Basketball in Greece
Encyclopedia
The sport of basketball
in Greece erupted with the sensational win in the EuroBasket 1987
in Piraeus
, which caused a true basketball
euphoria in the country, whose effects can still be felt today. Since then, Greek national teams have achieved a number of international successes, causing Greece to join Russia, Serbia, Italy, Spain, and Lithuania, in the circle of the great European basketball powers. In addition to the success of the senior men's Greek national basketball team in 1987, they also won gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005
and the silver medals at the EuroBasket 1989
and the 2006 FIBA World Championship
. As well as the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2009
. At the men's professional club level, the Greek clubs have, at various European Cup competitions, under FIBA Europe
and ULEB
, won 15 international pro club championships, as well as a 16th international pro club championship at the FIBA World Cup for Champion Clubs
.
: ΕΣΑΚΕ Α1), organized by the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association (HEBA). The league now operates under the name of Greek Basket League.
The Basket League has since developed into one of the most prominent professional European basketball leagues, as it is ranked as one of the 3 "A" level national domestic leagues in European basketball by the ULEB League Rankings System
and was considered Europe's best pro league during the 1990s. This professional league currently consists of 14 teams. Under the current regulations, the bottom two teams at the end of the regular season are relegated
to the HEBA A2 (Greek
: ΕΣΑΚΕ Α2), while conversely, the top two teams from the A2 are promoted
to the Basket League. The first placing eight teams of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
The Greek women's championship also consists of 14 teams. The Women's A National Category (Greek
: Α' Εθνικής Κατηγορίας Γυναικών) began with the 1984-85 season, and it became known as the Women's A1 National Category (Greek
: Α1 Εθνικής Κατηγορίας Γυναικών) in 1997.
The men's Greek Basketball Cup was held for the first time in 1976. After 36 cups, Panathinaikos Athens has won the most Greek Cups with 12. From 1995 to 2004, the tournament was held in a Final Four style tournament. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation (E.O.K.). In the women's competition, the cup tournament was first held in the year 1996.
competition in the year 1996.
, the track record of Greek national basketball has enjoyed a numerous amount of successes. Especially in the youth sectors as the management of youth basketball schools in Greece is considered to be one of the world's best, always being able to put together new generations of winning teams and to discover new talented players, and being able to promote new capable coaches. Also, the men's national youth teams especially, have so far recorded significant successes in international competitions.
in 1987
, it has been a regular competitor at the EuroBasket, FIBA World Championship
, and the Summer Olympics
. The men's senior national team from 1987 included legendary players such as Nikos Galis, Panayiotis Yiannakis, Panagiotis Fassoulas, and Theofanis Christodoulou. Panayiotis Yiannakis also later became the senior team's head coach and he led the Greeks to win the European Championship (EuroBasket) again in the year 2005
at Belgrade. Yiannakis became the first person ever to have succeeded in winning the FIBA European Championship (EuroBasket) both as a player and as a head coach. After Greece had earlier in 2004 also won the European Championship in football, it gave Greece the rare extinction of being the European champion in the two most important team ball sports at the same time. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship
held in Japan, Greece reached the final and won the silver medal. They accomplished this after becoming the only team at the tournament to beat Team USA, whom they defeated in the semifinals by a score of 101-95.
The senior men's Greek national basketball team took part in its first FIBA
European Championship (EuroBasket
) at the EuroBasket 1949
, where they won the bronze medal. Greece's first big success as a nation in basketball was when their senior men's national team won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 1987
, which led to a breakthrough for the sport of basketball
in the country. In the EuroBasket 1987 tournament's final, which was played in Piraeus, Greece, at Peace and Friendship Stadium
(SEF), Greece defeated the heavily favored Soviet national basketball team (which included star player Šarūnas Marčiulionis
) in overtime, by a score of 103 to 101.
The MVP of the EuroBasket 1987 was Nikos Galis, who to this day, still remains the biggest sports icon in the country of Greece. In the subsequent EuroBasket tournament in 1989
, Greece again reached the final, where they lost to the great Yugoslavia national team
, which led by its star player Dražen Petrović
, went undefeated during the tournament. By taking the silver medal at the EuroBasket 1989, Greece cemented its position among Europe's leading basketball nations. Since then, the Greek national team has been one of the best national basketball teams in the world. Greece also won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005
, which was held in Serbia
, after defeating Dirk Nowitzki
-led Germany
in the finals, by a score of 78 to 62.
Greece's senior men's national basketball team took part in a FIBA World Championship
for the first time at the 1986 FIBA World Championship
, where they finished in tenth place. Greece made it to the semifinals of both the 1994 FIBA World Championship
and the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, which Greece also hosted. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship
, which was held in Japan
, Greece won the silver medal, after defeating the heavily favored USA by a score of 101-95 in the semifinals.
. As the tournament's host nation, the Greek junior national team won the gold medal by defeating the junior men's Australia national basketball team
by a score of 91-73 in the final. The gold medal winning Under-19 team of 1995 included such players as: Michalis Kakiouzis
, Nikolaos Hatzis, Giorgos Kalaitzis
, Dimitrios Papanikolaou, and Efthimios Rentzias
, who was voted the MVP
of the tournament.
. The greatest success of the men's national team at the Mediterranean Games is the gold medal, which they won in 1979. Furthermore, Greece has won four silver medals at the tournament, in the years 1991, 2001, 2005
, and 2009
. In addition to that, they have also won three bronze medals at the tournament, in the years 1955, 1971, and 1987.
The Greek women's national team
won the bronze medal at the competition in 1991.
. Located at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, it holds 1,500 spectators and is still home to the ladies' basketball department of Panathinaikos
. Because of its confined environment, the sports hall was named The Tomb of The Indian, after the Fritz Lang
feature film The Indian Tomb
. In the subsequent years, a number of other arenas have arisen in Greece, located mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki. In 1966, in Thessaloniki
, the Alexandrio Melathron
was opened. This 5,500 seat arena would go on to become one of the most famous basketball arenas in Europe and it was for decades home to the two arch-rivals Aris
and PAOK
.
The Peace and Friendship Stadium
(SEF), a 17,000 capacity multi-purpose hall opened in Piraeus
, Athens in 1985. The arena was for the next ten years, the biggest indoor sports hall in Greece and it hosted various major sporting events such as the EuroBasket 1987
, the 1994 World Volleyball Championship
, the 1995 European Volleyball Championship
, the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, and the 1999 Olympic Weightlifting World Championship. At the moment, SEF is the home of the Olympiacos Piraeus basketball club.
By the early 1990s, the sport of basketball had become well established in Greece and the Greek A1 League had become the strongest professional league in Europe, as well as the richest. A rising number of television viewers in Greece watching the A1 League, a high level of Greek media interest in the sport, and the application of the country to host major sports events had left many of the nation's existing gyms too old and too small at that point. In Athens, the OAKA Indoor Hall was opened in 1995. It holds about 20,000 spectators and it is still the biggest indoor sports hall in Europe (in terms of size), and especially where basketball games are held regularly. The Athens Olympic Indoor Hall has already hosted some significant sporting events: the 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
, the EuroBasket 1995
, the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, and the 2004 Summer Olympics
. Currently, Panathinaikos Athens and Maroussi Athens
play home matches in the Olympic Hall. AEK Athens
has also played home matches there.
Also in 1995, the 5,500 capacity arenas Larrisa Neapolis
and Dimitris Tofalos were built. In 2000, the first modern indoor sports arena in Thessaloniki was built, PAOK Sports Arena
. The arena is under the possession of PAOK
and it holds around 8,700 spectators. For the 2004 Olympic Games
, the Helliniko Indoor Arena was built. It holds 15,000 spectators and has been used as the home arena of the clubs Panionios, Panellinios, and AEK Athens.
Plans have been approved to build several new modern indoor arenas in Greece within the next few years. This is due to several factors, one of them being ULEB
's new arena rules which state that by the 2012-13 season, Euroleague contract clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 10,000 and all Eurocup clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 5,000. Another big reason is that Greece is in line to host the 2013 Mediterranean Games
. Some of these planned new indoor halls will include: a 10,000+ seat arena owned by Panathinaikos, a 10,000+ seat arena owned by Aris
, and a 5,000+ seat arena owned by Iraklis.
since 1986
. Specifically, these are:
Men's competitions:
Women's competitions:
Men:
Ladies:
in order to circumvent the league's rules. Among them were players from the former Yugoslavia
, like Peja Stojaković
and Marko Jarić
, and from the ex-USSR
, like Tiit Sokk
. With the Bosman ruling
in Europe in 1995, the Greek sports market was finally opened to foreign players and as a result, today major players from around the world are active in the A1 League. The most well-known foreign player that has played in the Greek League, is the American player Dominique Wilkins
, who scored more than 26,000 points in the NBA
and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He left the Boston Celtics
in 1995 and signed with Panathinaikos Athens. Another well-known American player that moved to the Greek League was the three-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers
, Byron Scott
, who now coaches the Cleveland Cavaliers
. Some of the other prominent American players that moved to the Greek League were Walter Berry, Antonio Davis
, Tony Delk
, Eddie Johnson, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
, Roy Tarpley
, the four-time NBA champion John Salley
, and the current coach of the Milwaukee Bucks
, Scott Skiles
.
