How does it feel for an NBA star to win a championship overseas? Hearing Dominique Wilkins’ experience may surprise some for how overwhelming and, at the same time, scary it all could be. The fans of the former NBA star would remember his stint in Greece’s basketball scenario. Appearing on the All the Smoke podcast, he has opened up on his experience of winning a championship during the same duration.

Wilkins revisited the time he won the European League Championship with Greece’s Panathinaikos Athens club. “Greek fans are the most fanatical fans in the world. Passionate. Oh, they are nuts, man,” he said, via All the Smoke podcast. He recalled the championship taking place in Paris, with Greek fans nearly taking over the City of Light.

Notably, Panathinaikos had signed the then-Boston Celtics star to a 2-year, $7 million contract. Be more surprised at the figures since this was the highest-ever basketball transfer in Europe. And the 9x All-Star did not fail to prove his worth as with Wilkins, Panathinaikos became the first Greek club to win Europe’s top-tier level basketball club championship.

No wonder the former NBA star still describes the fan reactions as the most unreal thing he experienced. “When I get back to the airport in Athens, there’s 250,000 people at airports…I was scared to death, man,” he said. And even at present, the 9x All-Star’s fan following over there has not died out, as people treat him as one of their own.

He revealed during the podcast that during his visit last summer; he got immense respect and people didn’t let him pay for anything. “To this day, man, because we won the first championship they ever won. They’ve won seven since then,” Wilkins said.

However, it was not as if everything was perfect for the 9x All-Star during his time with the Panathinaikos.

Dominique Wilkins had to sneak out of Greece after his father’s death

It is worth mentioning that his journey with the Greek club was nothing short of dramatic. When they set their sights on him, the lengths they went to were extraordinary. As per an article by Fadeaway World, Presidents Pavlos and Thanassis Giannakopoulos of the Greek team didn’t just offer him a contract. The $7 million to buy him out from the Celtics was just the start, as the perks that came with it were also huge.

Wilkins recalled the luxurious treatment in a VLADTV interview, “They gave me the world. I was the highest-paid athlete in Europe then, in soccer or basketball. They provided a mansion beyond imagination–kitchens on all four floors, marble everywhere, 14-carat gold. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

However, the relationship soon took a sour turn, as the 9x All-Star faced an unexpected challenge — the team wouldn’t allow him to leave the country. “My grandmother and my dad passed, and I had to sneak out of there at like three in the morning,” he said. Dominique Wilkins stated the club didn’t care much about a death in the family.

But some reports suggest the club was frustrated with Wilkins making frequent trips back to the U.S. This even prompted them to use his travels as grounds to terminate his contract and withhold $4 million. Yet, after a legal battle, Wilkins emerged victorious, securing the full amount owed to him. But from his recent appearance on All the Smoke, it’s clear that even after all this, his connection with the country remains untainted.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.