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'PAOK BC' is the basketball team of the Greek PAOK sport department, based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues.
The club has an undisrupted presence in the Greek First Division (A1) since 1960.
History
1928-1980
The basketball section of PAOK was created in 1928 when Alekos Alexiadis, a young member of the administration council, took the initiative to create a basketball team. He "gave birth" to the basketball department and again after World War II. After the war Alekos Alexiadis began to organize a basketball team from the children that played in the only basketball court in Thessaloniki. The first honor for PAOK was the win of the 1959 Greek league. The team was crowned Champions of Greece with the following players; Daponte, Kyriakou, Oikonomou, Paschali, Stalio, Kokko, Theoridi, Angelidi, Stergiou, Konstantinidi, and player-coach Irakli Klaga. Four years later the Greek league is reconstructed to a professional National League but PAOK is placed in the Second National Division, winning immediate promotion the next year.
The worst season of the club to day was in 1977 where PAOK avoided relegation with a 66-53 play-out win to Democritus.
1980-1990
PAOK met Panathinaikos BC in its first Greek Cup Final, in 1982. The Athenians managed to scrape through a two point victory, despite the game being played in Alexandreio Melathron, the then PAOK home ground. The next season the team finished second to Aris BC, being defeated only in one game by the champions.
The success of both teams fuelled the ongoing rivalry between their fans that had long been established in football. In 1984, the two teams reached the Greek Cup Final. The PAOK coach, Faidonas Mathaiou, trying to boost his team’s morale, ordered the players to completely shave their heads, in Spartian warrior fame. PAOK won by the Greek Cup by four points (74-70) in what is now remembered as the “final of the shaven heads”.
The then 22-year old Branislav Prelevic debuted in the 1988-89 season. He became the definitive leader and a fan favorite, often compared to the great Nick Galis, who was at the time the captain of Aris. Prelevic was often quoted for his loyalty to the team. He had a number of injuries and medical emergencies because of weak legs, but he would constantly choose heavy dosages of painkillers than missing out on important games.
1990-2000
PAOK brought limitless joy to its fans by winning the European Cup Winners Cup when PAOK defeated Saragosa BC in Geneva 76-72 on March 26, 1991.
The next season PAOK reached the final again but to Real Madrid 63-65. The game was going to overtime, as the two teams were equal at 63 points, when Panayiotis Fasoulas lost the ball in the last 2 seconds and the Real players scored an unexpected basket. In the same year PAOK won the Greek Championship, beating Aris BC and Olympiacos BC.
PAOK participated in the 1992-93 European Champions Cup for the first time and managed to reach the Athens Final Four. PAOK lost in the semi final game to Benetton 77-79 led by superstar Toni Kukoc.
In 1994 PAOK returned to European success by winning the Korac Cup two-leg final against Pallacanestro Trieste winning both at home and away by 9 points. The following year PAOK won the Greek Cup in a 19 point victory against Panionios BC 72-53.
In 1999 PAOK won again the Greek Cup by defeating AEK BC 71-54.
2000-2007
The new home of PAOK, the stadium PAOK Sports Arena able to hold 8000 fans, was inaugurated at 17 March 2000 that ended a long period of sharing home court Alexandreio Melathron with Aris. Bane Prelevic returned to PAOK after quick spells at Bologna and AEK BC and quit basketball at the end of the season. He returned to PAOK in season 2001-02 as an assistant coach.
PAOK finished 6th in the 2003-04 season, boasting a squad full of youngsters. Prelevic become head coach and led the team into a short winning streak.
A month after the start of the 2006-07 season, Prelevic was replaced by Kostas Pilafidis and assumed a non-technical position as General Manager of the team. PAOK and Aris gave a spectacular show that PAOK won after two overtime periods (101-99). PAOK changed coaches again in 2007 when Vangelis Alexandris took over as head coach.
