Panathinaikos B.C.

Panathinaikos Superfoods
Nickname	To τριφύλλι (The Shamrock) Οι πράσινοι (The Greens) Εξάστερος (The Six-Stared)
Leagues	EuroLeague Greek Basket League Greek Cup
Founded	1922
History	Panathinaikos B.C. (1922–2016) Panathinaikos B.C. Superfoods (2016–present)
Arena	Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall
Arena Capacity	18,500 (fan seating)[1] 18,800 (with media seats)[2] 18,989 (with VIP seats)[3]
Location	Athens, Greece
Team colors	Green, White
President	Manos Papadopoulos
Team manager	Fragiskos Alvertis
Head coach	Xavi Pascual
Ownership	Dimitrios Giannakopoulos
Championships	6 EuroLeague Championships 34 Greek Championships 17 Greek Cups 1 Intercontinental Cup 2 Triple Crowns
Retired numbers	2 (4, 13)
Website	paobc.gr
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate

Active departments of Panathinaikos AC
Football Basketball (Men's) Basketball (Women's) Volleyball (Men's) Volleyball (Women's) Water Polo Athletics Swimming Diving Table tennis Cycling Boxing Wrestling Weightlifting Kickboxing Fencing Archery Shooting Field hockey Rugby (Men's) Rugby (Women's) Modern pentathlon

Panathinaikos B.C. (Greek: ΚΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός), known for sponsorship reasons as Panathinaikos B.C. Superfoods,^[4] and also known simply as Panathinaikos, or by its full name, Panathinaikos BSA Athens,^[5] is the professional basketball team of the major Athens-based multi-sport club Panathinaikos A.O.. It is owned by the billionaire Giannakopoulos family.

The parent athletic club was founded in 1908, while the basketball team was founded in 1922, being one of the oldest in the country of Greece. Alongside Aris, they are the only un-relegated teams with participation in every Greek First Division Championship until today. Panathinaikos has developed into the most successful basketball club in Greek basketball's history, and among the best in Europe, creating its own dynasty. They have won thirty-four Greek Basket League Championships, seventeen Greek Cups, nine Doubles (all records), six EuroLeague Championships, one Intercontinental Cup and two Triple Crowns. They also hold the record for most consecutive Greek League titles, as they are the only team to have won nine consecutive championships (2003–2011), as well as for the most consecutive Greek Basketball Cup titles (twice for five seasons in a row, from 2004 to 2009, and then from 2012 to 2016). The team plays in the Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall, which has a capacity of 18,989 for basketball games.^[6]

Among the well-known top class players that have played with the club over the years are: Fragiskos Alvertis, Edgar Jones, Antonio Davis, Nikos Galis, Stojko Vranković, Arijan Komazec, Alexander Volkov, Žarko Paspalj, Tiit Sokk, Panagiotis Giannakis, Dominique Wilkins, Fanis Christodoulou, Marcelo Nicola, Hugo Sconochini, Byron Dinkins, Byron Scott, Dino Rađa, Dejan Bodiroga, Oded Kattash, Ferdinando Gentile, Željko Rebrača, Johnny Rogers, Antonis Fotsis, İbrahim Kutluay, Jaka Lakovič, Pepe Sánchez, Kostas Tsartsaris, Mike Batiste, Dimitris Diamantidis, Nick Calathes, Vassilis Spanoulis, Dejan Tomašević, Sani Bečirovič, Tony Delk, Drew Nicholas, Jason Kapono, Stéphane Lasme, Roko Ukić, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Ramunas Siskauskas, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Maciulis, John Salley, Ioannis Bourousis and Nikola Peković. Such players, the successful management of former long-time presidents Pavlos Giannakopoulos and Thanasis Giannakopoulos, and the long-time guidance of the most successful coach in EuroLeague history, Željko Obradović, have made Panathinaikos the most successful team in Europe over the last two-and-a-half decades.

Panathinaikos is the only team on the European continent to win as many as six EuroLeague titles, since the establishment of the modern era EuroLeague Final Four format in 1988 (no other club has won more than four EuroLeague championships in this period).

They hold a long-term rivalry with Olympiacos, and matches between the two teams are referred to as the "Derby of the eternal enemies".

History

Basketball in Greece (1918–1945)

Panathinaikos started as a football club in 1908. In 1919, basketball was still unknown in Greece. During that period Giorgos Kalafatis with other athletes participated in the Inter-Allied Games in Paris and attended basketball games between the Allies of World War I. When he later returned to Greece with the necessary equipment, he set up the Panathinaikos basketball club, led by Apostolos Nikolaidis.

In 1922, PAO played their first match against X.A.N. Thessaloniki (YMCA), another club also pioneer of basketball in Greece, a match which took place at the Panathenaic Stadium. Regrettably, the lack of equipment and interest quickly led to the dissolution of the team.

In 1937, Kalafatis managed to create a new Panathinaikos team that, during the following year, tried to catch up with already established clubs like the YMCA, Ethnikos G.S. Athens, Panionios, Aris and Iraklis. Angelos Fillipou, Nikos Mantzaroglou, Litsas and Dimitrakos were the ringleaders of the group and were later joined by Telis Karagiorgos, Thymios Karadimos, Giorgos Bofilios, Philipos Papaikonomou, Petros Polycratis and Nikos Polycratis. During the German occupation that followed, Dimitris Giannatos (founding member of the basketball team) was executed by the Nazis for his resistance action.

Postwar history (1946–1970)

In 1946 (the first post-war championship) and 1947, Panathinaikos emerged champions, with the help of players like Giannis Lambrou, Missas Pantazopoulos, Stelios Arvanitis (these players would later go on to win the bronze medal in EuroBasket 1949) and Jack Nicolaidis (nephew of Apostolos Nikolaidis).

