David Rivers' revelation
David Rivers has revisited one of the lesser-known chapters of modern Turkish Airlines EuroLeague history: Dejan Bodiroga was very close to signing for Olympiacos BC at the peak of his career, a deal that ultimately fell through despite being well advanced.
The former American point guard, a leading figure for the Piraeus club in the nineties, shared the memory in a conversation circulated in recent hours, an account that was published by Basketball Sphere and Sportando and has brought back a deal that would have shifted the balance of power in European basketball.
A project that came close to history
Rivers recalled that Bodiroga's arrival would have raised Olympiacos' competitive ceiling dramatically. The former guard went as far as to suggest that, with the Serbian forward on the roster, the Piraeus side could have competed with any opponent, including NBA franchises, illustrating the scale of the team that was being assembled.
At the time, Bodiroga was one of the continent's most decisive talents, and his addition to the Greek powerhouse would have been a statement move in the EuroLeague, both on the court and symbolically.
A near signing with lasting EuroLeague resonance
Although the transfer never materialised, it highlights Olympiacos' ambition to build a core capable of dominating Europe. The club already featured top-level references and Bodiroga's arrival would have completed a group with genuine title aspirations.
Beyond the anecdote, the episode shows how market decisions, even those that collapse, shape the competition's history and the collective memory of a fanbase that still holds Rivers and Bodiroga among the most respected names in European basketball.