Honors
★ 'Total Titles: 7'
★
★ 'Cup Winners' Cup/Saporta Cup: 1'
★
★
★ 1991
★
★ 'Korać Cup: 1'
★
★
★ 1994
★
★ 'Greek Championships: 2'
★
★
★ 1959, 1992
★
★ 'Greek Cups: 3'
★
★
★ 1984, 1995, 1999
Basketball records
Domestic record
| Season | Standing | Win/Loss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek Championship | |||
| 2000 | '2' | ||
| 2001 | '7' | ||
| 2002 | '8' | ||
| 2003 | '7' | ||
| 2004 | '5' | ||
| 2005 | '4' | ||
| 2006 | '6' | ||
International record
| Season | Standing | Win/Loss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Champions Cup | |||
| 1959-60 | 'First Round' | 0-2 | |
| 1994-95 | 'Group Stage (16)' | 7-9 | |
| 1997-98 | '8th Fin. Play Offs' | 10-9 | |
| 1998-99 | 'Qual. Round (16)' | 7-9 | |
| 1999-00 | '8th Fin. Play Offs' | 8-11 | |
| 2000-01 | 'Qual. Round (16)' | 8-5 | |
| 2003-04 | 'Group Stage' | 5-1 | |
| Season | Standing | Win/Loss | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korać Cup | |||
| 1974-75 | 'Second Round' | 0-2 | |
| 1975-76 | 'Second Round' | 1 - 1 | |
| 1981-82 | 'Second Round' | 2 - 2 | |
| 1983-84 | 'Group Stage' | 3 - 5 | |
| 1985-86 | 'Group Stage' | 5 - 5 | |
| 1986-87 | 'Second Round' | 2 - 2 | |
| 1987-88 | 'Group Stage' | 3 - 5 | |
| 1988-89 | 'Second Round' | 3 - 1 | |
| 1993-94 | 'Final - Winner' | 12 - 2 | |
| 1996-97 | '8th Finals' | 9 - 1 | |
| 2001-02 | 'Group Stage' | 5 - 3 | |
Basketball squad
Current roster
''The numbers are established according to the official website of the team (www.paokbc.gr)
''As of April 2007''
PAOK Thessaloniki BC 2006-2007
| 'Number' | 'Player' | 'Position' | 'Height (m)' |
| 4 | Jason Parker | PG | 1.88 |
| 5 | Sotirios Manolopoulos | SF | 2.07 |
| 6 | Dimitrios Verginis | PG | 1.91 |
| 7 | Vlado Šćepanović | SG | 1.98 |
| 8 | Đuro Ostojić | C | 2.11 |
| 9 | Dimitrios Haritopoulos | PF | 2.07 |
| 10 | Ioannis Kalabokis (c) | SG | 1.96 |
| 11 | Felix Kojadinovic | G | 1.98 |
| 12 | Nikolaos Kouvelas | SF | 2.03 |
| 14 | Lazaros Agadakos | C | 2.07 |
| 15 | Drago Pasalic | C | 2.07 |
| 16 | Ioannis Vasiliou | G | 1.93 |
| 17 | Harilaos Yiannopoulos | SF | 2.01 |
| 18 | Karalo Galazualas | G | 1.90 |
| 19 | CJ Watson | G | 1.99 |
★ ''Average Age: 23.86''
★ ''Average Height: 199.4 cm (6 ft. 7 in.)''
Squad transfers 2006-2007
'In:'
★ 'Giannis Kalambokis' - Signed 'From' ''AEK''
★ 'Lazaros Agadakos' - Signed 'From' ''Olympiacos''
★ 'Dimitris Haritopoulos' - Signed 'From' ''Aris''
★ 'Nikos Kouvelas' - Signed 'From' ''Iraklis''
★ 'Feliks Kojadinovic' - Signed 'From' ''KK Vojvodina''
★ 'Jason Parker' - Signed 'From' ''Universitet Surgut''
★ 'Ostojic Djuro' - Signed 'From' ''Besiktas BC''
★ 'Vlado Skepanovic' - Signed 'From' ''Panathinaikos''
★ 'Drago Pasalic' - Signed 'From' ''Alpella''
★ 'Karalo Galazualas' - Signed 'From' ''Youth Team''
★ 'Nikos Tioukalias' - Signed 'From' ''Youth Team''
| 'Out:' ★ 'Jerome Allen' - Transferred 'To' ''Snaidero'' ★ 'Tracy Murray' - Transferred 'To' ''Chalon'' ★ 'Yannis Gagaloudis ' - Transferred 'To' ''AEK'' ★ 'James Maye' - Transferred 'To' ''Dakota Wizards'' ★ 'Milutin Aleksic' - Transferred 'To' ''DTL EKA AEL'' ★ 'Stanislav Makshantsev' - Transferred 'To' ''Ural Great'' ★ 'Costas Vasiliadis' - Transferred 'To' ''Unicaja Malaga'' ★ 'Vasilis Xanthopoulos' - Transferred 'To' ''Panathinaikos'' ★ 'Vuk Stefanovic' - Transferred 'To' ''SISU'' ★ 'Stelios Goulas' - Transferred 'To' ''Larissa'' | ★ 'Andreas Kalaboukas' - Transferred 'To' ''Siatista'' ★ 'Theodoros Georgitsis' - Transferred 'To' ''Halkida'' ★ 'Theodoros Dikaros' - Transferred 'To' ''Titanes'' ★ 'Sokratis Paxinos' - Transferred 'To' ''Titanes'' ★ 'Alexandros Goudas' - Transferred 'To' ''Kastoria'' ★ 'Pavlos Tatsis' - Transferred 'To' ''Goumenissa'' ★ 'Christos Vasileiou' - Transferred 'To' ''Foinikas'' ★ 'Kostas Athanasopoulos' - Transferred 'To' ''Niki Polygirou'' ★ 'Giannis Vasiliadis' - Transferred 'To' ''Mantoulidis'' |
Notable players
PAOK fans have had the opportunity to admire legendary European players and also world famous basketball players that have played with the jersey of their team.
Former coaches
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
References
★ ESAKE Official Website(Greek)
★ KAE PAOK Official Website(Greek)
★ Eurobasket PAOK BC Page (English)
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