In 1950 and 1951, Panathinaikos emerged champions once again with the help of great athletes Faidon Matthaiou (considered the Patriarch of Greek basketball) and Nikos Milas. In 1954 the club would repeat the success, however the next five years would prove fruitless and the club, despite its strength, would have to be renewed.

In 1961 Panathinaikos won the Greek championship with new leaders Giorgos Vassilakopoulos, Stelios Tavoularis and Petros Panagiotarakos. In 1962 Panathinaikos made the repeat and was again the Greek champion. That was also the year that PAO took part for the first time in a European competition facing Hapoel Tel Aviv for the European Championship.

In the 23rd of November 1963, Panathinaikos beat Olympiacos 90-48 for the Mantellos Cup, a tournament that was later replaced by the Greek Cup, which made its first appearance in 1976.

In 1967, Panathinaikos were crowned champions, with Giorgos Kolokithas (one of the greatest basketball players of his era) in their ranks. In 1969, the conquest of the Championship was followed by the first European success of the club, the entrance in the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, where they were eliminated by Dinamo Tbilisi. The next year, 1970, PAO were the first Greek basketball team to use a foreign player (Craig Greenwood) in a European game.

The Golden Age (1970–1984)

During these golden years, Panathinaikos won 10 out of 14 Greek championships^[7] with their great leader and scorer Apostolos Kontos.

During this period, Kostas Mourouzis, nicknamed the fox of coaching, managed the team of the 4-K (the young Kontos, Koroneos, Kokolakis and Kefalos). These players, along with Iordanidis, who functioned as a link with older players, won 5 consecutive championships and made the greatest accomplishment of their time by participating in the semifinals of the European Championship, aided by American Willy Kirkland. Unfortunately, Ignis Varese, one of the giants of the era, proved an insurmountable obstacle for Panathinaikos.

Over the next 4 seasons Panathinaikos captured the championship once in 1977 and also won their first Greek Cup in 1979. They acquired Memos Ioannou in 1974 and Greek-American David Stergakos in 1979 (a player that would contribute greatly in the coming years).

The five years that followed, Panathinaikos won 4 Championships (1980, 1981, 1982, 1984) and two Cups (1982, 1983). More specifically, in 1982, coached by Kostas Politis, Panathinaikos succeeded in winning their first double as well as placing 5th in Europe. Before this, the team got the better they could from a strong CSKA team in the last seconds of a thriller match. The last championship, before the decline that followed, was in 1984 when Panathinaikos won the big game title in Corfu, starring Liveris Andritsos and Tom Kappos.

Panathinaikos had a great chance to avoid the upcoming decline when they discovered Rony Seikaly, but bureaucratic problems prevented him from playing in the Greek Championship as a Greek citizen, despite allegations that he was entitled to do so, which forced him to move to the USA.

The decline of 1985–1992

In 1985, PAO finished in 3rd place in the Greek League. Stergakos, Ioannou, Vidas, Andritsos and Koroneos – who left the following year – were the key players. The balance however had now tilted in favour of Aris and Panathinaikos ceased to be a leader and were limited to a secondary role. Nevertheless, they remained a worthy adversary. Thus, in 1986, against all odds, they managed to eliminate powerful Aris from the Greek Cup at the semifinal stage. Then Panathinakos went on to win Olympiacos in the final and conquer their last title until 1993. During the next 2 seasons, PAO would finish in 5th place (worst result since many years ago).

In 1988, the ban on using foreign players in the league was lifted and Panathinaikos were able to acquire Edgar Jones from the NBA. He was a capable shooter, scorer and rebounder and for the next 2 years was the star of the team. Although PAO achieved significant wins over the other major Greek teams, they did not manage any notable distinction. The next two years, Antonio Davis, who later made a great career in the NBA, replaced Jones as the leader of the team stats. At this point of time, Panathinaikos had also acquired some of the most talented young Greek players (Fragiskos Alvertis, Nikos Oikonomou and Christos Myriounis), but that did not stop them from experiencing the worst period in the history of the club, finishing 7th in 1991 and dropping to 8th position in 1992, which left them for the first time outside Europe since 1967.

Return to distinction (1992–1995)

In 1992, the basketball department became professional under the management of the Giannakopoulos family. In the summer of 1992, Panathinaikos attempted a full reconstruction of the team. Nikos Galis, the top Greek basketball player, was acquired by the club and was flanked by star players Stojko Vranković, Tiit Sokk and Arijan Komazec. Thus, Galis lead PAO to a Greek Cup win and also to the Championship final, where they lost despite home advantage. The next season, 1993–94, Nikos Galis, along with Alexander Volkov and Stojko Vranković, led Panathinaikos to 3rd place in Europe for the first time in the club's history, although they did not manage any title back home.

The 1994–95 season started with the best conditions as the club acquired Panagiotis Giannakis and Žarko Paspalj. PAO was again the favourite for all domestic titles. The club started by eliminating Olympiacos from the Greek Cup in a very tough game before the start of the Championship. However, after the first games for the Greek Championship, Nikos Galis, the player that had led PAO in the cup game against Olympiacos and also in the decisive game for the EuroLeague qualifiers, stopped his basketball career. As a consequence, the team, despite playing some great games, only managed to retain 3rd place in Europe and compete in the Greek finals.

European, Intercontinental and Greek Champions (1996–1998)

During the years 1996–98, Panathinaikos fulfilled all of their objectives by winning the European Championship, the Intecontinental cup and the Greek championship (in this order).

