Basketball in Greece

Basketball in Greece is there today in addition to football as the most popular sport. Since winning the European Basketball Championship in 1987, the popularity of basketball grew significantly in Greece, affecting up to the present. Since then, Greek teams have won a number of international successes that Greece, along with Russia, Serbia, Italy, Spain and Lithuania could ascend into the circle of the great European basketball nations. In addition to the EM success of the Greek National Team in 1987 it stand out above all the European Championship title in 2005 and the silver medal at the European Championships in 1989 and the 2006 World Cup. At club level, could the Greek clubs, with the various discharged European Cup competitions of FIBA ​​and ULEB, yet achieve 18 items.

• 2.1 national team 2.1.1 Achievements of the National 2.1.1.1 European Championships 2.1.1.1.1 squad of European Champion team in 1987
• 2.1.1.1.2 squad of European Champion team in 2005

• 2.2.1 successes of the club teams

• 6.1 Significant Greek player
• 6.2 Significant Greek coach
• 6.3 Significant Legionaries 6.3.1 Players
• 6.3.2 trainer

• 6.4.1 Players
• 6.4.2 trainer

• 6.5.1 Championships
• 6.5.2 Total Title

• 7.1 Greek players in Europe
• 7.2 Greek player in the NBA 7.2.1 NBA Drafts

National Competitions

The Greek league system

The League Pyramid in Greek Basketball Men's Sports consists of eight levels. The two highest levels, A1 Ethniki as well as the A2 Ethniki have the status of a professional league and each have a single-track operation. The third-rate B Ethniki has a semi-professional status. Between 1986 and 2012 the championship of the B Ethniki has also played a single track. Since the beginning of the season 2012/2013, as previously 1973-1984, held two separate championships in a north- south group or. All underlying layers have amateur status.

Level

Greek Championships

1

A1 Ethniki 14 teams

2

A2 Ethniki 14 teams

3

B Ethniki group North 13 teams

B Ethniki group South 13 teams

4

Gamma Ethniki Group North 1 11 teams

Gamma Ethniki Group North 2 13 teams

Gamma Ethniki Group South 1 14 teams

Gamma Ethniki South Group 2 12 teams

5

ESKA League A 19 leagues

6

ESKA League B 15 leagues

7

ESKA League C 8 leagues

8

ESKA League D 4 leagues

The A1 League

→ Main article: A1 Ethniki

The first basketball championship in Greece was held in the years 1927 to 1928. The often interrupted, inter alia, by the Second World War preform today's League contributed to the at that time the name Panellinio Protathlima A Katigorias ( Πανελλήνιο Πρωτάθλημα Α Κατηγορίας ) and had until 1963 inventory. From 1964 to 1986, the top division in Greece Protathlima Ethnikis Katigorias called ( Πρωτάθλημα Εθνικής Κατηγορίας ), in the years 1987 to 1992 Protathlima A1 Ethnikis Katigorias ( Πρωτάθλημα Α1 Εθνικής Κατηγορίας ). Finally, in 1993 the championship lost her amateur status and was officially as a professional league under the name Epangelmatiko Protathlima A1 ( Επαγγελματικό Πρωτάθλημα Α1 ) established. The A1 League has since developed into one of the game and financially strongest leagues in Europe. This professional league currently consists of 14 teams. According to current regulations increase after the regular season the last two teams in the table in the A2 league from. The first eight teams qualify for the play offs. After 73 previously discharged Championships Panathinaikos Athens is 33 tracks giants of men.

Participating in the 2013/2014 season clubs come from Athens ( Espero, Ilisiakos, Panathinaikos, Panionios, Nea Kifissia ), Drama ( KAO Dramas ), Thessaloniki (Aris, PAOK), Elefsina ( Panelefsiniakos ), Piraeus ( Olympiakos ), Trikala ( Trikala BC ), Rethymnon (AGO Rethymnou ) Patras ( Apollon ) and Rhodes ( Colossus of Rhodes ).

