Panathinaikos Athens is the 2002 Euroleague basketball champion. The Greek team beat defending champion Kinder Bologna, 89-83, Sunday to capture the title in Bologna, Italy.
Turkish guard Ibrahim Kutluay scored decisive points in the closing minutes to secure the victory. Yugoslav guard Dejan Bodiroga, Kutluay and veteran center Lazaros Papadopoulos were the key players for the winning team, which recovered from a 14-point second-quarter deficit to win. Panathinaikos now has three European basketball titles, a losing finalist to Maccabi of Israel in last year's final of the Suproleague, a rival competition. This year's Euroleague Final Four in Bologna marked the reunification of the top European basketball club competitions.