In 1996, the expectations in the team had risen a lot, as it was imperative for Panathinaikos to obtain a significant title. In the summer of 1995, they acquired Dominique Wilkins, one of the top American players ever played in Europe. The coach of the team was Božidar Maljković. The former along with Giannakis, Vranković, Alvertis, and Patavoukas comprised a very experienced team which, in 1996, managed an unprecedented success for Greek basketball. Indeed, in April 1996, at the Paris Final Four, Panathinaikos became the first Greek team to lift the European Championship (now called the EuroLeague), beating FC Barcelona in the tournament final, by a score of 67–66. Back in Greece, right after the big win in Paris, Panathinaikos was not able to clinch the Greek title, losing again the title by Olympiacos.

The next season, Maljković removed all the stars from the roster in an attempt of assembling a squad based on teamwork. With the start of the season, PAO were crowned FIBA Intercontinental Cup champions, prevailing by 2–1 wins in a 3-game series over Olimpia de Venado Tuerto, the South American League champions. Unfortunately, the restructuring of the team failed, and Panathinaikos failed to participate in the Final Four to defend their European title. Moreover, they finished in 5th place in the championship, thus losing the right to participate in next season's EuroLeague.

In the next season, Slobodan Subotić assumed technical leadership, and convinced Dino Rađa to come to PAO. This great transfer was accompanied by Byron Scott and Fanis Christodoulou, and with the help of Alvertis, Oikonomou and Koch, Panathinaikos finally won the Greek league after 14 years.

The 1998–99 season proved very important for Panathinaikos, as Olympiacos, who had gained home advantage, were prepared to return to the top. It was at the last game of the finals, when Panathinaikos achieved one of the most decisive away victories against their rivals, capturing the title.

Obradović era (1999–2012)

The arrival of Željko Obradović to Panathinaikos, during summer 1999, marked the beginning of an extraordinary period for the club, with many major successes, and the establishment of the team as one of the strongest in the history of European basketball.

The first thing that Obradović did was to adapt the team to Dejan Bodiroga, who was the absolute leader of Panathinaikos. As a result of the success of his strategy, PAO managed to capture 2 EuroLeague titles (2000, 2002,) after 3 consecutive EuroLeague Finals appearances (2000–2002), and also won 3 consecutive Greek championships (1999–2001). In 2000, at the Thessaloniki EuroLeague Final Four, Panathinaikos became Champions of Europe for the second time, beating Macabbi Tel Aviv, 73–67, in the final. In 2002, in Bologna, at the 2002 Euroleague Final Four, Panathinaikos won the most prestigious European trophy for the third time, beating hosts Kinder Bologna, by the score of 89–83, in the final.

Nevertheless, in this period they failed to win the Greek Cup, even though they played in two finals. Rebrača, Gentile, Middleton, Alvertis, Kattash, Kutluay, and Fotsis were some of the players who excelled during these years. The dominance in the Greek league was finally interrupted in 2002, the year that PAO won their 3rd European Championship. Also at the end of the year, there were many significant changes, starting with the withdrawal of Bodiroga, making a renewal imperative.

2002–03 was the year that Obradović used to restructure Panathinaikos, and return them to the top of Greece. He emphatically achieved this objective by leading the team to 9 Championships in a row (2003–11), with 6 doubles in Greece, and 2 triple crowns (i.e. Greek double plus EuroLeague champions) in the next years, thus creating a dynasty. Panathinaikos had radically changed the style of their game, after replacing Bodiroga. The game contribution of the Serbian player was replaced by an unprecedented model of teamwork, that proved that a superstar was unnecessary. Players such as Lakovič, Alvertis, Diamantidis, Fotsis, Tsartsaris, Batiste, and later Spanoulis, Šiškauskas, and Jasikevičius, who played not for themselves, but for the maximum success of the team, led to the transformation of PAO into a title-winning machine, that was not hampered by irreplaceable players, and this quality was widely recognized.

At the 2007 Euroleague Final Four, which was held on their home court of OAKA, in Athens, Panathinaikos became European Champions for the fourth time, beating the defending champions CSKA Moscow 93–91 in the final.

The same teams (PAO and CSKA) competed in the final of the 2009 Euroleague Final Four in Berlin, where Panathinaikos won the trophy again, for the fifth time in their history. The score was 73–71. On December 14, 2009, Panathinaikos was voted the top Greek sports team of 2009, by the Sports Journalists Association, with 1,291 votes. In addition, coach Želimir Obradović was voted the top coach, with 1,399 votes.

At the 2011 Euroleague Final Four in Barcelona, Panathinaikos, after a great performance by Calathes in the semifinal against Siena (17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals), won 77–69, and reached the EuroLeague Final against Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the final, the "Great Club" won its sixth EuroLeague title, by holding off Maccabi, by a score of 78-70.

Post-Obradović period (2012–2016)

After the departure of Obradović, Panathinaikos' newv head coach, Argiris Pedoulakis, was forced to make massive changes to the team, with 12 new players being added to the roster, including James Gist, Roko Ukić, and NBA players Jason Kapono and Marcus Banks. Team captains Dimitris Diamantidis and Kostas Tsartsaris led the rebuilding effort for the Greens, who reached the EuroLeague quarterfinals, only to fall to FC Barcelona in a 5-game series. Panathinaikos won their 14th Greek Cup, by beating Olympiacos in the final, with a three-point difference (81-78).^[8] During the same year, Panathinaikos was able to break Olympiacos' home court twice in the finals, conquering the Greek A1 Championship for the 33rd time in the club's history.

Since Dimitris Giannakopoulos first became the chairman of Panathinaikos, he repeatedly attempted to secure marketing deals with Asian corporations. The first step was made when Panathinaikos announced that they had signed Chinese basketball player Shang Ping. This deal made Panathinaikos the first European club to have a Chinese player on its roster. On 12 September 2013, Panathinaikos landed at the airport of Guangzhou, becoming the first European team to make a trip to China via airline. On 13 September 2013, Panathinaikos wrote European history once again, in less than two days, becoming the fist European team to ever face a Chinese team. In addition, Panathinaikos became the first European team to win against a Chinese team, Foshan Dralions, with a score of 66-67.