The most significant foreign European players in the history of the Basket League are the Serbian player Dejan Bodiroga
, the Croatian player Dino Radja, and the Lithuanian player Šarūnas Jasikevičius
. All three were named among the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors
in 2008, and Bodiroga and Jasikevičius were also named to the Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team
. Bodiroga, a two-time FIBA world champion
and a three-time FIBA European champion
, played for four years with Panathinaikos and with them he won the Euroleague championship twice. Despite the fact that he never played in the NBA, he was widely regarded as one of the world's best players at this time. Following a successful NBA career, Radja moved to the Greek League and became one of the few players to star for both arch-rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Jasikevičius, who is widely considered one of the best European players of all-time, also moved from the NBA to the Greek League. Another well-known foreign European player to play in the Greek League was the Serbian player Dejan Tomašević
.
Other well-known foreign European players that have played in the Greek League include: the Serbs Žarko Paspalj
, Željko Rebrača
and Zoran Savić
, the Croats Arijan Komazec
, Stojko Vranković
and Nikola Vujčić
, the Slovenes Rasho Nesterović
and Jure Zdovc
. As well as the Lithuanians Artūras Karnišovas
, Ramūnas Šiškauskas
, and Linas Kleiza
, Frenchman Jim Bilba
, and the Ukrainian Alexander Volkov
.
There have also been some other notable foreign players that have played in the Greek League like the Israeli player Oded Katash and the Turkish player İbrahim Kutluay. In recent years, key American players like J.R. Holden, Roger Mason
, Maurice Evans
, Von Wafer
, and Josh Childress
have also played in Greece.
In addition to a long line of star foreign basketball players that have played in Greece's top men's professional league since the 1990s, many top foreign coaches have also been active in the Greek League. The most important one among them is the legendary Serbian coach Željko Obradović
, who has been head coach at Panathinaikos since 1999. Since starting his coaching career in 1991, Obradović has won eight Euroleague championships, five of them with Panathinaikos, and a total of 31 championships as a professional club coach, making him the most successful head coach in European basketball history. Another significant foreign coach who has worked in the Greek League is Boža Maljković, who has won 19 championships in his coaching career. In 1996, he led Panathinaikos to their first Euroleague championship, which was also the first ever for a Greek club.
Another foreign head coach of great international standing to work in the Greek League is the multiple world
and European champion
, Duda Ivković. Ivković coached five different teams in Greece (Aris
, PAOK
, Panionios, Olympiacos, and AEK
), and he twice led Greek clubs to winning a European Cup. The three-time Euroleague-winning head coach, the Israeli Pini Gershon, has also coached in the Greek League. Obradović, Maljković, Ivković, and Gershon were honored in 2008, when they were named four of the 10 most important coaches in the history of the Euroleague. Some other important foreign coaches that have coached in the Greek League are the American NBA
head coach Scott Skiles
, the legendary Krešimir Ćosić
, Željko Pavličević, Dragan Šakota
, Jonas Kazlauskas
, and Zvi Sherf
.
and Spain experienced huge financial growth, and a few top players chose to chase the even greater financial rewards and competitive challenge of the NBA
. This can be illustrated by the makeup of Greece's two EuroBasket-winning teams. All 12 players on the 1987 roster were under contract to Greek clubs, while five of the 2005 squad were playing outside Greece. More recently, this phenomenon has begun to change as many Greek clubs, most notably ancient rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, have offered top-notch salaries to once again attract Greece's top players back home. Today, relatively few Greeks play in foreign leagues, and as a rule they are not the country's best players. The final 12-man Greek squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship
included only three players who were under contract with a club in another country. Only one of the three, Nikolaos Zisis, had played outside the country for more than one season going into the 2010 Worlds (he was preparing to start his second season with Montepaschi Siena
of Italy). At the same time, Georgios Printezis was entering his second season at Unicaja of Spain, and Sofoklis Schortsanitis
had just left Olympiacos for Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel.
In addition to the players already named above, some other Greek players who have played for significant periods outside the country include:
Among the favorite foreign leagues for Greek players are the Russian PBL (the successor to the now second-level SuperLeague A
), Liga ACB in Spain, and the Italian Lega A.
Perhaps the country's most celebrated player, Nikos Galis, is the son of Greek emigrants who was born and raised in New Jersey
. More recently, Pat
and Nick Calathes
, born and raised in Florida
, who are descended from their Greek grandfather, have chosen to start their professional careers in Greece. The older Pat began his career at Maroussi, went from there to Kolossos
, and has now joined Panathinaikos, where Nick has played since beginning his professional career. Michael Bramos
is another American born player from the Greek diaspora that chose to begin his pro career in Greece with Peristeri.
Lazaros Papadopoulos
and Jake Tsakalidis
were born to diaspora Greeks in the former Soviet Union, respectively in modern-day Russia and Georgia, but moved to Greece with their families at relatively young ages and were developed there. Both began their professional careers in Greece, but had extensive tenures outside the country before eventually returning. Papadopoulos established himself as a star with Panathinaikos, but spent many of his best years in Russia, Spain, and Italy, while Tsakilidis spent seven years in the NBA after starting with AEK Athens.
One current Greek NBA player, Kosta Koufos
, is also from the diaspora, but has never played with a Greek club. Like Galis, he is the son of Greek emigrants and was born and raised in the U.S. (in his case, Ohio
), but went directly from Ohio State University
to the NBA without a stopover in Greece. However, Koufos chose to represent Greece internationally, as did both Calathes brothers.
by the Memphis Grizzlies
and he played with them in the NBA for one season. After one season in the NBA, Fotsis returned to Greece due to homesickness. Efthimios Rentzias
and Andreas Glyniadakis
also played in the NBA for one season before returning to play in Europe.
Vasilios Spanoulis, who is regarded to be the top current Greek basketball talent and the main Greek-born NBA prospect, moved to the NBA in 2006 to play with the Houston Rockets
, but he returned to Greece after a disappointing season for both himself and the Rockets. This was mainly due both to some personal disagreements that he had with then Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy
and the fact that Spanoulis' mother was ill at the time and he needed to live in Greece to help attend to her.
Although the top Greek national professional league is considered to be one of the world's elite men's national basketball leagues and although the senior Greek national team
is considered to be amongst the world's elite men's national basketball programs, Greece's basketball program has not yet to date produced a well-established Greek-born NBA player. Top-level Greek basketball stars like Dimitrios Diamantidis and Theo Papaloukas
decided that they did not want to pursue a career in the NBA. Papaloukas was offered a contract by the Boston Celtics
, but he turned it down due to his fear of flying
. To play in the NBA requires a lot of travel by air and Papaloukas' fear of flying thus prevented him from playing in the NBA.
Jake Tsakalidis
, who was born in Georgia
and raised and developed basketball-wise in Greece, played in the NBA from 2000 to 2007, after beginning his career in Greece. Some other NBA players with Greek citizenship include: Peja Stojaković
, Rasho Nesterović
, Marko Jarić
, and Dragan Tarlać
, whom all moved to Greece at a young age and the Greek-American players Kurt Rambis
and Kostas Koufos
. The Lebanese-born Rony Seikaly
, who played in the NBA from 1988 to 1999, and also played with the senior men's United States national basketball team
, was also raised and developed basketball-wise in Greece.
and Evanthia Maltsi
are female Greek professional basketball players that have played in the WNBA.
just about as well as any other major sport, except perhaps the top Greek men's football league (soccer). On a daily basis, 16 different newspapers in the country publish what is happening in the sport. Although the media's main focus is always on the men's club Greek Championship, they will also regularly report on the lower level divisions like the men's A2 League, as well as the NBA and the other major European national domestic championships like Liga ACB and international competitions like the Euroleague.
Greek television has the ability to broadcast all of the men's Greek Championship games. The men's club Greek Championship has the TV rights to distribute itself on the Greek public broadcaster ERT, the private channel ANT1
, and the pay TV
station Novasport. Euroleague games are also broadcast on Novasport and the private channel Skai TV
. Live broadcasts of the men's national championship and European Cup games are also offered by the country's large number of sports radio
stations.
won their second EuroBasket 2005
in Belgrade
in 2005, there was another strong revival of the sport of basketball in Greece. As a result, there was a strong rise in attendance figures in Greek basketball arenas after years of stagnation in attendance numbers in the previous years. One major reason for this is that most of the players of the senior men's national team also play in the men's senior national league.
