Greek Basket League

The Greek Basket League (GBL), commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA (Greek: ΕΣΑΚΕ). The league is also known as the Greek Basket League OPAP for sponsorship reasons.

It is ranked as one of the 3 "A" level national domestic leagues in European basketball by the ULEB League Rankings System. It consists of 13 teams and runs from October to June, with teams playing 26 games each during the regular season, and the top 8 teams then competing in the playoffs. The first official Greek Basketball Championship was held in the 1927-28 season.

History

Basketball first came to Greece in the year 1910. By the 1927-28 season, the first official championship began. There have been four different official championship eras. The first era was the Panhellenic Championship (Πανελλήνιο Πρωτάθλημα), which lasted from the 1927-28 to 1962-63 seasons, when the champions of every regional district played each other to decide the Greek Champion. The second era started in the 1963-64 season, when the A National Category (Α' Εθνική Κατηγορία) was founded.

In 1969, the Hellenic Basketball Federation (E.O.K.) took over the duties of overseeing the competition, and did so until the year 1992. The third era of the championship existed between the 1986-87 and 1991-92 seasons, when the first division A1 National Category (Α1 Εθνική Κατηγορία), with a regular season and playoffs, and the second division A2 National Category (Α2 Εθνική Κατηγορία) were formed. The fourth era of the championship began in the 1992-93 season, when the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association (HEBA) took over the competition and renamed the first division the HEBA A1 (ΕΣΑΚΕ Α1), and the second division the HEBA A2 (ΕΣΑΚΕ Α2).

The Greek League has been one of the most competitive basketball leagues in Europe through the years and it was widely regarded as the second best national league in the world after only the NBA in the 1990s decade. It currently ranks among the best national domestic leagues in the world (excluding the NBA), such as Liga ACB in Spain and Lega A in Italy. It is considered one of the 3 European "A" level leagues under the ULEB League Rankings System. The league has several great powers which belong to the most traditional European basketball clubs, especially the Euroleague giants Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Other clubs that have had significant successes throughout the history of Greek basketball are AEK Athens and Aris. Along with PAOK, the aforementioned clubs are the most successful and widely supported in Greece.

Despite the championship having been contested 71 times, only nine different clubs have won it so far. The dominating club has always been Panathinaikos, having claimed the championship 32 times. Since its foundation, only two teams have participated in every season of the first division since 1963-64: Panathinaikos and Aris.

Promotion and relegation

The championship, in its current form, has been organized since the 1992-93 season by the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association (HEBA). 30 pro Greek basketball teams are split into two different divisions. The first division championship, which is called the "A1", in which 14 teams compete for the Greek National Championship, and the second division championship, which is called the "HEBA A2", in which 16 teams compete for the second division crown. The bottom two place finishing teams each year in the A1 division standings are relegated to the A2 division, due to poor performance. While conversely, the top two teams each year from the A2 division are promoted to the A1 division, due to good performance.

Arena standards

Currently, Greek clubs must play their home games in arenas that seat at least 1,000 people in order to play Greek domestic league matches. Starting with the 2012-13 season, clubs must play their home Greek League matches in arenas that seat at least 3,500 people. Several Greek clubs have two arenas that they primarily use. One for domestic Greek League matches, and one for European-wide matches.

Greek clubs that play in the Euroleague or the Eurocup, must play their home games in those leagues in arenas that fit the arena standards of those leagues. Currently, a 5,000 seat arena minimum for the Euroleague, and a 3,000 seat arena minimum for the Eurocup. Starting with the 2012-13 season, the minimum arena seating capacity to compete in the Eurocup will be 5,000.

The clubs for the 2011-12 season

• *Arenas that meet ULEB European arena requirements, and where the clubs play their home games at if they are competing in the Euroleague and/or the Eurocup.

Champions

• 1927-28 to 1962-63: Panhellenic Championship
• 1963-64 to 1985-86: A National Category
• 1986-87 to 1991-92: A1 National Category
• 1992-93 to present: HEBA A1

Performance by club

A1 Finals

By Club

Number of seasons in the A and A1 National Categories by club (1963-64 - 2011-12)

The number of times that clubs participated in the top A National Category, while it existed from the 1963-64 season to the 1985-86 season. As well as the number of times that clubs have participated in the top A1 National Category, since it began with the 1986-87 season. Only two clubs, Panathinaikos and Aris, have played in the top division every year since its formation.