The Greek Women's Championship is being played among 14 teams. The first Women's Championship was held 1967-1968 under the name Panellinio Protathlima ( Πανελλήνιο Πρωτάθλημα ) over the years. From the season 1984-1985 was the highest league Protathlima A Ethnikis Katigorias ( Πρωτάθλημα Α Εθνικής Κατηγορίας ), since 1997 Protathlima A1 Ethnikis Katigorias ( Πρωτάθλημα Α1 Εθνικής Κατηγορίας ). Unlike in most other ball sports in Greece no play-off matches will be played.

Cup competition

→ Main article: Greek Cup winner (basketball )

For the first time the competition was held at the Greek Club Cup Men 1976. Until 1994, the decision was made in a play for which the two winning semi-finalists could qualify. 1995-2004 entered the Final Four tournament, which was attended by the four winners of the quarter -finals in the place of a single final. 2005 they returned to the original mode without Final Four tournament, which is still valid today. After 39 discharged finals, the team of Panathinaikos with 15 titles is a record cup winners.

In the women's competition was held at the Greek Club Cup 1996. Until 1999, the decision was made in a playoff for the two winning semi-finalists had qualified. In 2000, this mode has been changed, and in place of a single finale entered the Final Four tournament in which the four winners of the quarter -finals to attend.

International success of the Greek basketball

National

→ Main article: Greek national basketball team

Since winning the European Championship in 1987, the Greek basketball has now boast a considerable number of successes. Especially in the field of youth, it is the Basketball Federation in Greece succeeded again and again together successful teams and to discover new players and promote.

Success of the national

Since the first European Championship in 1987 won the Greek basketball is regularly represented at major international events such as the European and World Championships and the Olympics. In addition to the national team of men, it is mainly the young teams that have so far made ​​significant achievements. The national team from 1987 belonged to legendary players such as Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Giannakis, Panagiotis Fasoulas and Theofanis Christodoulou. Nikos Galis leads the all-time top scorer list of all the European Championships, averaging 37 points per game. Panagiotis Giannakis is now coach and has led the Greeks to win the 2005 European Championships in Belgrade. Giannakis was becoming the first player, who has managed to win both as a player and as a coach the European title. After Greece won the European Championship in 2004 in football before, you put the same time the title winners in the two most important team ball sports. This is just before the USSR succeeded in the 1960s ( 1960-1964 ). At the 2006 World Cup in Japan reached Greece after they could defeat the United States, among others, also the only team to take second place and thus secured the silver medal.

European Championships

For the first time took the Greek national team in 1949 and won a European Championship part was immediately awarded third place. As a result of Greece took until 1985 only irregularly in the finals part and had to show no particular success. The first big success, which should represent a breakthrough for the national team in Greece, was the won European Championship of 1987. Greece defeated in his own country play in the final ( after extra time ) the highly favored team from the Soviet Union with 103:101. Star this tournament was, until today, the largest Greek Nikos Galis sports icon who was elected MVP of the tournament. In the following tournament in 1989 Greece once again reached the final, the team of Yugoslavia had to be there but to admit defeat, which, led by their star Drazen Petrovic, could win the tournament without a defeat. With the silver medal from 1989 Greece consolidated his two years previously reached position among Europe's leading basketball nations. Since then, the Greek national team missed to date, no final at the European Championships and ended up here generally always on the front ranks. 2005 Greece finally won his second gold medal in Serbia after you beat the German national team with 78:62 in the final.

The national women belongs since 2001 to the regular finalists of the European Championships. About a tenth place, which was reached three times (2001, 2003, 2005 ), but they never came out.

Significant successes in the junior level were the gold medals at the U20, U18 - U16 and tournaments. The most recent success of a junior team was the bronze medal in 2013, which won the U16 selection.

In the national team that won the gold medal at the European Championship 1987 in Greece, the following players were:

( Club: at the time of the EM - profit)

Head Coach: Konstantinos Politis Assistant Coach: Efthimios Kioumourtzoglou

In the national squad, which in Serbia - Montenegro won the gold medal at the 2005 European Championships, the following players were:

( Club: at the time of the EM - profit)

Head coach Panagiotis Giannakis, Marousi Athens Assistant Coach: Eleutherios Kakiousis, Iraklis Thessaloniki

World Championships

At a World Cup the Greek national team in 1986 took part for the first time and reached there in tenth place. Since then, Greece only missed the finals in 2002 in the United States and otherwise always managed to place themselves on the front ranks. 1994 and 1998 in their own country Greece succeeded in each case the jump to the semifinals, where the team lost but both tournaments and closed only with the fourth place from. At the 2006 World Cup in Japan Greece won the silver medal and sat down beside it on the way to the final against, among others highly favored choice of the USA.