On 8 March 2014, due to the fans' dissatisfaction with the team's bad record in EuroLeague, the replacement of the team's head coach, Argiris Pedoulakis, was announced. It was also announced that the team would go to the Greek finals under the guidance of the club's legend, Fragiskos Alvertis, who would serve as an interim caretaker coach.^[9] After the conquest of another Greek double, Panathinaikos announced the recruitment of Duško Ivanović to be their new head coach.

On 5 April 2015, Panathinaikos beat Apollon Patras, in the final of the Greek Cup, with a score of 53-68. Earlier in the cup competition, the team had to overcome the obstacles of Olympiacos and PAOK.

On 30 June 2015, Aleksandar Đorđević was announced by the team as the club's new head coach. Panathinaikos was able to sign Greek point guard Nick Calathes and Serbian center Miroslav Raduljica. The debut of the team was dreamy, as on 8 October 2015, Panathinaikos beat and eliminated Olympiacos, in an away match for the Greek Basketball Cup, by a score of 64-70. On 6 March 2016, Panathinaikos won the Greek Cup for the 17th time in the club's history, and for the 5th straight season, with a record score of 101-52 against Faros Keratsiniou.

On 19 April 2016, Aleksandar Đorđević was replaced by Argyris Pedoulakis once again for the team's head coaching position. Despite that, the team lost against Olympiacos in the finals of the Greek League, with a 3-1 series score.

The retirement of Diamantidis. New era (2016–present)

With the retirement of Dimitris Diamantidis, Panathinaikos turned over to a new page in the club's history. This led the team to increase its budget, and to obtain players such as Mike James, K.C. Rivers, Chris Singleton, and Ioannis Bourousis. Many sponsorship deals were also achieved at the same time, such as the one which changed the team's name to Panathinaikos B.C. Superfoods (sponsorship name), as well as the deal that made OPAP, Greece's biggest betting firm, the team's main sponsor. The appoinment of Xavi Pascual as head coach, started a new era for the club.

Players

Panathinaikos B.C. roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age 4.5 !F/C 5000000000000000000♠0 USA ! Singleton, Chris 7000206000000000000♠2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 7002108000000000000♠108 kg (238 lb) 7001270000000000000♠27 – (1989-11-21)21 November 1989 3.5 !F 7000200000000000000♠2 USA ! Nichols, Demetris 7000202999999999999♠2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 7001960000000000000♠96 kg (212 lb) 7001320000000000000♠32 – (1984-09-04)4 September 1984 2.5 !G/F 7000300000000000000♠3 USA ! Rivers, K. C. 7000196000000000000♠1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 7001970000000000000♠97 kg (214 lb) 7001290000000000000♠29 – (1987-03-01)1 March 1987 1.0 !PG 7000500000000000000♠5 USA ! James, Mike 7000185000000000000♠1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 7001840000000000000♠84 kg (185 lb) 7001260000000000000♠26 – (1990-08-18)18 August 1990 1.5 !G 7000700000000000000♠7 GRE ! Bochoridis, Lefteris 7000196000000000000♠1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 7001910000000000000♠91 kg (201 lb) 7001220000000000000♠22 – (1994-04-07)7 April 1994 3.5 !F 7000800000000000000♠8 GRE ! Calathes, Pat 7000208000000000000♠2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 7002104000000000000♠104 kg (229 lb) 7001300000000000000♠30 – (1985-12-12)12 December 1985 4.0 !PF 7000900000000000000♠9 GRE ! Fotsis, Antonis 7000209000000000000♠2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) 7002113400000000000♠113.4 kg (250 lb) 7001350000000000000♠35 – (1981-04-01)1 April 1981 2.0 !SG 7001110000000000000♠11 GRE ! Pappas, Nikos 7000195000000000000♠1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 7001980000000000000♠98 kg (216 lb) 7001260000000000000♠26 – (1990-07-11)11 July 1990 2.0 !SG 7001120000000000000♠12 DOM ! Feldeine, James 7000193000000000000♠1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 7001910000000000000♠91 kg (201 lb) 7001280000000000000♠28 – (1988-06-26)26 June 1988 4.5 !F/C 7001140000000000000♠14 USA ! Gist, James  7000206000000000000♠2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 7002106500000000000♠106.5 kg (235 lb) 7001300000000000000♠30 – (1986-10-26)26 October 1986 3.0 !SF 7001150000000000000♠15 GRE ! Charalampopoulos, Vassilis 7000204999999999999♠2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 7002107000000000000♠107 kg (236 lb) 7001190000000000000♠19 – (1997-01-06)6 January 1997 2.5 !G/F 7001160000000000000♠16 GRE ! Kalaitzakis, Georgios 7000195000000000000♠1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 7001730000000000000♠73 kg (161 lb) 7001170000000000000♠17 – (1999-01-02)2 January 1999 4.5 !F/C 7001170000000000000♠17 GRE ! Gontikas, Kostas 7000206000000000000♠2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 7002112000000000000♠112 kg (247 lb) 7001220000000000000♠22 – (1994-03-15)15 March 1994 1.5 !G 7001200000000000000♠20 GRE ! Lountzis, Michalis 7000195000000000000♠1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 7001910000000000000♠91 kg (201 lb) 7001180000000000000♠18 – (1998-08-04)4 August 1998 4.0 !PF 7001210000000000000♠21 USA ! Gabriel, Kenny 7000202999999999999♠2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 7001990000000000000♠99 kg (218 lb) 7001270000000000000♠27 – (1989-07-03)3 July 1989 5.0 !C 7001290000000000000♠29 GRE ! Bourousis, Ioannis 7000215000000000000♠2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) 7002122000000000000♠122 kg (269 lb) 7001330000000000000♠33 – (1983-11-17)17 November 1983 1.0 !PG 7001330000000000000♠33 GRE ! Calathes, Nick (C) 7000198000000000000♠1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 7001970000000000000♠97 kg (214 lb) 7001270000000000000♠27 – (1989-02-07)7 February 1989	Head coach Xavi Pascual Assistant coach(es) Iñigo Zorzano Georgios Vovoras Diamantis Panagiotopoulos Nikos Pappas Athletic trainer(s) Savvas Aronis Team manager Fragiskos Alvertis Legend (C) Team captain Injured Roster Updated: November 23, 2016