• 1963-64 to 1985-86: A National Category
• 1986-87 to 1991-92: A1 National Category
• 1992-93 to present: HEBA A1

The best regular season records in the history of the A and A1 National Categories (1963–2011)

^[4][5]

• 1963-64 to 1985-86: A National Category
• 1986-87 to 1991-92: A1 National Category
• 1992-93 to present: HEBA A1

The best regular season records of the HEBA A1 (1992–2011)

Greek basketball clubs in European-wide competitions

Greek basketball clubs in the Euroleague

• The years in which clubs from the Greek Basketball League competed in Europe's first tier continental-wide professional club basketball competition, the Euroleague:

Greek basketball clubs at the Euroleague Final Four

Panathinaikos has made 10 Euroleague Final Four appearances (with 11 top 4 place finishes), has played in the Euroleague Final 7 times, and has won the Euroleague championship 6 times. Olympiacos has made 6 Euroleague Final Four appearances, has played in the Euroleague Final 4 times, and has won the Euroleague championship once. AEK Athens has made 3 Euroleague Final Four appearances and has played in the Euroleague Final once. PAOK has also played in the Euroleague Final Four once.

† Panathinaikos and Iraklis played in the FIBA SuproLeague during the 2000-01 season.

Greek basketball clubs in the Saporta Cup

• Greek clubs that finished in the top 3 places of the now defunct Saporta Cup (1966-67 to 2001-02), which was the second-tier European-wide continental competition:

Greek basketball clubs in the Korać Cup

• Greek clubs that finished in the top 3 places of the now defunct Korać Cup (1971-72 to 2001-02), which was the third-tier European-wide continental competition:

Greek League awards

MVP Award

^[6][7]

Best Young Player

• 2000-01: Nikos Zisis (AEK Athens)
• 2001-02: Vassilis Spanoulis (Maroussi)
• 2005-06: Dimitrios Tsaldaris (Aris)
• 2006-07: Georgios Printezis (Olympia Larissa)
• 2007-08: Ian Vougioukas (AGOR Aegean)
• 2008-09: Kostas Papanikolaou (Aris)
• 2009-10: Nikos Pappas (Kolossos)
• 2010-11: Kostas Sloukas (Aris)

Best Defender

• 2010-11: Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos)

Coach of the Year

• 2006-07: Željko Obradović (Panathinaikos)
• 2007-08: Soulis Markopoulos (Maroussi)
• 2008-09: Željko Obradović (Panathinaikos)
• 2009-10: Georgios Bartzokas (Maroussi)
• 2010-11: Željko Obradović (Panathinaikos)

Scoring leaders (since the 1963-64 season)

Rebounding leaders (since the 1986-87 season)

A1 National Category all-time cumulative stats leaders (since the 1986-87 season)

• This counts only the stats since the two divisions were formed, starting with the 1986-87 season.
• Counting only games played in the A1 Division, and not counting any games played in the A2 Division or the Greek Cup:

• 1986-87 to 1991-92: A1 National Category
• 1992-93 to present: HEBA A1

• *Currently Active Players
• Last update: June 20, 2011

Rank	Player	Games
1.	Nikos Boudouris	574
2.	Fragiskos Alvertis	525
3.	Giorgos Sigalas	485
4.	Nikos Chatzis*	479
5.	Dimitris Papanikolaou	466
6.	Angelos Koronios	448
7.	Giorgos Kalaitzis*	443
8.	Kostas Tsartsaris*	405
9.	Nikos Chatzivrettas*	400
10.	Milan Tomić	385

Rank	Player	Points
1.	Angelos Koronios	7,080
2.	Nikos Galis	6,549
3.	Bane Prelević	5,004
4.	Panagiotis Liadelis	4,808
5.	Fragiskos Alvertis	4,698
6.	Nikos Chatzis*	4,602
7.	John Korfas	4,534
8.	Žarko Paspalj	4,104
9.	Nikos Chatzivrettas*	4,048
10.	Panagiotis Fasoulas	4,045

Rank	Player	Assists
1.	Dimitris Diamantidis*	1,383
2.	Angelos Koronios	1,264
3.	Nikos Vetoulas	1,093
4.	John Korfas	1,060
5.	Giorgos Sigalas	1,059
6.	Vassilis Spanoulis*	0 984
7.	Nikos Boudouris	0 979
8.	Lefteris Kakiousis	0 846
9.	Nikos Chatzis*	0 815
10.	Milan Tomić	0 802