The national women has to qualify in previously discharged 15 competitions, not managed for a final round.

The most significant success at youth level, the victory at the U19 World Cup 1995 dar. As host nation, the Greek team won the gold medal, defeating undefeated in the finals Australia clearly with 91:73. The U-19 team in 1995 consisted among other things of the future national team captain Michalis Kakiouzis and players such as Nikolaos Chatzis, Giorgos Kalaitzis, Dimitris Papanikolaou or Efthimios Rentzias, who was awarded the MVP of the tournament.

Mediterranean Games

As a Mediterranean Greece always took part in the Mediterranean Games. The greatest success of the national team, the gold medal of the 1979 dar. Furthermore, were four silver (1991, 2001, 2005, 2009) and three bronze medals (1955, 1971, 1987) are obtained.

Club teams

Successes of the club teams

One of the greatest sporting achievements of the Greek basketball are the victories of Panathinaikos Athens (1996, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) and Olympiakos Piraeus (1997, 2012, 2013 ) in the finals of the European Cup of Champions and the ULEB Euro League. Total Greek teams were 25 times in the finals of an international tournament, from which they could 18 victorious decide for themselves.

• European Champion Clubs' Cup: 1996: Panathinaikos Athens
• 1997: Olympiakos Piraeus
• 2000: Panathinaikos Athens

• ULEB Euro League 2002: Panathinaikos Athens
• 2007: Panathinaikos Athens
• 2009: Panathinaikos Athens
• 2011: Panathinaikos Athens
• 2012: Olympiakos Piraeus
• 2013: Olympiakos Piraeus

• Intercontinental Cup: 1996: Panathinaikos Athens
• 2013: Olympiakos Piraeus

• Cup Winners' Cup / Saporta Cup: 1968: AEK Athens
• 1991: PAOK Thessaloniki
• 1993: Aris Thessaloniki
• 2000: AEK Athens
• 2001: Marousi Athens

• Korac Cup: 1994: PAOK Thessaloniki
• 1997: Aris Thessaloniki

• FIBA Champions Cup: 2003: Aris Thessaloniki

• FIBA Eurocup (Women) 2010: Athinaikos Athens

Overview of title wins Greek teams:

Legend:

Infrastructure

Greece has a number of large, modern sports hall, which also served as venues for major tournaments or playoffs. The first sports arena of the country was created in 1959 in Athens. Located at the foot of the East Stand of the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, it holds 1500 spectators and is still home to the ladies department of Panathinaikos. Due to the limited space given the sports hall is popularly called Tomb of the Indian on the basis of the feature film The Indian Tomb of Fritz Lang. In the following years mainly arose in Athens and Thessaloniki, a number of new, but on the capacity rather smaller, sports arenas. 1966 was built in Thessaloniki Alexandrio Melathro. This more than 5,200 -seat arena should ascend to one of the most famous in Europe and was for decades home to the two arch-rivals Aris and PAOK Thessaloniki. 2013, the hall was renamed in honor Nikos Galis Galis in Nick Hall. 1985 originated in Piraeus at the Indoor Athletics Championships the stadium of Peace and Friendship (SEF ). The summary at this time more than 14,000 spectators multifunctional hall was for the next ten years, the largest sports hall in the country and has hosted, among other events such as the European championships in basketball (1987 ) and volleyball (1995 ) and the World championships in volleyball (1994 ), basketball (1998 ) and weightlifting (1999). Currently, the SEF Olympiakos Piraeus serves as a home.