Depth chart

Pos.	Starting 5	Bench 1	Bench 2	Bench 3
C	Chris Singleton	Ioannis Bourousis		Kostas Gontikas
PF	Antonis Fotsis	Kenny Gabriel	Pat Calathes	James Gist
SF	K.C. Rivers	Demetris Nichols	Vasilis Charalampopoulos
SG	Nikos Pappas	James Feldeine		Georgios Kalaitzakis
PG	Nick Calathes	Mike James	Lefteris Bochoridis	Michalis Lountzis

Retired numbers

Panathinaikos B.C. retired numbers
N°	Nat.	Player	Position	Tenure
4		Fragiskos Alvertis	SF	1990–2009
13		Dimitris Diamantidis	PG	2004–2016

Transfers

In

Date	Pos.	Name	From
1 July 2016	PF/C	Chris Singleton	Lokomotiv Kuban
3 July 2016	PG	Mike James	Saski Baskonia
12 July 2016	C	Ioannis Bourousis	Saski Baskonia
24 July 2016	SG/SF	K.C. Rivers	Real Madrid
1 August 2016	SF/PF	Pat Calathes	Astana
2 September 2016	SF/PF	Demetris Nichols	CSKA Moscow
23 November 2016	PF	Kenny Gabriel	Lokomotiv Kuban

Out

Date	Pos.	Name	To
1 July 2016	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis	Retired
1 July 2016	C	Georgios Papagiannis	Sacramento Kings
1 July 2016	SF	Vlantimir Giankovits	Valencia
1 July 2016	SF	Elliot Williams	Free Agent
1 July 2016	PF/C	Vince Hunter	Avtodor Saratov
1 July 2016	C	Miroslav Raduljica	Armani Milano
1 July 2016	C	Ognjen Kuzmić	Crvena zvezda
1 July 2016	SF	Aleksandar Pavlović	Free Agent
1 July 2016	PG	MarQuez Haynes	Reyer Venezia Mestre
29 July 2016	PG	Antonis Koniaris	PAOK
4 August 2016	PG	Kostas Papadakis	Kolossos Rodou

Honours

National competitions

• Greek Championship
  • Winners (34) (record): 1945–1946, 1946–1947, 1949–1950, 1950–1951, 1953–1954, 1960–1961, 1961–1962, 1966–1967, 1968–1969, 1970–1971, 1971–1972, 1972–1973, 1973–1974, 1974–1975, 1976–1977, 1979–1980, 1980–1981, 1981–1982, 1983–1984, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2010–2011, 2012–2013, 2013–2014
• Greek Basketball Cup
  • Winners (17) (record): 1978–1979, 1981–1982, 1982–1983, 1985–1986, 1992–1993, 1995–1996, 2002–2003, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2008–2009, 2011–2012, 2012–2013, 2013–2014, 2014–2015, 2015–16
• Double
  • Winners (9) (record): 1981–1982, 2002–2003, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2008–2009, 2012–2013, 2013–2014

European competitions

• EuroLeague^[10]
  • Winners (6): 1995–1996, 1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2006–2007, 2008–2009, 2010–2011
  • Runners-up (1): 2000–2001
  • Third Place(3): 1993–1994, 1994–1995, 2004–2005
  • Fourth Place (1): 2011–2012
  • EuroLeague Final Four (11): 1993-1994, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2004-2005, 2006-2007, 2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2011-2012
• Triple Crown
  • Winners (2): 2006–2007, 2008–2009

Worldwide competitions

• Intercontinental Cup
  • Winners (1): 1996

Crest and colours

The trifolium is the emblem of the team; symbol of harmony, unity, nature and good luck. The main colours of the team since its foundation are green and white (green for health, nature, such as physiolatry, and white for virtue). Alternative colours also used include black, lime uniforms and/or elements of gold.

Since 1992, year in which the basketball department became professional, Panathinaikos BC uses its own logo.

Sponsors and Manufacturers

Since 1982, Panathinaikos has a specific kit manufacturer and a kit sponsor. The following tables detail the shirt sponsors and kit suppliers by year:

Period	Kit supplier	Shirt sponsor
1982–1986	Converse	Motor Oil
1986–1989	Nike
1989–1992		None
1992–1993	Reebok	Maxwell House
1993–1994	Adidas
1994–1996	Nike	Beck's
1996–1997	Pony	Dental V6
1997–1998		None
1998–1999	Nike
1999–2000		Bake Rolls
2000–2008	Adidas	Nokia Series
2008–2011		Cosmote
2011–2014		Pame Stoixima
2014–2016		Stoiximan.gr
2016–present		Pame Stoixima

Current sponsorships

• Great Shirt Sponsor: Pame Stoixima
• Official Sport Clothing Manufacturer: Adidas
• Official Sponsor: OTE, Cosmote, Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola 3E, Vianex S.A., Salonpas, SUPERFOODS
• Official Broadcaster: Nova Sports
• Official Supporter: G.Papadogamvros clothes, Direction Business Network, onsports.gr
• Official Health Care Service Provider: Hygeia Medical Center
• Academies Sponsor: Microsoft, Xbox, DPG Media Group, Hellenic Seaways, Honda, BP Ultimate

Historical uniforms

1957–59

1970–75[12]

1992

2007–11

2013 (A)

2014 (A)

Arena

Panathinaikos' long-time home court is the Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall, which is the largest indoor venue in Greece. It is located in Marousi, and is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. The venue was completed in 1995, and renovated for the 2004 Summer Olympics. It is considered to be one of the biggest and most modern indoor sports arenas in all of Europe. The seating capacity is 18,989,^[13] however the arena can hold up to a capacity of more than 30,000, including standing room.