Another major reason for the revival of basketball interest in Greece in recent years is the resurgence of the great rivalry between the European powers Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, which is considered by many to be the biggest sports rivalry in the world. Panathinaikos has been the most successful European basketball club since the modern Euroleague Final Four
era began in 1988. Also, after years of mediocrity, Olympiacos has once again become a European basketball power under their new management and they have boasted the biggest budget of any Euroleague team for three straight seasons (2008-09
, 2009-10, 2010-11).
Another reason is that the long-time historical club Aris
has also in recent years returned to prominence and once again become one of the powers of European basketball. Another promising recent development is that the long-time traditional Greek power, PAOK
, also appears to be returning to previous prominence. After suffering through years of mediocrity due to poor management, PAOK has, under new management, greatly increased their budget and added many high class players to its club.
Currently, there are two main problems that the senior men's Greek basketball league faces. The first one is the very high turnover rate of foreign players each year in the rosters of small clubs, which prevents any continuity being established in the smaller clubs from season to season. The second and most important main problem, is the huge disparity in the current budgets (as of the 2010-11 season) of the big first-tier
clubs like Olympiacos at €
35 million euro
s, Panathinaikos at €30 million euros, and the budgets of the second-tier clubs like Aris and Panellinios, which currently have budgets of €2.4 million euros. In recent years, this problem has become increasingly more exaggerated.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in Greece erupted with the sensational win in the EuroBasket 1987
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, which caused a true basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
euphoria in the country, whose effects can still be felt today. Since then, Greek national teams have achieved a number of international successes, causing Greece to join Russia, Serbia, Italy, Spain, and Lithuania, in the circle of the great European basketball powers. In addition to the success of the senior men's Greek national basketball team in 1987, they also won gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
and the silver medals at the EuroBasket 1989
EuroBasket 1989
-Group A:-Group B:-Places 5 - 8:-Places 1 - 4:-Finals:-Final rankings:# # # # # # # # -Team rosters:#Yugoslavia: Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, Vlade Divac, Dino Rađa, Žarko Paspalj, Stojan Vranković, Predrag Danilović, Jure Zdovc, Zoran Čutura, Zdravko Radulović, Zoran Radović, Mario Primorac...
and the 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
. As well as the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2009
EuroBasket 2009
The EuroBasket 2009 was the 36th EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Poland, began on 7 September 2009 and concluded with the final on 20 September 2009...
. At the men's professional club level, the Greek clubs have, at various European Cup competitions, under FIBA Europe
FIBA Europe
FIBA Europe is a zone within the International Basketball Federation which includes all 49 national European basketball federations.-Division A:-Division B: -Division C:...
and ULEB
ULEB
ULEB was founded in 1991, with the aim to help in the cooperation and development of European professional club basketball leagues...
, won 15 international pro club championships, as well as a 16th international pro club championship at the FIBA World Cup for Champion Clubs
Intercontinental Cup (basketball)
The World Cup for Champion Clubs, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup, was a basketball competition endorsed by FIBA to gather the best clubs from the federations affiliated to FIBA and to officially decide the best club of the world, contended mainly by the continents of higher...
.
The Greek Basket League
The first official men's basketball championship in Greece was held in the 1927-28 season. Until 1963 however, there was no unified national championship, and the champion was chosen through games between the regional champions. In 1963, the A National Category (Α' Εθνική Κατηγορία) was created. In 1992, the championship lost its amateur status and was officially recognized by FIBA as a professional league under the name HEBA A1 (GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: ΕΣΑΚΕ Α1), organized by the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association (HEBA). The league now operates under the name of Greek Basket League.
The Basket League has since developed into one of the most prominent professional European basketball leagues, as it is ranked as one of the 3 "A" level national domestic leagues in European basketball by the ULEB League Rankings System
ULEB League Rankings
The ULEB League Rankings are the rankings for each of the different European regional and domestic basketball leagues of the countries that participate in Europe's international continental professional basketball competitions that are held under the ULEB zone umbrella, such as the Euroleague and...
and was considered Europe's best pro league during the 1990s. This professional league currently consists of 14 teams. Under the current regulations, the bottom two teams at the end of the regular season are relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the HEBA A2 (Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: ΕΣΑΚΕ Α2), while conversely, the top two teams from the A2 are promoted
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Basket League. The first placing eight teams of the regular season qualify for the playoffs.
The Greek women's championship also consists of 14 teams. The Women's A National Category (Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Α' Εθνικής Κατηγορίας Γυναικών) began with the 1984-85 season, and it became known as the Women's A1 National Category (Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Α1 Εθνικής Κατηγορίας Γυναικών) in 1997.
Cup competitions
Successes of the pro club teams
Greek men's professional basketball teams have a total of 24 appearances in the finals of European cup competitions, of which they have won a total of 15 championships. One of the greatest sporting achievements of the country of Greece are the victories of Panathinaikos Athens (1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) and Olympiacos Piraeus (1997) in the finals of the men's Euroleague competition. Panathinaikos Athens also won the international World Cup for Champion ClubsIntercontinental Cup (basketball)
The World Cup for Champion Clubs, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup, was a basketball competition endorsed by FIBA to gather the best clubs from the federations affiliated to FIBA and to officially decide the best club of the world, contended mainly by the continents of higher...
competition in the year 1996.
International championships won
- Panathinaikos Athens
- World Cup for Champion ClubsIntercontinental Cup (basketball)The World Cup for Champion Clubs, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup, was a basketball competition endorsed by FIBA to gather the best clubs from the federations affiliated to FIBA and to officially decide the best club of the world, contended mainly by the continents of higher...
: (1996) - Euroleague: (1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)
- World Cup for Champion Clubs
- Olympiacos Piraeus
- Euroleague: (1997)
- AEK AthensAEK Athens BCAEK BC , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek professional sports basketball club based in Athens, Greece. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War ....
- Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
: (1968, 2000)
- Saporta Cup
- Aris ThessalonikiAris BCAris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
- Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
: (1993) - Korać CupKorac CupThe Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
: (1997) - FIBA Champions CupEuroCup ChallengeThe EuroCup Challenge was the 4th tier level transnational professional club basketball competition in Europe. It was run and organized by FIBA Europe.-Promotion to FIBA EuroCup:...
: (2003)
- Saporta Cup
- PAOK ThessalonikiPAOK BCP.A.O.K. Thessaloniki B.C. is the professional basketball department of the Greek multi-sports club P.A.O.K., originally founded in 1926 and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues...
- Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
: (1991) - Korać CupKorac CupThe Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
: (1994)
- Saporta Cup
- Maroussi AthensMaroussi BCMaroussi Athens B.C. , is a Greek professional basketball club that is based in Maroussi, a northern suburb of Athens, Greece. The club's full name is Gymnastikos Syllogos Amarousiou. The club competes in the Greek League. Its long-time owner was Armodios Vovos of the BVIC construction firm...
- Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
: (2001)
- Saporta Cup
International successes of the Greek national basketball teams
Since winning the senior men's basketball EuroBasket 1987Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, the track record of Greek national basketball has enjoyed a numerous amount of successes. Especially in the youth sectors as the management of youth basketball schools in Greece is considered to be one of the world's best, always being able to put together new generations of winning teams and to discover new talented players, and being able to promote new capable coaches. Also, the men's national youth teams especially, have so far recorded significant successes in international competitions.
Successes of the men's senior national team
Since the senior Greek national basketball team won its first EuroBasketEurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
in 1987
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, it has been a regular competitor at the EuroBasket, FIBA World Championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
, and the Summer Olympics
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
. The men's senior national team from 1987 included legendary players such as Nikos Galis, Panayiotis Yiannakis, Panagiotis Fassoulas, and Theofanis Christodoulou. Panayiotis Yiannakis also later became the senior team's head coach and he led the Greeks to win the European Championship (EuroBasket) again in the year 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
at Belgrade. Yiannakis became the first person ever to have succeeded in winning the FIBA European Championship (EuroBasket) both as a player and as a head coach. After Greece had earlier in 2004 also won the European Championship in football, it gave Greece the rare extinction of being the European champion in the two most important team ball sports at the same time. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
held in Japan, Greece reached the final and won the silver medal. They accomplished this after becoming the only team at the tournament to beat Team USA, whom they defeated in the semifinals by a score of 101-95.
Senior national teams
FIBA Europe
FIBA Europe is a zone within the International Basketball Federation which includes all 49 national European basketball federations.-Division A:-Division B: -Division C:...
European Championship (EuroBasket
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
) at the EuroBasket 1949
Eurobasket 1949
The 1949 European Basketball Championship, commonly called Eurobasket 1949, was the sixth regional championship held by FIBA Europe. Seven national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation took part in the competition...
