Which Greek Players Have Played The Most Games In The NBA?

The NBA is the highest league in the world for basketball, and throughout the history of the competition, there have been a number of Greek players that have moved to the United States to perfect their craft. However, some players have fared better than others throughout their career, and these are the Greek players that have played the most games in the NBA.

Kurt Rambis

No Greek player in the history of the NBA has played more games in the division than Greek/American Kurt Rambis. Rambis was born in Indiana but made his name as a player playing back in Greece. He acquired Greek citizenship as he is of Greek descent, and he won the Greek Cup in his first season with AEK Athens. In 1981 he rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers where he would spend the first seven years of his NBA career. It was an excellent period of his career, as he would be a vital player in the Lakers teams that won four NBA Championships, with the last of those coming in his final season with the franchise.

He would later return to the Lakers in 1993 as a player, before becoming the assistant coach in 1994. Rambis won two further NBA Championships during his career as an assistant coach, with both of these successes coming with the Lakers. He also won three NBA Championships as an executive, which also came with the Lakers, with the latter of these coming as the Lakers beat the Miami Heat in 2020. He retired as a player in 1995 after making 880 appearances.  

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the brightest stars in the NBA today, and there is already a race involving a number of teams to sign the Greek next summer, with the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors among the teams that are interested in acquiring the Milwaukee Bucks star. Whichever franchise managers to get the Greek Freak will likely be a prominent selection in the NBA picks. Antetokounmpo has been with the Bucks since 2013 and has led the franchise to five consecutive playoff appearances. However, they are yet to reach the NBA Finals.

The Greek star has continued to improve season on season, and that was evident once again last season as he averaged 29.5 points per game in the regular season and 26.7 points per game in the post-season. To date, he has played 571 games in the NBA, and he is a four-time NBA All-Star. He has also won the NBA MVP award in each of the last two seasons, but that elusive championship ring still evades him.

Jake Tsakalidis

Jake Tsakalidis has played in the third-highest number of games in the NBA, as he played in 315 games during his seven seasons in the North American competition. He is one of three Greek players to have been picked in the first round of the draft, and he enjoyed spells with the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.

He was a vital part of both teams, as he reached the playoffs on four occasions during his career. However, he never managed to reach the second round of the playoffs. His final franchise in the NBA was the Houston Rockets, where he played 13 games during the 2006-07 season. Tsakalidis ended his career in the NBA having averaged 4.8 points per game, and 3.9 rebounds per game.