Juancho Hernangomez recalls season's toughest moments, declares wish to stay with PAO (2024)

Juancho Hernangomez is a man who often lets his emotions get the best of him. Whether it's his brother Willy winning EuroBasket MVP honors with Spain or himself lifting a trophy withPanathinaikos AKTOR Athens, the 28-year-old forward can at times become almost as expressive as his coach at the Greens, Ergin Ataman.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that Juancho couldn't hold back his tears right after PAO's qualification for the EuroLeague Final Four.

And as soon as the 2023-24 season concluded in an ideal way for Panathinaikos, who recorded only the second reverse sweep in Greek Basket League finals history, the Spaniard took the time to celebrate, light up several cigars, take pictures and talk on the phone before, or even as he attended the media who had flooded the locker room.

"We didn't start well [Game 5]. But we knew we could do so much better. We won with desire," Hernangomez told Amerikanos24, and recalled a hard-fought Game 4, where PAO had to stage another comeback from a double-digit deficit to stay alive in the domestic title race.

"Olympiacos are an amazing team, with a great coach and players. They're tough. We knew they were going to get back in the third quarter and that's what they did. The finals is about who wants it more and who's willing to do the dirty job, like rebounding and boxing out. That's the main thing," Juancho observed.

In Game 5 against Maccabi, Juancho re-aggravated his calf injury he sustained in Game 1 and underwent tests to determine the extent of the injury. After missing 10 days of action and being confined to a hospital bed, he scored 11 points in the series-deciding outing, as the Greens marched to the Final Four.

"The hardest moment was when I was in the hospital, and I didn't know what was going to happen," Juancho confided to BasketNews in early May.

"I really had a bad time a few weeks ago. Despite having a broken calf, I wanted to play, and that's all. I was expecting the entire season for that moment to come," he added.

As it turned out, the waiting definitely paid off. Juancho had to endure "every challenge, every day, every low, anything that could go wrong."

"To get back to practice, recover from an injury, prepare for a Game 5 against Maccabi, and now to come back from 0-2 against Olympiacos is incredible," he noticed in exaltation.

The season for Panathinaikos and the Spanish international was full of turbulence, as the 7-time EuroLeague champs lost two domestic titles (SuperCup and Cup) to their main rivals before gearing up in the last stretch.

"Every defeat was hard," Juancho told BasketNews. "Especially the first two against Olympiacos where things didn't go well. We lost two titles, the Super Cup and the Cup, and we went through difficult moments."

Another factor that took a toll on Juancho's adjustment to PAO is related to this being his EuroLeague rookie season. Even though he's an NBA veteran of 350 games with 6 teams (Denver, Minnesota, Boston, San Antonio, Utah, Toronto), Hernangomez had only played in Europe for Estudiantes between 2014 and 2016. Excluding the summer tournaments with Spain, he had to get acquainted with another style of basketball almost from scratch.

"It is true that Juancho didn't have a great season, but he's had certain moments where he played great," Ergin Ataman recently opened up on his player in an interview with AS. The Turkish tactician called his player "an excellent guy," but also highlighted that he's "not totally focused on the game at times."

"It is common in some NBA players," Ataman noted. "He's had a lot of problems this season, but I believe in him. And he's an incredible person. If sometimes I don't respect him as much on the court it's because he is not completely focused. That's his problem," he repeated.

On paper, Hernangomez's stats look far from impressive. The former NBA player finished the 2023-24 EuroLeague campaign with an average of 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest while going 26.4% from behind the arc. He played just 16:24 per game and scored only six times in double digits.

However, his contribution to PAO's title-winning season goes far beyond his mere stat line because what Juancho did, especially when titles were at stake, cannot be captured on paper. His size, his long arms, but most of all,his perception of the game and the rotations, granted him a tremendous advantage in the defensive part. Not only did he manage to effectively guard his own man, but he was always there to help his teammates when required.

In Game 4 of the Greek finals, Olympiacoswent1/9 from the field with Juancho being the primary on-ball defender and pulling off several clutch defensive efforts. Tallying 7 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, Hernangomez proved, once again, that he is one of the top defenders in his position in Europe.

"I feel great because I think the job is done. We accomplished the mission we set. I feel a little bit sad that the season is over," he told Eftychia Oikonomidou from BN Sports.

"It's been a really tough year coming back from the NBA. This is a completely different basketball. I'm really proud of myself for pulling through everything, keeping positive every single day. I know my role and what I can do to help this team win. That's the most important thing."

Sometimes, feelings of fullfilment and happiness are accompanied by a sense of emptiness.

"I gave everything I had on the court," Juancho responded when asked by BasketNews about his condition after a season that seemed endless.

"I'm really tired. But it was totally worth it. This season has left me two titles and a lot of learnings. Thanks to the bad moments I can enjoy the good moments more. I've played a lot of games and a lot of minutes. I have experienced very tough and joyful moments. My friends and family have supported me unconditionally," he stressed.

When the season tipped off, Panathinaikos weren't listed among the EuroLeague favorites. A new team with a new coach and several players who had things to prove raised a lot of eyebrows, especially after a modest 3-4 start in the top competition. Juancho, for one, had no doubt that he became a part of a championship team when he joined the Greens last summer.

"That's why I came here. They showed me a great team, their desire to win, how all the city wants to win again and bring Panathinaikos where they belong. I'm here for this," he told Amerikanos24.

Despite having a contract that runs through 2025, there was a time when Juancho's presence in next year's PAO squad became questionable. However, the way the season ended left no room for second thoughts, as both the club and the player look perfectly content with their partnership. What's more, Juancho instantly became a fan favorite, which made his attachment to the Greek side even bigger.

"The truth is that I have felt very loved. I love Athens, I love the fans. They love me very much, I love them back, and I've felt like that all season," he said.

But there's another thing Hernangomez isn't willing to give up on.

"I also love winning. I'm here to win. Ι surely want to win back-to-back next year. everything. We had two cups we didn't win this year -- the SuperCup and the Cup. I want to win everything. It's a long summer, but I love to be here. I want to stay here."

With Juancho staying put, Panathinaikos will only need a couple of signings to get their roster going ahead of the 2024-25 season. Whatever happens, the 2019 World champion and 2022 EuroBasket winner knows which of his teammates made the difference this year.

"Sloukas is amazing, he's a leader. He's our captain. We want him here. We support him. I got his back anytime. He showed what he truly is. He has the heart of a winner and I'd love to play with him and run it back next year."

What better music for PAO fans' ears than those words?

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