Rank	Player	Steals
1.	Dimitris Diamantidis*	605
2.	Angelos Koronios	583
3.	Giorgos Sigalas	547
4.	Nikos Boudouris	514
5.	Nikos Vetoulas	460
6.	Manolis Papamakarios*	430
7.	Fanis Christodoulou	394
8.	Nikos Chatzis*	372
9.	Giorgos Kalaitzis*	338
10.	Panagiotis Giannakis	338

Rank	Player	Rebounds
1.	Panagiotis Fasoulas	3,097
2.	Stojko Vranković	2,138
3.	Kostas Tsartsaris*	1,966
4.	Fanis Christodoulou	1,890
5.	Giorgos Karagoutis	1,838
6.	Walter Berry	1,765
7.	Giorgos Sigalas	1,719
8.	Dimitris Papadopoulos	1,663
9.	Tony Costner	1,626
10.	Giannis Bourousis*	1,599

Rank	Player	Blocks
1.	Panagiotis Fasoulas	929
2.	Stojko Vranković	610
3.	Dragan Tarlać	256
4.	Walter Berry	227
5.	Kostas Tsartsaris*	212
6.	Anatoly Zourpenko	208
7.	Giannis Bourousis*	200
8.	Tony Costner	193
9.	Giannis Papagiannis	192
10.	Giannis Giannoulis	184

Rank	Player	Best Tendex Performances
1.	Dimitris Mavroeidis	1.991 (May 29, 2010)
2.	Roy Tarpley	1.941 (October 21, 1992)
3.	Alexander Volkov	1.921 (November 19, 1994)
4.	Misan Nikagbatse	1.903 (November 2, 2002)

Head coaches with the most wins in the A National and A1 National Categories

• As of April 7th, 2011:
• *Denotes active head coaches:

Rank	Head Coach	Wins	Teams
1.	Soulis Markopoulos*	505	7 (Dimokritos, PAOK, Iraklis, Makedonikos, Aris, AEK Athens, Maroussi)
2.	Yiannis Ioannidis	489	4 (Aris, AEL 1964, Olympiacos, AEK Athens)
3.	Vaggelis Alexandris*	484	11 (AEL 1964, PAOK, Apollon Patras, Iraklis, Iraklio, Maroussi, Aris, Olympia Larissa, ΑΕΚ Athens, Kolossos, Kavala)
4.	Željko Obradović*	400	1 (Panathinaikos)
5.	Dušan Ivković*	393	5 (Aris, PAOK, Panionios, Olympiacos, ΑΕΚ Athens)

See also

• Greek Cup
• HEBA A2
• HEBA Greek All Star Game
• HEBA

Logos

NBA players that have played in the Greek League

The following is a list of players that have played in both the NBA and the Greek League. Player nationalities are listed as the players are registered in the league (through 2009-10 season). List may be incomplete.

Unsigned NBA Draft picks that have played in the Greek League

The following is a list of unsigned NBA Draft picks that have played in the Greek League. Player nationalities are listed as the players are registered in the league (through 2009-10 season). List may be incomplete.

Other notable players that have played in the Greek League

The following is a list of some other notable players that have played in the Greek League. Player nationalities are listed as the players were registered in the league at the time they played in Greece (through 2009-10 season). This does not necessarily reflect changes of nationality after the named player left the Greek League—for example, J. R. Holden now has Russian nationality along with American. List may be incomplete.

Sponsors and supporters

• OPAP
• Champion
• Molten
• Cosmote
• Germanos
• Visit Greece
• Gatorade

References

External links

• Official Website (English)
• Official Website (Greek)
• Euroleague.net HEBA - Greek League Page
• Sportingreece.com A1
• Official Hellenic Basketball Federation Site (Greek)
• A1 League at Sportime Magazine (Greek)
• Basketblog.gr (Greek)
• Greekhoopz.com (Greek)
• Greekbball.com (Greek)
• Galanis Sports Data
• Esake.gr Archive (Greek)
• Basket.gr History (Greek)
• Official HEBA A1 Weekly Video Highlights
• HEBA A1 Weekly Video Highlights