, where they won the bronze medal. Greece's first big success as a nation in basketball was when their senior men's national team won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 1987
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, which led to a breakthrough for the sport of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in the country. In the EuroBasket 1987 tournament's final, which was played in Piraeus, Greece, at Peace and Friendship Stadium
Peace and Friendship Stadium
The Stadio Eirinis kai Filias , known as S.E.F., is a multi-use indoor sports arena that is located in Faliro, Piraeus, Athens, Greece. It is the central venue of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex and is mostly known for being the long-time home court of the famous Euroleague basketball club...
(SEF), Greece defeated the heavily favored Soviet national basketball team (which included star player Šarūnas Marčiulionis
Šarunas Marciulionis
Raimondas Šarūnas Marčiulionis is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player. He was one of the first Europeans to become a regular in the North American National Basketball Association...
) in overtime, by a score of 103 to 101.
The MVP of the EuroBasket 1987 was Nikos Galis, who to this day, still remains the biggest sports icon in the country of Greece. In the subsequent EuroBasket tournament in 1989
EuroBasket 1989
-Group A:-Group B:-Places 5 - 8:-Places 1 - 4:-Finals:-Final rankings:# # # # # # # # -Team rosters:#Yugoslavia: Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, Vlade Divac, Dino Rađa, Žarko Paspalj, Stojan Vranković, Predrag Danilović, Jure Zdovc, Zoran Čutura, Zdravko Radulović, Zoran Radović, Mario Primorac...
, Greece again reached the final, where they lost to the great Yugoslavia national team
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
, which led by its star player Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrovic
Dražen Petrović was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s before joining the American NBA in 1989...
, went undefeated during the tournament. By taking the silver medal at the EuroBasket 1989, Greece cemented its position among Europe's leading basketball nations. Since then, the Greek national team has been one of the best national basketball teams in the world. Greece also won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
, which was held in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, after defeating Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
-led Germany
Germany national basketball team
The German national basketball team for men is the basketball side that represents Germany in international competitions. Their biggest successes are the victory in the European Championship of 1993 at home in Germany, the silver medal in the 2005 European Championships and the bronze medal in the...
in the finals, by a score of 78 to 62.
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
for the first time at the 1986 FIBA World Championship
1986 FIBA World Championship
The 1986 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Spain from July 5 to 19 1986.The Final phase of the tournament was held at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid...
, where they finished in tenth place. Greece made it to the semifinals of both the 1994 FIBA World Championship
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
and the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, which Greece also hosted. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
, which was held in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Greece won the silver medal, after defeating the heavily favored USA by a score of 101-95 in the semifinals.
Junior national teams
So far, the most significant success for Greece's junior national teams was the gold medal victory at the 1995 junior men's FIBA Under-19 World ChampionshipFIBA Under-19 World Championship
The FIBA Under-19 World Championship is a men's under-19 only basketball competition organized by FIBA. From its inauguration in 1979 until 2007 it was held every four years...
. As the tournament's host nation, the Greek junior national team won the gold medal by defeating the junior men's Australia national basketball team
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
by a score of 91-73 in the final. The gold medal winning Under-19 team of 1995 included such players as: Michalis Kakiouzis
Michalis Kakiouzis
Michalis Kakiouzis is a Greek professional basketball player.-Pro career:...
, Nikolaos Hatzis, Giorgos Kalaitzis
Giorgos Kalaitzis
Giorgos Kalaitzis ; born August 29, 1976 in Thessaloniki, Greece) is a Greek professional basketball player.-Club career:...
, Dimitrios Papanikolaou, and Efthimios Rentzias
Efthimios Rentzias
Efthimios Rentzias is a retired Greek professional basketball player. He was most notably a member of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers...
, who was voted the MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the tournament.
Mediterranean Games
Greece has also always taken part in the Mediterranean GamesBasketball at the Mediterranean Games
Basketball has been played consistently at the Mediterranean Games since the year 1951 for men and since the year 1987 for women. The Yugoslavian national basketball team is the most successful men's team and the Croatian women's national basketball team is the most successful team for women.-Men's...
. The greatest success of the men's national team at the Mediterranean Games is the gold medal, which they won in 1979. Furthermore, Greece has won four silver medals at the tournament, in the years 1991, 2001, 2005
Basketball at the 2005 Mediterranean Games
The Basketball Tournament at the 2005 Mediterranean Games was held in the El Ejido Sports Hall from Friday June 24 to Friday July 1, 2005 in Almería, Spain.-Rosters:*...
, and 2009
Basketball at the 2009 Mediterranean Games
The basketball tournament at the 2009 Mediterranean Games was held in the Elettra Sports Hall, Ortona Sports Hall, Teramo Sports Hall and the Roseto Sports Hall from June 27 to July 4, 2009 in Pescara, Italy.-Medalists:-Medal count:...
. In addition to that, they have also won three bronze medals at the tournament, in the years 1955, 1971, and 1987.
The Greek women's national team
Greece women's national basketball team
The Greek women's national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international women's basketball competitions and it is organized and run by the Greek Basketball Federation.-Olympic Games:-FIBA World Championship:-EuroBasket:...
won the bronze medal at the competition in 1991.
Arenas
Greece has a number of large, modern sports facilities, which have also hosted important tournaments and finals. The first professional indoor basketball arena in the country was opened in 1959 in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Located at the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, it holds 1,500 spectators and is still home to the ladies' basketball department of Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos is a multi-sport club based in Athens, Greece. It has the shamrock as its official emblem and green and white as its colours...
. Because of its confined environment, the sports hall was named The Tomb of The Indian, after the Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
feature film The Indian Tomb
The Indian Tomb (1959 film)
The Indian Tomb aka. Journey to the Lost City, or in original German, Das indische Grabmal, is a 1959 German adventure drama film directed by Fritz Lang...
. In the subsequent years, a number of other arenas have arisen in Greece, located mainly in Athens and Thessaloniki. In 1966, in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, the Alexandrio Melathron
Alexandrio Melathron
Alexandreio Melathron , also called Palais des Sports , is an indoor sports arena located in Thessaloniki, Greece, with a capacity of 5,500...
was opened. This 5,500 seat arena would go on to become one of the most famous basketball arenas in Europe and it was for decades home to the two arch-rivals Aris
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
and PAOK
PAOK BC
P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki B.C. is the professional basketball department of the Greek multi-sports club P.A.O.K., originally founded in 1926 and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues...
.
The Peace and Friendship Stadium
Peace and Friendship Stadium
The Stadio Eirinis kai Filias , known as S.E.F., is a multi-use indoor sports arena that is located in Faliro, Piraeus, Athens, Greece. It is the central venue of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex and is mostly known for being the long-time home court of the famous Euroleague basketball club...
(SEF), a 17,000 capacity multi-purpose hall opened in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Athens in 1985. The arena was for the next ten years, the biggest indoor sports hall in Greece and it hosted various major sporting events such as the EuroBasket 1987
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, the 1994 World Volleyball Championship
1994 FIVB Men's World Championship
The 1994 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship was the thirteenth edition of the tournament, organized by the world's governing body, the FIVB...
, the 1995 European Volleyball Championship
1995 Men's European Volleyball Championship
The 1995 Men's European Volleyball Championship was the nineteenth edition of the event, organized by Europe's governing volleyball body, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball...
, the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, and the 1999 Olympic Weightlifting World Championship. At the moment, SEF is the home of the Olympiacos Piraeus basketball club.
By the early 1990s, the sport of basketball had become well established in Greece and the Greek A1 League had become the strongest professional league in Europe, as well as the richest. A rising number of television viewers in Greece watching the A1 League, a high level of Greek media interest in the sport, and the application of the country to host major sports events had left many of the nation's existing gyms too old and too small at that point. In Athens, the OAKA Indoor Hall was opened in 1995. It holds about 20,000 spectators and it is still the biggest indoor sports hall in Europe (in terms of size), and especially where basketball games are held regularly. The Athens Olympic Indoor Hall has already hosted some significant sporting events: the 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
FIBA Under-19 World Championship
The FIBA Under-19 World Championship is a men's under-19 only basketball competition organized by FIBA. From its inauguration in 1979 until 2007 it was held every four years...
, the EuroBasket 1995
EuroBasket 1995
EuroBasket 1995 final tournament stage was XXIX European basketball championship and was held in Athens, Greece from 21 June to 2 July, 1995. This European championship was the first one that saw the successful return of Lithuania national basketball team to the tournament, since its last triumph...
, the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, and the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
. Currently, Panathinaikos Athens and Maroussi Athens
Maroussi BC
Maroussi Athens B.C. , is a Greek professional basketball club that is based in Maroussi, a northern suburb of Athens, Greece. The club's full name is Gymnastikos Syllogos Amarousiou. The club competes in the Greek League. Its long-time owner was Armodios Vovos of the BVIC construction firm...
play home matches in the Olympic Hall. AEK Athens
AEK Athens BC
AEK BC , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek professional sports basketball club based in Athens, Greece. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War ....
has also played home matches there.