A construction boom began in the mid- 1990s, which should cover the whole country. The sport of basketball had become established in Greece and the A1 Ethniki had risen to the financially strongest league in Europe. Increasing attendances, a high media interest and the application for major sporting events left many of the existing sports halls as too old or appear too small. By 1995, as also emerged in Larissa and Patras modern multi- function halls. In Athens, the Olympic Hall was inaugurated in the same year. You can hold approximately 20,000 spectators and is still the largest sports hall in Europe, in the basketball games are held regularly. Despite her young age, the Athens Olympic Hall has already made ​​some significant major events. Apart from the U21 World Cup in 1995, the European Basketball Championship in 1995 and the Basketball World Championship 1998, she was also host to competitions during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games Currently wearing Panathinaikos Athens its home games at the Olympic Hall. Also on the occasion of the Olympic Games, the Helliniko Indoor Arena was inaugurated, the sums still 8,000 spectators after dismantling and most recently served as the venue for the 2010/2011 season AEK. 2000 finally resulted in a more modern sports arena in Thessaloniki. This is owned by PAOK, holds about 8,500 spectators and is considered as the most modern and largest sports hall outside Athens. As the first major event the Final Four at the European Cup of Champions took place in the PAOK Sports Arena in 2000 instead. In the same year, the sports hall was opened in Xanthi. This holds approximately 4,000 spectators and is home to the local club Xanthi BC. 2007, the 5,222 -seat, and thus largest sports hall was inaugurated in Heraklion Crete.

Is currently being developed in Kozani another modern sports hall. The clubs Aris, Panathinakos and Panionios have presented plans that provide new sporting venues for their basketball departments.

Other major sports halls, which previously served as the venue for basketball games, are:

• Klisto Gymnastirio Glyfada ( 3,232 spectators ) until 1994, the largest sports hall in the Athens metropolitan area
• Klisto Galatsiou ( 5,141 spectators ), built for the Olympic Games in Athens

Major sporting events in Greece

Since 1987, Greece has been a regular host of important basketball tournaments or finals of the European club competitions. Specifically, these are:

• Mr. Competitions: European Championships ( 2x): 1987, 1995
• World Championships ( 1x): 1998
• Olympic Games ( 1x): 2004
• European Champions Cup (3x): 1985, 1993, 2000
• ULEB Euro League ( 1x): 2007
• European Cup Winners' Cup ( 4x): 1968, 1972, 1973, 1989,

In addition, since 1986 the prestigious Acropolis tournament is held annually in Athens, at the far also participated three times the German national team.

• Women's Competitions: European Championships ( 1x): 2003
• Olympic Games ( 1x): 2004
• Euro League Women ( 1x): 1987

Clubs

In Greece, playing numerous clubs that have reached beyond the country's borders, a high level of awareness and have also had international success. Although the sport of basketball in Greece enjoys a widespread popularity, as the strongest clubs in the country to focus primarily on the two metropolitan areas of Athens and Thessaloniki.

The Athens metropolitan area is considered the birthplace of the Greek basketball and represents the largest part of the first division ever since. The most important club in the Greek capital is Panathinaikos Athens. In addition to six Euroleague titles, the club 's most successful Greek is ( 33x) and trophy winner ( 15x) and was able to even the 1996 Intercontinental Cup and 2007 and 2009, the Triple win. The biggest rival of the association is ten times Greek champions Olympiakos Piraeus. The club from the port city could win the 1997 Euroleague and Triple and, together with Panathinaikos to the permanent representatives of Greece in the ULEB Euro League, he won in 2012 and 2013. With AEK Athens metropolitan area of about a third association, which has similar large Fanmassen, won eight championships and is one of the old-established sizes available. The settled in the suburb of Nea Filadelfia club succeeded in 1968 as the first Greek club to win the European Cup Winners' Cup and an international success. 2000 AEK could repeat this success. Fourth most successful club of Athens is the six-time champion Panellinios. Marousi, a club from the suburb in the north of Athens, is the fourth representative who can boast an international success and had over many years to the fixed sizes in the A1 Ethniki. Other significant associations from the Athens metropolitan area are Panionios (Cup winner 1991) and the known for their youth work tradition clubs Ilisiakos and Peristeri.

Aushängschilder of Thessaloniki are the two arch-rivals Aris and PAOK. Aris was in the 1980 as the best team in the country and has won a number of national and international titles. After Panathinaikos Aris is ten championships in second place of the most successful teams in Greece. PAOK can boast two European Cup successes in addition to two championships and was in 1991 the first club outside of Athens, who won an international competition. Third force in Thessaloniki Iraklis. Iraklis succeeded in 1928, the first Greek Championship discharged to decide for themselves. 1935, the club reached its second championship.