• 

  Internal view

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  Flag and banners of Panathinaikos

• 

  Outside view

• 

  The blimp in the arena

Supporters

The team, which is famous for their fans' passionate support, also set a record (broken in 2009) for the highest home game attendance in the history of the EuroLeague, which is 20,000 fans,^[14] achieved at a home match in OAKA, against Benetton Treviso, on March 29, 2006, for the second phase of the 2005–06 Euroleague.

An attendance of 18,900 fans has also been achieved three times, in home matches of the Greens, against Efes Pilsen in 2005, and TAU Cerámica (twice) in 2006. While PAO no longer holds the record for largest EuroLeague home crowd, it still holds the honor of being involved in the record match. PAO was the opponent for Partizan Belgrade, when it drew 22,567 to Belgrade Arena for a 2009 match.^[15] Τhe record was broken again on April 18, 2013, on the season's 4th EuroLeague Game (2012–13 Euroleague) against FC Barcelona Bàsquet. It was estimated that the number of viewers reached 30,000 (over 25,000 officially).

"Mr. Green" is the official mascot of Panathinaikos B.C. "Born" in 2006, he is a muscular basketball player, with a basketball for a head. He entertains fans of all age groups during game breaks, gives away presents, and participates in all entertainment events inside the court.^[16]

Seasons

Scroll down to see more.

• 

  Panagiotis Giannakis

• 

  Hugo Sconochini

• 

  Pepe Sánchez

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  Jaka Lakovič

• 

  Stephane Lasme

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  Ramūnas Šiškauskas

• 

  Jonas Maciulis

• 

  Nikola Peković

• 

  Kostas Tsartsaris

• 

  Jason Kapono

• 

  Georgios Papagiannis

International record

Season	Achievement	Notes
EuroLeague
1971–72	Semi-finals	eliminated by Ignis Varèse, 78–70 (W) in Athens, 55–69 (L) in Varese
1981–82	Semi-final group stage	6th place in a group with Maccabi Elite, Squibb Cantù, Partizan, FC Barcelona and Nashua Den Bosch
1993–94	Final four	3rd place in Tel Aviv, lost to Olympiacos 72–77 in the semi-final, defeated FC Barcelona 100–83 in the 3rd place game
1994–95	Final four	3rd place in Zaragoza, lost to Olympiacos 52–58 in the semi-final, defeated Limoges 91–77 in the 3rd place game
1995–96	Champions	defeated CSKA Moscow 81–71 in the semi-final, defeated FC Barcelona 67–66 in the final of the Final Four in Paris
1996–97	Quarter-finals	eliminated 2–0 by Olympiacos, 49–69 (L) in Athens, 57–65 (L) in Piraeus
1998–99	Quarter-finals	eliminated 2–0 by Teamsystem Bologna, 58–63 (L) in Athens, 64–88 (L) in Bologna
1999–00	Champions	defeated Efes Pilsen 81-71 in the semi-final, defeated Maccabi Elite 73–67 in the final of the Final Four in Thessaloniki
2000–01	Final	defeated Efes Pilsen 74-66 in the semi-final, lost to Maccabi Elite 67-81 in the Final Paris
2001–02	Champions	defeated Maccabi Elite 83-75 in the semi-final, defeated Kinder Bologna 89–83 in the final of the Final Four in Bologna
2004–05	Final four	3rd place in Moscow, lost to Maccabi Elite 82-91 in the semi-final, defeated CSKA Moscow 94-91 in the 3rd place game
2005–06	Quarter-finals	eliminated 2-1 by Tau Cerámica, 84–72 (W) in Athens, 79–85 (L) in Vitoria-Gasteiz, 71–74 (L) in Athens
2006–07	Champions	defeated Tau Cerámica 67-53 in the semi-final, defeated CSKA Moscow 93–91 in the final of the Final Four in Athens
2008–09	Champions	defeated Olympiacos 84-82 in the semi-final, defeated CSKA Moscow 73–71 in the final of the Final Four in Berlin
2010–11	Champions	defeated Montepaschi Siena 77-69 in the semi-final, defeated Maccabi Electra 70–78 in the final of the Final Four in Barcelona
2011–12	Final four	4th place in Istanbul, lost to CSKA Moscow 64-66 in the semi-final, lost to FC Barcelona Regal 69-74 in the 3rd place game
2012–13	Quarter-finals	eliminated 3-2 by FC Barcelona Regal, 70–72 (L) & 66-65 (W) in Barcelona, 65–63 (W) & 60-70 (L) in Athens and 53–63 (L) in ...
2013–14	Quarter-finals	eliminated 3-2 by CSKA Moscow, 74-77 (L) & 51-77 (L) in Moscow, 65-59 (W) & 73-72 (W) in Athens and 44-74 (L) in Moscow
2014–15	Quarter-finals	eliminated 3-1 by CSKA Moscow, 66-93 (L) & 80-100 (L) in Moscow, 86-85 (W) & 55-74 (L) in Athens
2015–16	Quarter-finals	eliminated 3-0 by Laboral Kutxa, 68-84 (L) & 78-82 (L) in Vitoria-Gasteiz, 75-84 (L) in Athens
Saporta Cup
1968–69	Semi-finals	eliminated by Dinamo Tbilisi, 81–67 (W) in Athens, 71–103 (L) in Tbilisi
1979–80	Quarter-finals	3rd place in a group with Gabetti Cantù, Parker Leiden and Caen
1983–84	Quarter-finals	3rd place in a group with Real Madrid, Scavolini Pesaro and Rudá hvězda Pardubice
1997–98	Semi-finals	eliminated by Stefanel Milano, 77–58 (W) in Athens, 61–86 (L) in Milan
Intercontinental Cup
1996	Champions	defeated 2–1 Olimpia, 83-89 (L) in Venado Tuerto, 83-78 (W) and 101-76 (W) in Athens