Also in 1995, the 5,500 capacity arenas Larrisa Neapolis
Larissa Neapolis Arena
Neapoli Indoor Hall is an indoor basketball sporting arena and indoor volleyball court that is located in the city of Larissa, Greece in the district of Neapolis. The seating capacity of the arena is 3,950 people and can reach 5,500 with lower tier seats...
and Dimitris Tofalos were built. In 2000, the first modern indoor sports arena in Thessaloniki was built, PAOK Sports Arena
PAOK Sports Arena
P.A.O.K. Sports Arena is located in Thessaloniki, Greece and it hosts the P.A.O.K. B.C. and P.A.O.K. V.C. departments of P.A.O.K. It was opened in the year 2000 and in the same year it hosted the Euroleague and Greek Cup final-fours. It is built on land donated by Ioannis Dedeoglou, for which...
. The arena is under the possession of PAOK
PAOK BC
P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki B.C. is the professional basketball department of the Greek multi-sports club P.A.O.K., originally founded in 1926 and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues...
and it holds around 8,700 spectators. For the 2004 Olympic Games
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
, the Helliniko Indoor Arena was built. It holds 15,000 spectators and has been used as the home arena of the clubs Panionios, Panellinios, and AEK Athens.
Plans have been approved to build several new modern indoor arenas in Greece within the next few years. This is due to several factors, one of them being ULEB
ULEB
ULEB was founded in 1991, with the aim to help in the cooperation and development of European professional club basketball leagues...
's new arena rules which state that by the 2012-13 season, Euroleague contract clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 10,000 and all Eurocup clubs must play in arenas that seat at least 5,000. Another big reason is that Greece is in line to host the 2013 Mediterranean Games
2013 Mediterranean Games
The XVIIth Mediterranean Games, commonly known as the 2013 Mediterranean Games will be the 17th Mediterranean Games. The Games will be held in Mersin, Turkey over 10 days from June 24 to July 3, 2013....
. Some of these planned new indoor halls will include: a 10,000+ seat arena owned by Panathinaikos, a 10,000+ seat arena owned by Aris
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
, and a 5,000+ seat arena owned by Iraklis.
Major basketball events in Greece
Greece is a regular host of major international basketball tournaments and finals of European sports club competitions. It is also the host of the prestigious Acropolis International Basketball Tournament, which takes place every year in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
since 1986
Acropolis International Tournament 1986
The Acropolis International Tournament 1986 was the 1st edition of the Acropolis International Basketball Tournament. It was held from June 18 to June 20, 1986, at the SEF arena in Piraeus, Athens, Greece...
. Specifically, these are:
Men's competitions:
- EuroBasketEurobasketThe EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
(2x): 1987Eurobasket 1987The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, 1995EuroBasket 1995EuroBasket 1995 final tournament stage was XXIX European basketball championship and was held in Athens, Greece from 21 June to 2 July, 1995. This European championship was the first one that saw the successful return of Lithuania national basketball team to the tournament, since its last triumph... - FIBA World ChampionshipFIBA World ChampionshipThe FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
(1x): 19981998 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998... - Summer OlympicsBasketball at the Summer OlympicsBasketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
(1x): 2004 - Euroleague (4x): 1985, 1993, 2000, 2007Euroleague 2006-07The Euroleague is an international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe. The 2006-2007 season featured 24 competing teams from 13 different countries. The draw for the groups was held on September 14, 2006 in Athens. The competition began on October 24, 2006 at the Olympic...
- Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
(4x): 1968European Cup Winner's Cup Basketball 1967-68-Standings:- Final : AEKHead Coach: Nikos Milas USK PrahaHead Coach: Jaroslav Sip- External links :**...
, 1972European Cup Winner's Cup Basketball 1971-72-Group A:-Group B:-Semifinals:-Final:- External links :*...
, 1973, 1989 - FIBA EuroCup ChallengeEuroCup ChallengeThe EuroCup Challenge was the 4th tier level transnational professional club basketball competition in Europe. It was run and organized by FIBA Europe.-Promotion to FIBA EuroCup:...
(1x): 2003
Women's competitions:
- EuroBasketEurobasket WomenEurobasket Women is a bi-annual basketball competition held between the nations of Europe for women's national basketball team. Eurobasket Women is also used as a qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship for Women and also for Olympic Games.-Summaries:-Performance by nation:-See...
(1x): 2003EuroBasket 2003 WomenThe 2003 European Women Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket Women 2003, was the 29th regional championship held by FIBA Europe. The competition was held in Greece and took place from September 19 to September 28, 2003. Russia won the gold medal and Czech Republic the silver medal... - Summer OlympicsBasketball at the Summer OlympicsBasketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
(1x): 2004 - EuroLeagueEuroLeague WomenThe EuroLeague Women is the highest professional basketball league in Europe for women’s clubs.Unlike Euroleague for men, the competition is entirely organized by FIBA Europe.-Between 2004-2011:...
(2x): 1987, 1997
Well-known Greek basketball players
The following is a list of some of the most internationally well-known Greek basketball players and some of their most important career accomplishments:Men:
- Fragiskos AlvertisFragiskos AlvertisFragiskos Alvertis is a retired Greek professional basketball player. He was the captain of the Panathinaikos basketball team...
:- 5x Euroleague Champion: 1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009
- Greek Cup MVP: 2003
- Greek League MVP: 2003
- Euroleague's 35 Greatest Players: 2008
- Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team Nominee: 2010
- Ioannis Bourousis:
- FIBA European Champion: 2005
- All-Euroleague Team: 2009
- Dimitrios Diamantidis:
- 4x Greek League MVP: 2004, 2006–2008
- 6x Euroleague Defensive Player of the Year: 2005-2009, 2011
- FIBA European Champion: 2005
- Vice FIBA World Champion: 2006
- 2x All-Euroleague Team: 2007, 2011
- 3x Euroleague Champion: 2007, 2009, 2011
- 2x Euroleague Final Four MVP: 2007, 2011
- European Player of the YearEuropean Basketball Player of the Year AwardsThe European Basketball Player of the Year Awards are the three awards given out on a yearly basis to the best male European basketball player of the year. More specifically, those are the Mr. Europa award, which began in 1976, the Euroscar, established in 1979, and the FIBA Europe Player of the...
: 2007 - 2x Triple CrownTriple Crown in BasketballThe Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
Champion: 2007, 2009 - Greek Cup MVP: 2010
- Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team: 2010
- Antonios Fotsis:
- 3x Euroleague Champion: 2000, 2009, 2011
- First Greek-born player to play in the NBA (Memphis GrizzliesMemphis GrizzliesThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
): 2001-02 - FIBA European Champion: 2005
- Vice FIBA World Champion: 2006
- Triple CrownTriple Crown in BasketballThe Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
Champion: 2009 - Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team Nominee: 2010
- Nikos Galis:
- FIBA European Champion: 1987
- FIBA European Championship: MVP 1987
- 2x European Player of the YearEuropean Basketball Player of the Year AwardsThe European Basketball Player of the Year Awards are the three awards given out on a yearly basis to the best male European basketball player of the year. More specifically, those are the Mr. Europa award, which began in 1976, the Euroscar, established in 1979, and the FIBA Europe Player of the...
: 1987 - 4x Greek League MVP: 1988-1991
- Member of the FIBA Hall of FameFIBA Hall of FameFIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball...
: 2007 - Named one of the Euroleague's 35 Greatest Players: 2008
- Theodoros PapaloukasTheodoros PapaloukasTheódoros "Teó" Papaloukás is a Greek professional basketball player. He currently plays as a point guard for the Israeli League, Adriatic League and Euroleague club Maccabi Tel Aviv....
:- FIBA European Champion: 2005
- Russian Cup MVP: 2006
- 4x All-Euroleague Team: 2006-2009
- 2x Euroleague Champion: 2006, 2008
- Euroleague Final Four MVP: 2006
- Triple CrownTriple Crown in BasketballThe Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
Champion: 2006 - Vice FIBA World Champion: 2006
- European Player of the YearEuropean Basketball Player of the Year AwardsThe European Basketball Player of the Year Awards are the three awards given out on a yearly basis to the best male European basketball player of the year. More specifically, those are the Mr. Europa award, which began in 1976, the Euroscar, established in 1979, and the FIBA Europe Player of the...
: 2006 - Euroleague MVP: 2007
- Euroleague's 35 Greatest Players: 2008
- Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team: 2010
- Sofoklis SchortsanitisSofoklis SchortsanitisSofoklis Schortsanitis is a Greek professional basketball player. He was born in Tiko, Cameroon, to a Greek father and a Cameroonian mother.He is listed at and...
