Five incredible shots in Greek basketball history

Eurohoops looked back at five of the most dramatic shots of Greek basketball.

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Basketball in Greece has witnessed plenty of unforgettable moments across all competitions. Recently, Eurohoops put together a list of five shots in Greek basketball which will never be forgotten, covering both the domestic and international scenes. AGONAsport talks you through those shots in question which made history:

WHO: Panagiotis Giannakis (Aris)

WHERE: Thessaloniki

WHEN: May 4, 1991 (Game three, Basket League final)

Nowadays, Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are the clear leaders of Greek basketball, but the situation was different in 1991. In the final of the domestic season, Aris and PAOK went to battle, two clubs which were then dominating the league. Aris entered the third match of the final boasting a confident 2-0 lead in the series.

PAOK held a four-point lead with the seconds ticking by. However, Aris came to life in the concluding moments, getting back to within one point before Panagiotis Giannakis drained a stunning three-pointer to give the hosts a decisive lead. A famous moment which will never be forgotten by Aris supporters.

WHO: Predrag Stojakovic (PAOK)

WHERE: Piraeus

WHEN: May 6, 1998 (Game five, Basket League semi-finals)

Olympiacos were certainly regarded as favourites for the semi-final series against PAOK. Having won the past five successive titles, the Erythrolefki were expected to brush past their opponents and move into the final, but PAOK had other ideas and snatched a pulsating series by a score of 3-2.

In one of his last games before moving to the NBA, Predrag Stojakovic dethroned Olympiacos at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in memorable fashion, hitting a fantastic buzzer-beater from behind the arc to power PAOK to a 58-55 triumph in Piraeus. 

WHO: Dimitris Diamantidis (Panathinaikos)

WHERE: Belgrade

WHEN: September 24, 2005 (EuroBasket semi-finals)

You couldn’t conjure up a more dramatic way to win a EuroBasket semi-final. With five seconds remaining on the clock, the legendary Dimitris Diamantidis produced a trademark moment of magic for Greece, unleashing a clutch three-point shot to down France 67-66 and advance to the final of the 2005 EuroBasket competition.

In the subsequent final, the Greeks completed the job against Germany, emerging victorious 78-62 to become European champions just a year after the national football incredibly won UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal.

WHO: Giorgos Printezis (Olympiacos)

WHERE: Turkey

WHEN: May 13, 2012 (EuroLeague Final Four)

The most important two points Printezis will ever score in the EuroLeague. In a scintillating final, Olympiacos somehow managed to recover from a 19-point deficit to beat a strong CSKA Moscow side at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Turkey, with the winning basket being scored in the last second. Lurking on the left flank, Printezis received an intelligent pass and hooked a floater into the net to complete an unlikely comeback.

WHO: Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos)

WHERE: Athens

WHEN: 30 May, 2016 (Game four of Basket League final)

A titanic battle which will never be forgotten. Taking into account that Diamantidis was retiring for Panathinaikos, the Derby of the Eternal Enemies in the Basket League final had even more drama than usual, and the manner in which it ended was fittingly thrilling.

Panathinaikos, requiring a victory in the fourth match to prolong the series, possessed a slender two-point advantage with a few seconds left. Unfortunately for the hosts, though, the mercurial Vassilis Spanoulis was in possession of the ball.

Directly in front of Diamantidis’ face, Spanoulis connected with a three-pointer when falling off balance, sparking wild celebrations as the Olympiacos players and coaches quickly charged down the tunnel. 

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