Outside the two major cities of Greece so far been able to establish any permanent team in the premier league or win a title. Among the best known clubs include Colossus of Rhodes, Apollon Patras and now no longer first-class GS Olympia Larissa.

Actors

Major Greek player

Gentlemen:

• Fragiskos Alvertis (Forward, 1986-2009 )

• Nikolaos Boudouris ( Guard, 1989-2008 )

• Theofanis Christodoulou (Forward, 1983-1989 )

• Dimitrios Diamantidis ( Guard, 1994 )

• Panagiotis Fasoulas ( Center, 1981-1997 )

• Antonios Fotsis (Forward, 1996 )

• Nikos Galis ( Guard, 1975-1995 )

• Panagiotis Giannakis ( Guard, 1975-1996 )

• Michalis Kakiouzis (Forward, 1992 )

• Dimitrios Kokolakis ( Center, 1969-1987 )

• Angelos Koronios ( Guard, 1986-2005 )

• Theodoros Papaloukas ( Guard, 1995 )

• Dimitris Papanikolaou (Forward, 1992 )

• Vasilios Spanoulis ( Guard, 1994 )

Women:

• Sofia Kligopoulou, record national with 210 inserts
• Anastasia Kostaki, first Greek WNBA actor
• Evanthia Maltsi, WNBA actor Polimnia Saregou, successful with 2,181 points basket huntress of Greek national

Major Greek coach

• Evangelos Alexandris: won two European competitions as the only Greek
• Georgios Bartzokas: Won as the first and only Greek coach the ULEB Euro League
• Panagiotis Giannakis: 2005 European Champion, Vice World Champion of 2006
• Ioannis Ioannidis: 19 tracks Rekordtträger in Greece
• Efthimios Kioumourtzoglou: Vice European Champion 1989
• Anastasios Markopoulos: With more than 500 top-flight record as a trainer -led carrier of the A1 Ethniki.
• Konstantinos Politis: European Champion 1987

Significant Legionaries

Player

With the financial rise of the Greek A1 League during the 1990s and from then on the high media interest, the desire among viewers and fans after well-known players from abroad was great. Due to the provisions of the Foreigners league and thus limited places for legionnaires many clubs chose the path of naturalization in order to circumvent the provisions. This affected mainly players from the former Yugoslavia (eg Predrag Stojaković and Marko Jarić ) and the ex-USSR (eg Tiit Sokk, Olympic champion in 1988). With the Bosman ruling in 1995 finally opened the Greek market, so that today major players from around the world are active in Greece.

The most outstanding player who has so far played in Greece, the Americans and nine-time NBA All-Star Dominique Wilkins, who is still regarded as the most significant transfer of a European team in basketball. Wilkins, who belongs to the elite group of twelve players, more than 25,000 points in the NBA achieved in her career and is a member of the Hall of Fame, joined in 1996 by the Boston Celtics to Panathinaikos Athens. The most important and most successful Legionnaire was active in Greece is Michael Batiste. In nine seasons 2003-2012 he won with Panathinaikos Athens three times the ULEB Euro League. In addition, he won eight championships and six cup victories which made him one of the most successful players in Europe. An equally significant player was also active for Panathinaikos triple NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers Byron Scott. Other outstanding players from the United States are 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 important European player in the history of the A1 league are the Serb Dejan Bodiroga and the Croat Dino Rađa. The two-time World and three -time European Champion Bodiroga played for four years at Panathinaikos and was in this period also twice won the Euroleague. Despite the fact that he never played in the NBA, he was considered one of the best players in the world. Rađa played, after four years in the NBA and two European championship titles, for three seasons in Greece and brushing against one of the few foreigners both the jersey of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos over the arch rival of. Another important player is the multiple world and European champion Dejan Tomasevic of Serbia, which is one of his career 's most successful players in the world with a total of 23 titles and was the ULEB Euro League win in 2007 with Panathinaikos.