:- Vice FIBA World Champion: 2006
- All-Euroleague Team: 2011
- Vasilios Spanoulis:
- FIBA European Champion: 2005
- 3x All-Euroleague Team: 2006, 2009, 2011
- Vice FIBA World Champion: 2006
- NBA player (Houston RocketsHouston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
): 2006-07 - Euroleague Champion: 2009
- Euroleague Final Four MVP: 2009
- Triple CrownTriple Crown in BasketballThe Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
Champion: 2009 - Greek League MVP: 2009
- Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team Nominee: 2010
- Panayiotis Yiannakis:
- FIBA European Champion: 1987
- Euroleague Champion: 1996
- Most capped Greek senior men's national team player with 351 games played
- Greek senior men's national team all-time leading scorer
- Euroleague's 35 Greatest Players: 2008
- A candidate for the FIBA Hall of FameFIBA Hall of FameFIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players, coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. It includes the "Samaranch Library", the biggest basketball library in the world that, as of 2007, has over 10,000 basketball...
- Nikos ZisisNikos ZisisNikolaos "Nikos" Zisis is a Greek professional basketball player. He is currently with the pro club Montepaschi Siena.-Player profile:...
:- FIBA Europe Under-20 ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-20 ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, previously known as European Championship for Men 'Under22 and Under, is a basketball competition inaugurated in 1992. Until 2004 it was held biannually, but from 2004 onwards it is held every year. The current champions are Spain.Since 2005, a second level...
MVP: 2002 - FIBA European Champion: 2005
- FIBA European Young Player of the Year: 2005
- Vice FIBA World Champion: 2006
- Euroleague Champion: 2008
- FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship
Ladies:
- Sofia Kligopoulou:
- Record holder with 210 Greek women's national team capsCap (sport)In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
.
- Record holder with 210 Greek women's national team caps
- Anastasia KostakiAnastasia KostakiAnastasia Kostaki is a Greek professional basketball player. She is 1.72 m in height and 65 kg in weight.-Biography:...
:- First Greek WNBA player.
- Evanthia MaltsiEvanthia MaltsiEvanthia Maltsi is a Greek professional basketball player. In 2007, she played the guard position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-WNBA career:Maltsi played for the Sun for one season...
:- WNBA player.
- Polimnia Saregou:
- With 2,181 points, the Greek women's national team all-time leading scorer.
Well-known Greek basketball coaches
- Ioannis Ioannidis:
- With 18 titles won, the record holder among Greek coaches
- Efthimios Kioumourtzoglou:
- Vice EuroBasket ChampionEurobasket 1987The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
: 1989
- Vice EuroBasket Champion
- Konstantinos Politis:
- EuroBasket ChampionEurobasket 1987The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
: 1987
- EuroBasket Champion
- Panayiotis Yiannakis:
- EuroBasket ChampionEurobasket 2005The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
: 2005 - Vice FIBA World Champion2006 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
: 2006
- EuroBasket Champion
Well-known foreign basketball players in Greece
With the financial rise of the professional men's club basketball competition the Greek A1 League during the 1990s, and the subsequent high media interest for the league in Greece that was generated by large television viewership - there became a desire among viewers and fans to see Greek clubs bring to their rosters leading professional basketball players from abroad. Due to the A1 League's immigration provisions, many top foreign prospects chose the path of naturalizationCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
in order to circumvent the league's rules. Among them were players from the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, like Peja Stojaković
Peja Stojaković
Predrag Stojaković , also known by his nickname Peja , is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . Standing at 6 ft 10 , Stojaković plays the small forward position...
and Marko Jarić
Marko Jaric
Marko Jarić is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is married to Brazilian model Adriana Lima.-Pro career:...
, and from the ex-USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, like Tiit Sokk
Tiit Sokk
Tiit Sokk is a retired Estonian professional basketball player who played mostly at the point guard position....
. With the Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
in Europe in 1995, the Greek sports market was finally opened to foreign players and as a result, today major players from around the world are active in the A1 League. The most well-known foreign player that has played in the Greek League, is the American player Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
, who scored more than 26,000 points in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He left the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in 1995 and signed with Panathinaikos Athens. Another well-known American player that moved to the Greek League was the three-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Byron Scott
Byron Scott (basketball)
Byron Antom Scott is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current head coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. He was formerly the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets. He attended Arizona State University, but left school in his junior year to...
, who now coaches the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. Some of the other prominent American players that moved to the Greek League were Walter Berry, Antonio Davis
Antonio Davis
Antonio Lee Davis is a retired American National Basketball Association player. Davis is also the former president of the NBA Players Association .-College career:...
, Tony Delk
Tony Delk
Tony Lorenzo Delk is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team. He was team leader of the 1996 University of Kentucky Wildcats team that won the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
, Eddie Johnson, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf is an American professional basketball player.-Life and career:Abdul-Rauf was born in Gulfport, Mississippi. After a record-setting college career at Louisiana State University, he was selected with the third pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets...
, Roy Tarpley
Roy Tarpley
Roy James Tarpley is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions, earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. Despite his talent, Tarpley became notable during his career for being banned from the NBA because of his drug addiction...
, the four-time NBA champion John Salley
John Salley
John Thomas "Spider" Salley is a retired American professional basketball player, actor and talk show host. He was the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises....
, and the current coach of the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, Scott Skiles
Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
.
The most significant foreign European players in the history of the Basket League are the Serbian player Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga
Dejan Bodiroga is a retired Serbian professional basketball player.He is offten considered as one of the best players who did not play in the NBA....
, the Croatian player Dino Radja, and the Lithuanian player Šarūnas Jasikevičius
Šarunas Jasikevicius
Šarūnas Jasikevičius is a Lithuanian professional basketball player who plays for Panathinaikos BC. He is a member of the Lithuanian national team, and plays the point guard position.-Early years:...
. All three were named among the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors
50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors
The 50 Greatest Contributors in Euroleague History were chosen on February 3, 2008, in Madrid, Spain. The occasion was the fiftieth anniversary since the founding of the FIBA European Champions Cup, officially recognized as the predecessor to today's Euroleague.The list was made up of the...
in 2008, and Bodiroga and Jasikevičius were also named to the Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team
ULEB Euroleague 2001–10 All-Decade Team
The ULEB Euroleague 2001-10 All-Decade Team consists of basketball players named to the Euroleague's All-Decade Team for the first 10 years of the ULEB competition from 2001-10.There were 50 players nominated for the All-Decade Team...
. Bodiroga, a two-time FIBA world champion
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
and a three-time FIBA European champion
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
, played for four years with Panathinaikos and with them he won the Euroleague championship twice. Despite the fact that he never played in the NBA, he was widely regarded as one of the world's best players at this time. Following a successful NBA career, Radja moved to the Greek League and became one of the few players to star for both arch-rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Jasikevičius, who is widely considered one of the best European players of all-time, also moved from the NBA to the Greek League. Another well-known foreign European player to play in the Greek League was the Serbian player Dejan Tomašević
Dejan Tomaševic
Dejan Tomašević is a former Serbian professional basketball player. He is a 2.08 m tall center.He played with Borac Čačak, Red Star Belgrade, Partizan Belgrade, Budućnost Podgorica, TAU Cerámica and Pamesa Valencia, Panathinaikos and PAOK, which he joined in September 2008.-Pro career:Tomašević...
.
Žarko Paspalj
Žarko Paspalj is a retired Serbian professional basketball player and current sports administrator...
, Željko Rebrača
Željko Rebraca
Željko Rebrača is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. Formerly in the NBA, he finished his career with the Spanish ACB League team Pamesa Valencia.-Europe:He began his professional career in 1991 with KK Partizan...
and Zoran Savić
Zoran Savic
Zoran Savić is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. The 208 cm forward played in various European nations.-Career:...
, the Croats Arijan Komazec
Arijan Komazec
Arijan Komazec is a retired Croatian basketball player.He was a member of the Yugoslavian National Team and then the Croatian National Team after gained independence. He was a part of the Croatian team that won the Silver Medal in Barcelona during the 1992 Olympics...
, Stojko Vranković
Stojko Vrankovic
Stojan "Stojko" Vranković is a retired Croatian basketball player who also represented Yugoslavia....
and Nikola Vujčić
Nikola Vujcic
Nikola Vujčić is a Croatian professional basketball player. He is 2.11 m tall. He can play at both the center and power forward positions. He last played for Efes Pilsen SK for the 2010–11 season.-Player profile:...
, the Slovenes Rasho Nesterović
Radoslav Nesterovic
Radoslav "Rašo" Nesterović , usually referred to in English as Rasho Nesterovic , is a retired Slovenian professional basketball player. He holds citizenship in both Slovenia and Greece. In the NBA he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Toronto Raptors...
and Jure Zdovc
Jure Zdovc
Jurij "Jure" Zdovc is a retired Slovenian basketball player and the coach of BC Spartak Saint Petersburg.As junior he start to play for Comet Slovenske Konjice...
. As well as the Lithuanians Artūras Karnišovas
Arturas Karnišovas
Artūras Karnišovas is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player....
, Ramūnas Šiškauskas
Ramunas Šiškauskas
Ramūnas Šiškauskas in height and he weighs 220 lbs. . He is currently with CSKA Moscow.-Player profile:Šiškauskas is a physical forward who can easily play, both on offense and defense, at the guard positions, on the wing, and also in the paint...
