories and hoping all three of his red-white teams win. That can't happen. But in basketball, like in life, hope never dies. One final thing I want to say: Antic's presence at the ABA League anniversary wasn't coincidental. The North Macedonia Basketball Federation, under his leadership, is trying to elevate their basketball to new heights. His good relationships with major clubs in Serbia, Greece, and Turkey isn't just personal benefit — it's a sports diplomacy strategy. In a region where basketball isn't just sport but culture, having a EuroLeague champion as ambassador is invaluable. And perhaps that's the real reason Antic picked three teams — not because he wanted to predict, but because he wanted to build bridges. Lozano taught me: misspelling a name can be corrected, but wrong tactics cost you the game. But in this case, Antic isn't wrong. He's just telling a story in the language of love — and love, unlike tactics, doesn't need to be right. It just needs to be real.