Other key players from the former Yugoslavia, the Serbs Zarko Paspalj, Željko Rebrača and Zoran Savić, the Croats Arijan Komazec, Stojan Vranković and Nikola Vujčić and Slovenes Radoslav Nesterović and Jurij Zdovc.

Outstanding actors are also the Lithuanians Šarūnas Jasikevičius, which is all time with an annual salary of 4.2 million euros is the highest paid basketball player in Europe, Artūras Karnišovas and Ramūnas Siskauskas, the longtime captain of the French national team Jim Bilba, the English NBA player John Amaechi and the Ukrainian Alexander Volkov. Even players like the Israeli Oded Katash, the Turkish star player İbrahim Kutluay or JR Holden with Russia was European champion in 2007, were in Greece temporarily under contract.

Coach

In addition to a long line of star players are in Greece since the 1990s and many foreign coaches have been active. Most outstanding personality is the Serb Zeljko Obradovic standing 1999-2012 Panathinaikos Athens under contract. Since 1991, the eight-time winner of the Europa League is a trainer and is now with 32 titles as one of the best and most successful head coach of European basketball history. 2008 Obradovic has been awarded as one of the top 50 players in the history of the European League. It is followed with a total of 19 titles gained Bozidar Maljković, who succeeded in 1996 as the first to win with a Greek team the Euroleague. Another manager of a large international format is the multiple world and European champions Dušan Ivković, which the coach took office a total of five different teams (Aris, PAOK, Panionios, Olympiakos, AEK) and five times to win a European club competition. Other important coaches are the current NBA coach Scott Skiles, Kresimir Cosic, Zeljko Pavličević, Dragan Šakota, Jonas Kazlauskas and Zvi Sherf. In Greece, also the three-time Euroleague winners Pinhas Gershon from Israel worked.

German -speaking actors in Greece

Player

In Greece, yet also some German basketball players have played. The most important and most successful actor Michael Koch was there. The European Champion from 1993 played between 1996 and 2001 for Panathinaikos and won with his club, in addition to four championships, in 2000 and the European Cup of Champions. Other stations in Marousi and Ionikos Neas Filadelfias left him for seven years until 2003 to play in Greece.

Germany's record-breaking international Patrick Femerling played at Olympiakos and moved in 2004 after a brief stint at FC Barcelona Panathinaikos. While a total of four seasons, he has twice won the championship three times as well as the Greek club trophy.

Christian Welp joined in 1996 by Bayer Leverkusen Olympiakos Piraeus, where he stayed for one season. In 1997 he won with Piraeus, next to the Greek Championship and the Cup, the European Champion Clubs' Cup, becoming the only German until today basketball player who achieved a triple.

More German players who have played in Greece are:

• Stephen Arigbabu (1998-2001, 2007-2010)
• Stephan Baeck (1996-1997)
• Vladimir Bogojević (2004)
• Keith Gray (1997-1998)
• Demond Greene (2009-2010)
• Guido Grünheid (2008-2009)
• Sascha Hupmann (1998-2002)
• January Jagla (2004)
• Alexander cooling (1998-2000, 2001-2002)

• Sebastian Machowski (2000-2001)
• Robert Maras (2007)
• Tim Nees (2000-2001)
• Misan Nikagbatse (2001-2002)
• Hartmut Ortmann (1997-1999)
• Marko Pesic (1999-2000)
• Sven Schultze (2008-2009)
• Julian Sensley (2008-2009, 2010-2011)
• Kirsten Zoellner (2006-2007)

Coach

As the only German speaking coach was previously Germany coach Dirk Bauer man in Greece active. In the 1999/2000 season he coached the club Apollon Patras. In 2001, he stood for a short time at Dafni Athens under contract.

Successful player

Championships

With twelve won championships Greek Dimitrios Kokolakis is the most successful actor. Noteworthy is the fact that ten of the eleven successful players were active in their careers for Panathinaikos Athens. With Michael Batiste is only a legionnaire 's most successful players. Players in bold are currently active in Greece.

Total Title

Were considered at club level all the national titles and success in the European Cup competitions. At national level, only those tournaments were taken into account, which will be held under the auspices of FIBA. Players in bold are currently active.