, and Linas Kleiza
Linas Kleiza
Linas Kleiza is a Lithuanian professional basketball player with the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He is also a member of the Lithuanian national team. He can play either forward position. Kleiza signed a four year, $18.8 million contract prior to the 2010–11 NBA...
, Frenchman Jim Bilba
Jim Bilba
Jim Bilba is a basketball player from France. He won the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics with the Men's National Team.Currently, Bilba is the assistant coach for the French basketball team, Cholet Basket....
, and the Ukrainian Alexander Volkov
Alexander Volkov (basketball)
Alexander Anatolevich "Sasha" Volkov is a retired Ukrainian professional basketball player. At 6'10" , he played the forward position.Volkov won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics as a member of the Soviet Union national basketball team...
.
There have also been some other notable foreign players that have played in the Greek League like the Israeli player Oded Katash and the Turkish player İbrahim Kutluay. In recent years, key American players like J.R. Holden, Roger Mason
Roger Mason, Jr.
Roger Philip Mason, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks of the NBA.-Early career:...
, Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (basketball)
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 5 in guard/forward, Evans weighs 220 lb...
, Von Wafer
Von Wafer
Vakeaton Quamar Wafer , commonly referred to as Von Wafer, is an American professional basketball player who plays with Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket....
, and Josh Childress
Josh Childress
Joshua Malik Childress is an American professional basketball player with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. He previously played with the pro club Olympiacos Piraeus in the Greek A1 League and the Euroleague, as well as the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA.-High school career:Childress attended Mayfair High...
have also played in Greece.
Well-known foreign basketball coaches in Greece
Željko Obradovic
Želimir “Željko” Obradović is a Serbian professional basketball coach and a former professional basketball player...
, who has been head coach at Panathinaikos since 1999. Since starting his coaching career in 1991, Obradović has won eight Euroleague championships, five of them with Panathinaikos, and a total of 31 championships as a professional club coach, making him the most successful head coach in European basketball history. Another significant foreign coach who has worked in the Greek League is Boža Maljković, who has won 19 championships in his coaching career. In 1996, he led Panathinaikos to their first Euroleague championship, which was also the first ever for a Greek club.
Another foreign head coach of great international standing to work in the Greek League is the multiple world
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
and European champion
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
, Duda Ivković. Ivković coached five different teams in Greece (Aris
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
, PAOK
PAOK BC
P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki B.C. is the professional basketball department of the Greek multi-sports club P.A.O.K., originally founded in 1926 and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues...
, Panionios, Olympiacos, and AEK
AEK Athens BC
AEK BC , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek professional sports basketball club based in Athens, Greece. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War ....
), and he twice led Greek clubs to winning a European Cup. The three-time Euroleague-winning head coach, the Israeli Pini Gershon, has also coached in the Greek League. Obradović, Maljković, Ivković, and Gershon were honored in 2008, when they were named four of the 10 most important coaches in the history of the Euroleague. Some other important foreign coaches that have coached in the Greek League are the American NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
head coach Scott Skiles
Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
, the legendary Krešimir Ćosić
Krešimir Cosic
Krešimir Ćosić was a Croatian professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally, a member of FIBA Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame...
, Željko Pavličević, Dragan Šakota
Dragan Šakota
Dragan Šakota ; born June 16, 1952 in Belgrade) is a Serbian former professional basketball player and current coach...
, Jonas Kazlauskas
Jonas Kazlauskas
Jonas Kazlauskas is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former Soviet professional basketball player. He is not to be confused with the late Lithuanian linguist, also named Jonas Kazlauskas...
, and Zvi Sherf
Zvi Sherf
Zvi Sherf , known almost universally by his nickname Zvika , is an Israeli basketball coach and former player. He is currently the coach of the Spartak St. Petersburg of the Russian Super League....
.
Greek players abroad
Historically, the best Greek players generally did not play abroad because of the financial strength of Basket League, enabling its clubs to keep the country's top players at home. Until the late 1990s, virtually all of the national team played their club basketball in Greece. This situation began to change in the early 2000s when the top leagues in RussiaRussian Basketball Super League
The Russian Basketball SuperLeague is a men's professional basketball league that was the pre-eminent league of Russian professional basketball until 2010...
and Spain experienced huge financial growth, and a few top players chose to chase the even greater financial rewards and competitive challenge of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. This can be illustrated by the makeup of Greece's two EuroBasket-winning teams. All 12 players on the 1987 roster were under contract to Greek clubs, while five of the 2005 squad were playing outside Greece. More recently, this phenomenon has begun to change as many Greek clubs, most notably ancient rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, have offered top-notch salaries to once again attract Greece's top players back home. Today, relatively few Greeks play in foreign leagues, and as a rule they are not the country's best players. The final 12-man Greek squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
included only three players who were under contract with a club in another country. Only one of the three, Nikolaos Zisis, had played outside the country for more than one season going into the 2010 Worlds (he was preparing to start his second season with Montepaschi Siena
Mens Sana Basket
Mens Sana Basket, more frequently referred to as Montepaschi Siena, is an Italian League professional basketball club from Siena. More precisely, it is the now-autonomous basketball section of the comprehensive sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana...
of Italy). At the same time, Georgios Printezis was entering his second season at Unicaja of Spain, and Sofoklis Schortsanitis
Sofoklis Schortsanitis
Sofoklis Schortsanitis is a Greek professional basketball player. He was born in Tiko, Cameroon, to a Greek father and a Cameroonian mother.He is listed at and...
had just left Olympiacos for Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel.
In addition to the players already named above, some other Greek players who have played for significant periods outside the country include:
- Dimos Dikoudis (2003–06, 2008)
- Antonios Fotsis (2001–02, 2003–08)
- Mihalis Kakiouzis (2002–09, 2010-11)
- Lazaros PapadopoulosLazaros PapadopoulosLazaros Papadopoulos , is a Greek professional basketball player. He is 7 ft 280 lbs. and he plays at the center position.-Personal:...
(2004–09, 2011) - Theodoros PapaloukasTheodoros PapaloukasTheódoros "Teó" Papaloukás is a Greek professional basketball player. He currently plays as a point guard for the Israeli League, Adriatic League and Euroleague club Maccabi Tel Aviv....
(2002–08) - Jake TsakalidisJake TsakalidisIakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis is a Georgian, naturalized Greek professional basketball player.Tsakalidis, a , center, holds dual citizenship in Georgia, where he was born, and in Greece, where he was raised and became famous.- Greece :...
(2000–07)
Among the favorite foreign leagues for Greek players are the Russian PBL (the successor to the now second-level SuperLeague A
Russian Basketball Super League
The Russian Basketball SuperLeague is a men's professional basketball league that was the pre-eminent league of Russian professional basketball until 2010...
), Liga ACB in Spain, and the Italian Lega A.
Players from the Greek diaspora
The Greek diaspora has produced a number of prominent players who chose to start or establish their careers in Greece.Perhaps the country's most celebrated player, Nikos Galis, is the son of Greek emigrants who was born and raised in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. More recently, Pat
Pat Calathes
Patrick Sean Calathes is a Greek American professional basketball player...
and Nick Calathes
Nick Calathes
Nicholas William "Nick" Calathes is an American-born Greek professional basketball player. Calathes played American college basketball for the University of Florida. He currently plays for Panathinaikos, the Athens, Greece affiliate of the EuroLeague.-High school career:Calathes was born in...
, born and raised in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, who are descended from their Greek grandfather, have chosen to start their professional careers in Greece. The older Pat began his career at Maroussi, went from there to Kolossos
Kolossos Rodou BC
Kolossos Rodou B.C., or, Colossus Rhodes B.C., is a Greek professional basketball team located in Rhodes, Greece. Kolossos currently plays in the first Greek league of professional basketball the Greek Championship. The club was founded in 1963 and also initially featured sports like volleyball and...
, and has now joined Panathinaikos, where Nick has played since beginning his professional career. Michael Bramos
Michael Bramos
Michail Antonios Bramos, commonly known as Michael Bramos is a Greek American professional basketball player. He is a 1.98 m tall shooting guard-small forward with a 2.13m wingspan.-College career:...
is another American born player from the Greek diaspora that chose to begin his pro career in Greece with Peristeri.
Lazaros Papadopoulos
Lazaros Papadopoulos
Lazaros Papadopoulos , is a Greek professional basketball player. He is 7 ft 280 lbs. and he plays at the center position.-Personal:...
and Jake Tsakalidis
Jake Tsakalidis
Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis is a Georgian, naturalized Greek professional basketball player.Tsakalidis, a , center, holds dual citizenship in Georgia, where he was born, and in Greece, where he was raised and became famous.- Greece :...
were born to diaspora Greeks in the former Soviet Union, respectively in modern-day Russia and Georgia, but moved to Greece with their families at relatively young ages and were developed there. Both began their professional careers in Greece, but had extensive tenures outside the country before eventually returning. Papadopoulos established himself as a star with Panathinaikos, but spent many of his best years in Russia, Spain, and Italy, while Tsakilidis spent seven years in the NBA after starting with AEK Athens.
