For a fan base used to winning titles that had waited 13 years for its newest continental crown, the explosion of joy when Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens returned home on Monday was something to behold.
The Greens had collected their first six EuroLeague titles between 1996 and 2011, making Panathinaikos the most successful team of the Final Four era, but a 12-year wait to get back to the Final Four meant a long wait to celebrate again.
All that pent-up energy was on display even before the Greens returned as Omonia Square in central Athens was teeming with celebrants soon after the final buzzer of the championship game, which saw Panathinaikos take an 80-95 comeback victory over Real Madrid to claim the title at Uber Arena on Sunday in Berlin, Germany.