Greek fingerprints all over EuroLeague records
Greek fingerprints all over EuroLeague records
AGONAsport’s @bigpetethegreek takes a look at the Greek players to leave their imprint on the EuroLeague record books.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
Earlier this season, Vassilis Spanoulis overtook top spot in the all-time scorers list in the EuroLeague, adding to his haul of records over the years. Spanoulis, like many of his countrymen, has etched his name in the EuroLeague record books, as the Greek flag features prominently among the top statistical categories.
Among the top-ten for the seven most important statistical categories, 22 of those entries belong to Greek players, far more than any other nation.
POINTS: SPANOULIS REIGNS
As mentioned previously, Spanoulis climbed to the top of the all-time scoring list earlier this season as he surpassed Juan Carlos Navarro for top spot. Spanoulis’ Olympiacos teammate, Georgios Printezis, ranks third in the all-time list and is one of just four players all-time to crack the 3,000-point mark.
1. Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos) 4,187 points (13 ppg)
2. Juan Carlos Navarro (retired) 4,152 (12.1)
3. Georgios Printezis (Olympiacos) 3,153 (10.4)
4. Paulius Jankunas (Zalgiris Kaunas) 3,017 (9)
5. Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid) 3,008 (8.6)
6. Nando de Colo (Fenerbahce) 2,988 (16.2)
7. Sergio Llull (Real Madrid) 2,948 (10.6)
8. Milos Teodosic (Virtus Bologna, EuroCup) 2,807 (11.8)
9. Ante Tomic (Barcelona) 2,742 (10)
10. Marcus Brown (retired) 2,739 (15.3)
REBOUNDS: BOUROUSIS’ PRIDE
The main story in the rebounds category might be the battle for spot between Paulius Jankunas and Felipe Reyes, but overall three Greek players ranks in the top-ten. Giannis Bourousis holds the Greek record for rebounds, while Printezis and Antonis Fotsis also rank inside the top-ten.
1. Paulius Jankunas (Zalgiris Kaunas) 1,785 rebounds (5.4 rpg)
2. Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid) 1,784 (5.1)
3. Giannis Bourousis (Gran Canaria, ACB) 1,603 (5.6)
4. Ante Tomic (Barcelona) 1,509 (5.5)
5. Georgios Printezis (Olympiacos) 1,307 (4.3)
6. Mirsad Turkcan (retired) 1,287 (10)
7. Kyle Hines (CSKA Moscow) 1,240 (4.5)
8. Kerem Gonlum (retired) 1,189 (4.9)
9. David Andersen (Illawara Hawks, NBL) 1,144 (5.1)
10. Antonis Fotsis (Ilysiakos, C Basket League) 1,124 (4.5)
ASSISTS: GREEKS… EVERYWHERE!
EuroLeague assists is another category that Spanoulis owns as he sits tops in the category, ahead of former Panathinaikos and Greece teammate Dimitris Diamantidis. Perhaps the story, besides the fact that five Greeks rank inside the top-ten, is Nick Calathes’ bid to overtake both Diamantidis and Spanoulis with his impressive 5.9 rebounds per game average. Former Olympiacos and CSKA Moscow playmaker, Thodoris Papaloukas, and Fenerbahce’s Kostas Sloukas also rank in the top-ten. A special honourable mention to AEK’s Nikos Zisis, who ranks 11th all-time with 885 assists.
1. Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos) 1,501 assists (4.7 apg)
2. Dimitris Diamantidis (retired) 1,255 (4.5)
3. Nick Calathes (Panathinaikos) 1,195 (5.9)
4. Sergio Rodriguez (Armani Milano) 1,189 (4.7)
5. Thomas Heurtel (Barcelona) 1,173 (5.6)
6. Milos Teodosic (Virtus Bologna, EuroCup) 1,126 (4.8)
7. Sergio Llull (Real Madrid) 1,068 (3.8)
8. Thodoris Papaloukas (retired) 977 (3.9)
9. Kostas Sloukas (Fenerbahce) 900 (3.8)
10. Marcelinho Huertas (Tenerife, BCL) 892 (3,9)
11. Nikos Zisis (AEK, BCL) 885 (2,9)
STEALS: THERE’S ONLY ONE DIAMANTIDIS
This is the category that proves Diamantidis was one of the most-versatile players to ever play in the EuroLeague his offensive abilities are well-documented, but his hold on the all-time lead for steals puts him in a class of his own on the defensive end. Papaloukas, Calathes, and Spanoulis also rank in the top-ten but only Diamantidis has managed to crack the 400-steal mark.