One current Greek NBA player, Kosta Koufos
Kosta Koufos
Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos is a Greek-American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft...
, is also from the diaspora, but has never played with a Greek club. Like Galis, he is the son of Greek emigrants and was born and raised in the U.S. (in his case, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
), but went directly from Ohio State University
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
to the NBA without a stopover in Greece. However, Koufos chose to represent Greece internationally, as did both Calathes brothers.
Greek NBA players
The first Greek-born basketball player that made the leap to the NBA was Antonios Fotsis. Fotsis was selected in the 2001 NBA Draft2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
by the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
and he played with them in the NBA for one season. After one season in the NBA, Fotsis returned to Greece due to homesickness. Efthimios Rentzias
Efthimios Rentzias
Efthimios Rentzias is a retired Greek professional basketball player. He was most notably a member of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers...
and Andreas Glyniadakis
Andreas Glyniadakis
Andreas Glyniadakis is a Greek professional basketball player. He is a , 280 lb. center...
also played in the NBA for one season before returning to play in Europe.
Vasilios Spanoulis, who is regarded to be the top current Greek basketball talent and the main Greek-born NBA prospect, moved to the NBA in 2006 to play with the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, but he returned to Greece after a disappointing season for both himself and the Rockets. This was mainly due both to some personal disagreements that he had with then Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
and the fact that Spanoulis' mother was ill at the time and he needed to live in Greece to help attend to her.
Although the top Greek national professional league is considered to be one of the world's elite men's national basketball leagues and although the senior Greek national team
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
is considered to be amongst the world's elite men's national basketball programs, Greece's basketball program has not yet to date produced a well-established Greek-born NBA player. Top-level Greek basketball stars like Dimitrios Diamantidis and Theo Papaloukas
Theodoros Papaloukas
Theódoros "Teó" Papaloukás is a Greek professional basketball player. He currently plays as a point guard for the Israeli League, Adriatic League and Euroleague club Maccabi Tel Aviv....
decided that they did not want to pursue a career in the NBA. Papaloukas was offered a contract by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, but he turned it down due to his fear of flying
Fear of flying
A fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane , or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also sometimes referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia....
. To play in the NBA requires a lot of travel by air and Papaloukas' fear of flying thus prevented him from playing in the NBA.
Jake Tsakalidis
Jake Tsakalidis
Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis is a Georgian, naturalized Greek professional basketball player.Tsakalidis, a , center, holds dual citizenship in Georgia, where he was born, and in Greece, where he was raised and became famous.- Greece :...
, who was born in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and raised and developed basketball-wise in Greece, played in the NBA from 2000 to 2007, after beginning his career in Greece. Some other NBA players with Greek citizenship include: Peja Stojaković
Peja Stojaković
Predrag Stojaković , also known by his nickname Peja , is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . Standing at 6 ft 10 , Stojaković plays the small forward position...
, Rasho Nesterović
Radoslav Nesterovic
Radoslav "Rašo" Nesterović , usually referred to in English as Rasho Nesterovic , is a retired Slovenian professional basketball player. He holds citizenship in both Slovenia and Greece. In the NBA he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Toronto Raptors...
, Marko Jarić
Marko Jaric
Marko Jarić is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is married to Brazilian model Adriana Lima.-Pro career:...
, and Dragan Tarlać
Dragan Tarlac
Dragan Tarlać is a retired Serbian / Greek professional basketball player. He played in the NBA. He is 2.11 m in height.-Europe:...
, whom all moved to Greece at a young age and the Greek-American players Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
and Kostas Koufos
Kosta Koufos
Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos is a Greek-American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft...
. The Lebanese-born Rony Seikaly
Rony Seikaly
Ronald Fred "Rony" Seikaly is a retired Lebanese-born American professional basketball player.-Early life:Seikaly was born in Beirut, Lebanon. At the age of 9, Rony moved from Beirut where he'd been attending elementary school at the Athenee de Beirut to Greece, where he spent the rest of his youth...
, who played in the NBA from 1988 to 1999, and also played with the senior men's United States national basketball team
United States national basketball team
The United States men's national basketball team represents the United States of America in international men's basketball. The USA is the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen golds...
, was also raised and developed basketball-wise in Greece.
Greek WNBA players
Anastasia KostakiAnastasia Kostaki
Anastasia Kostaki is a Greek professional basketball player. She is 1.72 m in height and 65 kg in weight.-Biography:...
and Evanthia Maltsi
Evanthia Maltsi
Evanthia Maltsi is a Greek professional basketball player. In 2007, she played the guard position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-WNBA career:Maltsi played for the Sun for one season...
are female Greek professional basketball players that have played in the WNBA.
Basketball in the Greek media
In Greece, basketball is represented by the mass mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
just about as well as any other major sport, except perhaps the top Greek men's football league (soccer). On a daily basis, 16 different newspapers in the country publish what is happening in the sport. Although the media's main focus is always on the men's club Greek Championship, they will also regularly report on the lower level divisions like the men's A2 League, as well as the NBA and the other major European national domestic championships like Liga ACB and international competitions like the Euroleague.
Greek television has the ability to broadcast all of the men's Greek Championship games. The men's club Greek Championship has the TV rights to distribute itself on the Greek public broadcaster ERT, the private channel ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
, and the pay TV
Pay TV
Pay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...
station Novasport. Euroleague games are also broadcast on Novasport and the private channel Skai TV
Skai TV
Skai TV is a Greek TV station, based in Pireus, Athens. It is part of the Skai Group one of the largest media groups in Greece. It was relaunched in its present form on April 1, 2006 in Athens and gradually managed to spread its coverage nationwide. Besides analog over-the-air transmission, it is...
. Live broadcasts of the men's national championship and European Cup games are also offered by the country's large number of sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
stations.
Recent developments
After the senior men's Greek national basketball teamGreece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
won their second EuroBasket 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
in 2005, there was another strong revival of the sport of basketball in Greece. As a result, there was a strong rise in attendance figures in Greek basketball arenas after years of stagnation in attendance numbers in the previous years. One major reason for this is that most of the players of the senior men's national team also play in the men's senior national league.
Another major reason for the revival of basketball interest in Greece in recent years is the resurgence of the great rivalry between the European powers Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, which is considered by many to be the biggest sports rivalry in the world. Panathinaikos has been the most successful European basketball club since the modern Euroleague Final Four
Euroleague Final Four
The Euroleague Final Four is the final four format championship of the Euroleague professional club basketball competition. The Euroleague used the final four format for the first time during the 1987-88 season. It is known as the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four for sponsorship reasons...
era began in 1988. Also, after years of mediocrity, Olympiacos has once again become a European basketball power under their new management and they have boasted the biggest budget of any Euroleague team for three straight seasons (2008-09
Euroleague 2008-09
The Euroleague 2008-09 season was the ninth international basketball club competition for elite clubs throughout Europe under the ULEB umbrella. The season, which featured 24 teams from 13 different countries, culminated in the 2008-09 Euroleague Final Four at the new O2 World arena in Berlin,...
, 2009-10, 2010-11).
Another reason is that the long-time historical club Aris
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
has also in recent years returned to prominence and once again become one of the powers of European basketball. Another promising recent development is that the long-time traditional Greek power, PAOK
PAOK BC
P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki B.C. is the professional basketball department of the Greek multi-sports club P.A.O.K., originally founded in 1926 and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues...
, also appears to be returning to previous prominence. After suffering through years of mediocrity due to poor management, PAOK has, under new management, greatly increased their budget and added many high class players to its club.
Currently, there are two main problems that the senior men's Greek basketball league faces. The first one is the very high turnover rate of foreign players each year in the rosters of small clubs, which prevents any continuity being established in the smaller clubs from season to season. The second and most important main problem, is the huge disparity in the current budgets (as of the 2010-11 season) of the big first-tier
European professional club basketball system
The European professional club basketball system or European professional club basketball pyramid is a series of interconnected competitions for professional basketball clubs in Europe. The system has a hierarchical format with a promotion and demotion system between competitions at different levels...
clubs like Olympiacos at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
35 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, Panathinaikos at €30 million euros, and the budgets of the second-tier clubs like Aris and Panellinios, which currently have budgets of €2.4 million euros. In recent years, this problem has become increasingly more exaggerated.
See also
- Men's Greek A1 National Basketball League
- Men's Greek A2 National Basketball League
- Men's Greek National Basketball CupGreek basketball CupThe Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
- Senior Men's Greek National Basketball TeamGreece national basketball teamThe Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
- Acropolis International Basketball Tournament