The road to the six EuroLeague victories

Euroleague 1996 Round Team   Home     Away   1st Round Bye 2nd Round Žalgiris 86–66 59–56 Group Stage Real Madrid 54–52 73–80 FC Barcelona 74–95 57–63 Cibona 79–61 93–82 Pau-Orthez 67–69 87–79 Benfica 67–51 87–96 Buckler Bologna 72–69 72–69 Maccabi Elite 67–62 86–79 Quarter finals Benetton Treviso    70–67 69–83 65–64 Semifinal CSKA Moscow 81–71 Final FC Barcelona 67–66

EuroLeague 2000 Round Team Home   Away   Group Stage 1 Žalgiris 86–82 82–66 Tofaş Bursa 79–74 64–59 Union Olimpija 100–80 86–71 Real Madrid 96–69 66–63 Alba Berlin 70–72 73–54 Group Stage 2 Crvena Zvezda  67–58 76–61 Cholet 85–50 68–81 PAOK 71–75 77–69 Round of 16 Budućnost 65–59 64–77 78–61 Quarter finals Cibona 73–62 69–63 Semifinal Efes Pilsen 81–71 Final Maccabi Elite 73–67

Euroleague 2002 Round Team Home   Away   Group Stage Skipper Bologna 81–70 79–77 CSKA Moscow 83–80 91–85 Pau-Orthez 67–63 79–67 Budućnost 91–82 84–72 Krka 98–92 81–82 Zadar 102–64 85–81 Real Madrid 77–88 78–70 Top 16 Olympiacos 88–78 75–92 Union Olimpija 85–67 79–72 AEK 96–92 73–66 Semifinal Maccabi Elite 83–75 Final Kinder Bologna 89–83

Euroleague 2007 Round Team Home   Away   Regular Season DKV Joventut 83–73 82–79 Cibona VIP 86–69 78–75 Union Olimpija 83–74 86–65 Lottomatica Roma 87–71 79–69 Unicaja Málaga 87–72 61–67 Partizan 80–93 73–65 Maccabi Elite 90–88 73–76 Top 16 Efes Pilsen 84–57 79–65 Winterthur FC Barcelona 102–82 66–87 Prokom Trefl Sopot 95–68 75–69 Playoffs Dynamo Moscow 80–58 73–65 Semifinal Tau Cerámica 67–53 Final CSKA Moscow 93–91

Euroleague 2009 Round Team Home   Away   Regular Season Žalgiris 78–51 80–69 Regal FC Barcelona 76–87 66–90 Nancy 83–69 80–70 Montepaschi Siena 81–76 77–82 Prokom Trefl Sopot 75–53 67–60 Top 16 Partizan 81–63 56–63 Unicaja Málaga 103–95 81–69 Lottomatica Roma 92–67 90–71 Playoffs Montepaschi Siena 90–85 72–53 79–84 91–84 Semifinal Olympiacos 84–82 Final CSKA Moscow 73–71

Euroleague 2011 Round Team Home   Away   Group Stage 1 Power Electronics Valencia 69–73 72–56 CSKA Moscow 74–60 72–68 Union Olimpija 95–88 84–85 Efes Pilsen 84–61 78–79 Armani Jeans Milano 93–62 81–71 Group Stage 2 Lietuvos Rytas 67–68 80–59 Unicaja Málaga 82–56 77–61 Caja Laboral 76–74 70–77 Quarter finals Regal FC Barcelona 76–74 82-83 78–67 75-71 Semifinal Montepaschi Siena 77–69 Final Maccabi Electra 78–70

Less significant European successes

Panathinaikos has advanced to the Final Four of the EuroLeague (and its predecessor) another five times: Tel Aviv in 1994 (3rd), Zaragoza in 1995 (3rd), Paris in 2001 (2nd), Moscow in 2005 (3rd), and Istanbul in 2012 (4th). Other significant successes are: the two appearances in the semifinals of the Cup Winners' Cup (1969, 1998), as well as the road to the semi-finals of the Champions' Cup for the season 1971–72 (eliminated by Ignis Varese (78–70, 55–69). In the 1981–82 season, Panathinaikos participated in the finals of the Champions' Cup of that time, eliminating the teams of CSKA Moscow and Levski-Spartak, in that order.

Friendly games against NBA and Chinese teams

Panathinaikos has twice made a tour in the United States, for friendly games. In 2003, when they played against the NBA team the Toronto Raptors,^[17] and in 2007. On October 11, 2007, Panathinaikos played against the NBA's Houston Rockets,^[18] and on October 18, 2007, they played against the defending NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs.

Panathinaikos has also twice made a tour in China for friendly games. In 2013, when they played against Foshan Long Lions. On September 28, 2015, Panathinaikos played against Zhejiang Lions, and on 30 September 2015, they played against the Guangdong Tigers.