Greek members of the FIBA Hall of Fame

FIBA Hall of Fame is the Hall of Fame World Basketball Federation FIBA. In them the most outstanding players, coaches, referees and promoters are added since 2007, concentrating primarily on the performance is evaluated at FIBA Turniern. So far the following Greeks were taken:

• Konstantinos Dimou ( referee since 2010)
• Nikos Galis (players, since 2007)
• Costas Rigas ( referee since 2013)

Greek actors abroad

Due to the fact that Greece has always belonged to the financially strongest leagues, the clubs had no problems, the most important Greek player to keep within the league of its own. By the end of the 1990s thus played virtually all national players in the domestic A1 Ethniki. Only with the financial rise of the Russian and the Spanish League and the exchange of individual players in the NBA, this situation should change the beginning of the 2000s. Played at the first European Championship title in 1987 yet all twelve players in Greece, it should at winning the title of 2005 only seven players who were in domestic clubs under contract.

Between 2005 and 2011, a U-turn drew from. As a result of the hard competitive struggle between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, who strive for the obligation of every international's free, the strongest players will return to their own league. How played in this period, only relatively few Greeks in foreign leagues and were not usually the strongest players in Greece. In the National Team played with Nikolaos Zisis only one player who earned his money abroad.

2011 reached the Greek financial crisis a year late and the Greek basketball. The two top clubs Panathinaikos and Olympiakos redurzierten their budgets massively, so that in addition to some significant legionaries and Greek players, including internationals like Bourousis or Fotsis who left A1 Ethniki.

Greek Players in Europe

Antonios Fotsis moved to a brief interlude in the NBA several times abroad (2001-2002, 2003-2008, 2011-2013). With Real Madrid, Dynamo Moscow and Armani Jeans Milano, he was able to win a number of titles, including but not limited the ULEB Cup in 2006.

Another important player is Nikolaos Zisis which is active since 2005 continuously abroad and among other things, was under contract with clubs such as Benetton Treviso, CSKA Moscow and Montepaschi Siena. Zisis succeeded with each of these teams to win the domestic double and can boast with Moscow even winning the ULEB Euro Cup 2008. Since 2013 he is the Russian first division side UNICS Kazan under contract.

Other important Greek player who played in the past for a long period in other European countries or there are still playing are:

• Ioannis Bourousis (2006, since 2011 )
• Dimosthenis Dikoudis (2003-2006, 2008)
• Michalis Kakiouzis (2002-2009, 2010-2013)
• Lazaros Papadopoulos (2004-2009, 2011, since 2014)
• Efthimios Rentzias (1997-2002, 2003-2006)
• Sofoklis Schortsanitis (2003-2004, 2010-2012, since 2013)

Preferred leagues here include the Super League Russia (since 2010 PBL), the ACB league (Spain ) and Serie A (Italy).

Greek Players in the NBA

The first Greek-born player to play for the Greek national team, who made ​​the jump to the NBA, Antonios Fotsis was. The 2001 selected at the 48th Drafts player was active for one season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was followed by yet another player, but usually stayed just one season in the North American professional league. An exception was Iakovos Tsakalidis who played in the NBA from 2002 to 2007.

Even if the Greek basketball is considered very successful in Europe and regularly brings out new talent, succeeded yet no high-profile Greek player to establish himself in the NBA. Vasilios Spanoulis moved in 2006 to the Houston Rockets, but left after a disappointing season for both the NBA. Other stars such as Dimitrios Diamantidis or Theodoros Papaloukas changed not even in the North American professional league.

For the 2013/2014 season playing with Ioannis Antetokounmpo, Nick Calathes and Kostas Koufos three players in the NBA.

In addition, also managed six players make the leap to the NBA, which have as a second nationality Greek passport. The most successful of them is Predrag Stojaković, who did his military service in Greece and in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks as the first Greek an NBA championship to win.

NBA Drafts

So far, 23 players were selected in the NBA Drafts that were in the possession of the Greek nationality. While the U.S. -born player Dave Caligari and David Stergakos 1978, the first two were selected, Predrag Stojaković is still the player with the highest pick.

