The head coach, Jure Zdovc, said to aekbc.gr about the incident with Taurean Green in the game against Olympiacos.

”During my 30 years in basketball and the titles I have won, I have been taught that what happens at the bench of the team, stays at the bench of the team.  The tv image exists but it tells half of the truth. The other half was and will remain within all of us who were at the bench. AEK is a very big club and we have the obligation to serve it and do our best for it to win. The only way for this to happen is by putting the club above the self, by fighting for it and by giving everything for the win. When I came in the team I knew where I was coming. I was coming in a team that the the club is above all.  AEK is above everybody and I will serve this logic. Players who think only themselves, who don’t respect the money they receive, who don’t care about the team, and who don’t know where they have come, they will find me opposed to them.

I showed this at SEF, I showed it at Tripoli and I will show it anytime that somebody puts himself above the team and tries to hurt the team.  Any player who doesn’t mind losing by 30 points and instead of trying to wash out the shame is indifferent, provocative and disrespectful to the team will have a problem with me. Any player who believes that he came to AEK to do vacation and make money is wrong and I will not hesitate to hurt my image so that everybody who comes in this team understands that AEK is above all.

The general of a team needs to step to the front and fight to impose the correct mentality that is demanded for the team to succeed, even if this can expose him in a negative way.  This is what happened in this case.  I want to apologise to the fans of AEK and to the basketball people because of the move of my arm. Of course, I know that we should be role models for everybody and represent our club in the best possible way even when provoked. 

The first step to long term success is mentality. Building mentality and foundations is a longterm tough procedure but we will succeed in it and we ll make the fans of the team proud to see players that will be fighting in every possession in order to bring the club where it deserves”.