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.

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
    

Greece

• 1959 Greek Championship
  
• 1982 Greek Cup Finalists
  
• 1983 Greek Championship 2nd place
  
• 1992 Greek Championship
  
• 1993 Greek Championship 2nd place
  
• 1994 Greek Championship 2nd place
  
• 1998 Greek Championship 2nd place
  
• 1999 Greek Cup
  

Europe

• 1989-1990 Cup Winners Cup Semi Final
  
• 1990-1991 European Cup Holders Cup Winners
  
• 1991-1992 European Cup Holders Cup Finalists
  
• 1992-1993 European Champions Cup-3rd place
  
• 1993-1994 Korac Cup Winners
  
• 1995-1996 European Cup Finalists
  
• 2000-2001 ULEB Euroleague 1/8 Finals
  
• 2004-2005 ULEB Cup Quarter Finalists
  

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

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 Scepanovic SG 1.98
8 Djuro Ostojic 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

Former 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.

• Predrag Stojakovic
  
• Branislav Prelevic
  
• Panagiotis Fasoulas
  
• John Korfas
  
• Aggelos Koronios
  
• Giorgos Sigalas
  
• Nikos Stavropoulos
  
• Efthimios Rentzias
  
• Nasos Galakteros
  
• Zoran Savic
  
• Radoslav Nesterovic
  
• Damir Mulaomerovic
  
• Amit Tamir
  
• Sergei Bazarevic
  
• Mamadou N'Diaye
  
• Scott Skiles
  
• Tracy Murray
  
• Anthony Avent
  
• Victor Alexander
  
• Cliff Levingston
  
• Walter Berry
  
• Ken Barlow
  
• Mike Jones
  
• Matt Bullard
  
• Jerrod Mustaf
  

Former coaches

• Scott Skiles
  
• Dragan Sakota
  
• Dusan Ivkovic
  
• Soulis Markopoulos
  
• Branislav Prelevic
  
• Phaedon Mattheou
  
  

PAOK BC

Leagues A1 Ethniki
2006/2007 - Fifth
Founded 1928
History 1928 - present
Arena PAOK Sports Arena
Location Thessaloniki, Greece
Team Colors White and black
President Evangelos Paneloudis
Head Coach Vangelis Alexandris
Championships 1 Saporta Cup
1 Korać Cup
2 Greek Championships
3 Greek Cups
Website www.paokbc.gr

References

• ESAKE Official Website(Greek)
  
• KAE PAOK Official Website(Greek)
  
• Eurobasket PAOK BC Page (English)