Greek players in the German-speaking

With Ioannis Kalampokis of 2012 stood at ALBA Berlin under contract, so far only a Greek has played in the German-speaking area was active for his national team or one of the outstanding players of Greece. One of the few players who were on hand in Germany under contract, include the lesser-known Babis Douloudis, Konstantin Karamatskos and Loukas Lazoukits.

Greek coach in German-speaking

The most important Greek coach who was active in the German-speaking Kostantinos Flevarakis. Fleverakis, who was previously inter alia, in the Greek tradition clubs AEK Athens and PAOK Thessaloniki under contract, trained from May 2012 until the end of season 2012/2013 the BBL Club Phantoms Braunschweig. With Yannis Christopoulos, the Bayern Munich training since the 2012/2013 season, a second Greek in the BBL is active.

Basketball in the Greek media

In the Greek mass media basketball is as good as hardly represented a different sport. Appear daily sports newspapers nationwide 14 (February 2013), which report on multiple pages on current events. Even if the big focus is always on the Greek Cup, the North American NBA or other leading European Championships will also feature the amateur leagues reported.

On television, a large number is transmitted to championship games. The rights thereby spread over the state television ET 1 and ET ​​3 Games of the ULEB Euro League are broadcast by ET 1. Live broadcasts of the Championship or European Cup games are also offered by the variety of sports radio stations.

Outstanding Derby

In the Greek basketball there are a number of derbies that stir strong emotions among the spectators or even known beyond the country 's borders. In general, these tensions found each other on the geographical proximity and the large fan communities who meet in these encounters. The social tensions between the financially stronger clubs from the capital Athens and the sporty behind geratenen representatives from the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki come in such games expressed. For safety reasons, as in encounters between these clubs no visiting fans to be present, it is yet again in the context of this meeting to riots.

The most outstanding Derby in the Greek basketball are the encounters between Panathinaikos Athens and Olympiakos Piraeus. The two clubs that have the largest fan communities in Greece, meet regularly in a variety of sports to each other and represent the currently playing and financially strongest clubs in the A1 league dar. While Panathinaikos has always been a fixture in Greece constituted, is Olympiakos most glorious time in the period between 1993 and 1997, when you could get five championships in a row in 1997 and even the European champions Cup. In recent years, the two clubs are regularly in the finals of the national championship and the cup. On Home Games of Panathinaikos in the Athens Olympic Hall in this context, regular season attendance records for the European Basketball be placed.

Another outstanding Derby is between the two clubs from Thessaloniki, Aris and PAOK. During the 1980s and up to the resurgence of the Athenian clubs beginning of the 1990s, this was even the most important of the country. While Aris at this time with his dream team Galis and Giannakis dominated the Greek league and have scored in Europe for attention, could only offer PAOK Paroli in the domestic league. Although the two clubs regularly presented the final candidates for the league and cup in this period, PAOK was able to win only a few titles. Additional explosive concealed the fact that both clubs with the Alexandrio Melathro had to share the same homestead until 2000.

Other important derbies are PAOK Panathinaikos or Olympiakos and Aris Panathinaikos.

Current Development

By winning the second European Championship in 2005 in Belgrade, the Greek basketball experienced a revival. For the first time rose after years of stagnation in the Greek basketball courts again the audience to. One reason for this was the one that most of the victorious national team played in the league of its own. Another reason was the re-emergence of competition between Croesus and league record champions Panathinaikos Athens and its arch-rivals Olympiakos Piraeus. Dominated the Athenians the league by 2005 will, this changed in the following years. After years of mediocrity and under new management Piraeus had strengthened its team massively and at great financial cost and open to Panathinaikos. In the years 2007, 2009, 2011 ( Athens ) and 2012 and 2013 ( Piraeus), these two clubs have won no less than five times the ULEB Euro League.

The already huge gap between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos on one side and the rest of the league on the other side hard hit by the financial crisis in Greece grew. 2011 ( Olympiakos ) or 2012 ( Panathinaikos), the crisis finally reached the top two teams so that in consequence of many top players left the Greek League.

As a positive side effect of the financial crisis get the young, local talent while more playing time. Thus, in the Euro League win Olympiakos 2012 three players were used in the final who were 22 years or younger.