1. Dimitris Diamantidis (retired) 434 steals (1.6 spg)
2. Thodoris Papaloukas (retired) 335 (1.3)
3. Pablo Prigioni (retired) 322 (1.7)
4. Nick Calathes (Panathinaikos) 287 (1.4)
5. Rudy Fernandez (Real Madrid) 277 (1,2)
6. Gianluca Basile (retired) 261 (1,2)
7. Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos) 253 (0.8)
8. Jonas Maciulis (AEK/BCL) 250 (1.1)
9. Juan Carlos Navarro (retired) 249 (0.7)
10. JR Holden (retired) 247 (1.2)
BLOCKS: BOUROUSIS SAYS NO!
An everpresent figure in the Greek national team. Giannis Bourosis has enjoyed a bit of a journeyman career as of late. His travels to various clubs in Europe haven’t diminished his ability to be a force in the paint defensively, though. Just shy of 200 all-time blocks, Bourousis is the lone Greek representative in the top-ten.
1. Fran Vasquez (Zaragoza, BCL) 249 blocks (1 bpg)
2. Bryant Dunston (Anadolu Efes) 242 (1.3)
3. Kyle Hines (CSKA Moscow) 227 (0.8)
4. Alex Tyus (Unics Kazan, EuroCup) 209 (1,2)
5. Giannis Bourousis (Gran Canaria, ACB) 194 (0.7)
6. Stephane Lasme (free agent) 174 (1,2)
7. Tibor Pleiss (Anadolu Efes) 172 (0.8)
8. Mirza Begic (Mornar, BCL) 162 (1.3)
9. Victor Khryapa (retired) 161 (0.7)
10. Ante Tomic (Barcelona) 155 (0.6)
TURNOVERS: YOU’RE NOT TRYING IF YOU…
Turnovers aren’t something any player is happy with, but the reality is that they exist. Perhaps it’s not a record Spanoulis is most proud of, but the fact that he ranks tops in turnovers reflects how much time he spends on the ball and his role as a playmaker for Olympiacos. Diamantidis, also a playmaker during his tenure with Panathinaikos, also ranks in the top-ten while Calathes sits eleventh as a current playmaker for the Trifylli.
1. Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos) 1,062 turnovers (3.2 tpg)
2. Dimitris Diamantidis (retired) 662 (2.4)
3. Milos Teodosic (Virtus Bologna, EuroCup) 574 (2.4)
4 Juan Carlos Navarro (retired) 564 (1.7)
5. Sergio Rodriguez (Armani Milano) 518 (2)
6. Sarunas Jasikevicius (retired) 514 (2.3)
7. Thomas Heurtel (Barcelona) 511 (2.4)
8. Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid) 465 (1.3)
9. Nando de Colo (Fenerbahce) 452 (2.5)
10. Paulius Jankunas (Zalgiris Kaunas) 451 (1,4)
11. Nick Calathes (Panathinaikos) 442 (2,2)
PERFORMANCE INDEX RATING: SPANOULIS LEADS THEM ALL
A statistic that considers them all, the performance index rating is based on an equation that takes into account the various statistics that make up the game of basketball.
The official formula:
(Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks + Fouls Drawn) - (Missed Field Goals + Missed Free Throws + Turnovers + Shots Rejected + Fouls Committed).
Spanoulis leads the way after overtaking Navarro, while Diamantidis, Printezis, and Bourousis all rank in the top-ten.
1. Vassilis Spanoulis (Olympiacos) 3,967 (12.4)
2. Juan Carlos Navarro (retired) 3,890 (11.4)
3. Dimitris Diamantidis (retired) 3,806 (13.7)
4. Felipe Reyes (Real Madrid) 3,758 (10.8)
5. Paulius Jankunas (Zalgiris Kaunas) 3,696 (11.1)
6. Ante Tomic (Barcelona) 3,662 (13.3)
7. Georgios Printezis (Olympiacos) 3,368 (11.1)
8. Nando de Colo (Fenerbahce) 3,333 (18.1)
9. Giannis Bourousis (Gran Canaria, ACB) 3,255 (11.5)
10. Kyle Hines (CSKA Moscow) 3,090 (15.9)
Image Source:
Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!