Season-by-season records

Notable players

Listed as Green Legends in Panathinaikos B.C. site:^[19]

Faidon Matthaiou (1949–1955) Giorgos Kolokithas (1966–1973) Takis Koroneos (1968–1986, season 1989-90) Chris Kefalos (1969–1978) Dimitris Kokolakis (1969–1983) Apostolos Kontos (1969–1983)

Memos Ioannou (1974–1990) David Stergakos (1978–1991) Fragiskos Alvertis (1990–2009) Antonio Davis (1990–92) Nikos Galis (1992–94) Stojan Vranković (1992–96) Dominique Wilkins (1995–96) Byron Scott (1997–98) Dejan Bodiroga (1998–2002) Željko Rebrača (1999–2001) Darryl Middleton (2000–2005)

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  Apostolos Kontos

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  Nikos Galis

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  Dominique Wilkins

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  Byron Scott

Mentioned by Panathinaikos B.C. as players who have left their mark in basketball history:^[20]

Panagiotis Giannakis (1994–1996) Dino Rađa (1997–1999) Fanis Christodoulou (season 1997–98)

Oded Kattash (1999–2001) Mike Batiste (2003–2012, season 2013–14)

Dimitris Diamantidis (since 2004) Tony Delk (season 2006–07)

• 

  Fanis Christodoulou

• 

  Mike Batiste

• See full list of former Panathinaikos players (1946–2007).

Notable coaches

• Misas Pantazopoulos (1945–51)
• Nikos Milas (1960–61, 1963–65, 1975–76)
• Kostas Mourouzis (1966–74, 1986–87)
• Richard Dukeshire (1974–75)
• Kostas Politis (1978–82,1993–94)
• Željko Pavličević (1991–1993)
• Efthimis Kioumourtzoglou (1994–95)
• Božidar Maljković (1995–1997)
• Slobodan Subotić (1997–1999)
• Željko Obradović (1999–2012)
• Argiris Pedoulakis (2012–14)
• Duško Ivanović (2014–15)
• Aleksandar Đorđević (2015–16)
• Xavi Pascual (2017–)

Honours and statistics

League records

Outline	Record
Champions without a loss	4 times (1945–46, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1953-54)
Champions in a row	9 seasons (2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2010–2011)
Best regular season & playoffs record in A1 GBL	33-2 (2009–10)
Best playoffs record in A1 GBL	8-0 (2005–06, 2012–13)

Cup records

Outline	Record
Biggest win in a Greek Cup final	101-54 (vs Faros Keratsiniou, 2015–16)
Greek Cup Winners in a row	5 seasons (2004 to 2009 and 2011 to 2016)

European records

Outline	Record
Most points in a EuroLeague match	123 points (vs Chorale Roanne, 2007–08)

Top players in games, points and rebounds in the A1 Division (since the 1986–87 season)

Panathinaikos team leaders in games played, points scored, and rebounds, in games played in the Greek A1 Division, since it was first formed, starting with the 1986–87 season.

• * Still active player.
• Last update: 7 October 2015

Rank	Player	Games
1	Fragiskos Alvertis	534
2	Dimitris Diamantidis	365
3	Kostas Tsartsaris	347
4	Mike Batiste	303
5	Antonis Fotsis*	284
6	Nikos Oikonomou	268
7	Georgios Kalaitzis	221
8	Nikos Chatzivrettas	206
9	Argiris Papapetrou	169

Rank	Player	Points
1	Fragiskos Alvertis	4,698
2	Dimitris Diamantidis	3,244
3	Mike Batiste	2,970
4	Kostas Tsartsaris	2,328
5	Dejan Bodiroga	2,285
6	Nikos Oikonomou	2,207
7	Antonis Fotsis*	2,089
8	Liveris Andritsos	2,088
9	Jaka Lakovič	1,596
11	Nikos Chatzivrettas	1,519
12	Stojan Vranković	1,497

Rank	Player	Rebounds
1	Stojan Vranković	1,851
2	Mike Batiste	1,497
3	Fragiskos Alvertis	1,400
4	Kostas Tsartsaris	1,385
5	Dimitris Diamantidis	1,280
6	Antonis Fotsis*	1,239

One-club men

Player	Nationality	Position	Debut	Last Match
Fragiskos Alvertis		Small forward	1990	2009

Individual honours

Management

Ownership & Current Board

Position	Staff
Ownership	Giannakopoulos family
President	Manos Papadopoulos
Vice-President	Panagiotis Baltakos
CEO	Panagiotis Triantopoulos
COO	Ilias Katsogiannis
CFO	George Chidiac
Legal Advisor	Giorgos Elmalis
Media Relations & Communication Manager	Nikolaos Bourlakis
Marketing & PR Manager	Maria Gouma

Medical team

Position	Name
Club's doctor	Athanasios Konidis
Club's doctor	Ioannis Giannakopoulos
Physiotherapist	Giannis Zygouris
Physiotherapist	Nikos Mastrogiannopoulos
Caregiver	Paraskevas Dermanis

Academies staff

Position	Name
Academies Director	Fragiskos Alvertis
U22 Coach	Kostas Papadopoulos
Kids Coach	Vasilis Goumas
Juniors Coach	Nikos Kostopoulos
General Coach	Kostas Tsartsaris
General Coach	Georgios Kalaitzis

Presidential history

Until 1992, the President of Panathinaikos A.C. was responsible for the management of the team. In 1992, the basketball department became professional, with its own President.

Years	President
1992–2000	Pavlos Giannakopoulos
2000–2002	Dimitris Panagoulias
2002–2003	Giorgos Panagoulias
2003–2012	Pavlos Giannakopoulos Thanasis Giannakopoulos
2012–2014	Dimitris Giannakopoulos
2014–	Manos Papadopoulos

See also

• Panathinaikos women's basketball

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Panathinaikos BC.

• Official website (Greek) (English)
• Panathinaikos B.C. at Euroleague.net
• Panathinaikos B.C. at Eurobasket.com
• Panathinaikos Arena
• Academies official website

Media

• Official YouTube channel