Theodoros Papaloukas (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Θεόδωρος Παπαλουκάς; born May 8, 1977), commonly known as Theo Papaloukas or Thodoris Papaloukas, is a retired Greek professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He was a four - time

All-EuroLeague The All-EuroLeague Team is an award for Europe's premier level league, the EuroLeague, that is given to the league's top ten basketball players for each season, since the 2000–01 season. During the FIBA era of the EuroLeague, players were honor ...

selection, a member of the EuroLeague 2000–10 All-Decade Team and was named one of the 50 greatest EuroLeague contributors in 2008. A revolutionary figure in basketball, as illustrated by his unique ability to come off the bench and alter the course of an encounter, and his uncanny feel for the game, he symbolized the rise of European basketball in the new millennium. Papaloukas started his career in 1995, with his local club of Ampelokipoi, before being transferred two years later to Dafni, and then to

Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan- Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis'') ...

in 1999. His performances with the latter earned him a transfer to EuroLeague powerhouse

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...

, where in 2002, he won his first title, the

Greek Cup The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second most ...

. A year later, he moved to Moscow for CSKA, the club that he would help to regain its past glory. After making a minimal impact during his first two seasons in the Russian capital, he evolved into a major contributor to CSKA's success, playing as a

sixth man The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in. The sixth man often plays minutes equal to or exceeding some of the sta ...

in the 2004–05 season, both in the EuroLeague and the Russian Super League A. In

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, Papaloukas led CSKA to their first EuroLeague title in thirty-five years, and thus earning an

All-EuroLeague First Team The All-EuroLeague Team is an award for Europe's premier level league, the EuroLeague, that is given to the league's top ten basketball players for each season, since the 2000–01 season. During the FIBA era of the EuroLeague, players were honor ...

selection and the

EuroLeague Final Four MVP The EuroLeague Final Four Most Valuable Player Award is presented and awarded to the basketball player who has exhibited the most exceptional play during the EuroLeague Final Four. The award often goes to the best player on the European-wide top ...

award in the process. The following year, he cemented his status as a EuroLeague competition icon, after being named the

EuroLeague MVP The EuroLeague MVP, or EuroLeague Full Season MVP, is the EuroLeague awards, award bestowed to the player that is deemed to be the "MVP, Most Valuable Player" during the full season of the EuroLeague. The EuroLeague is the European professi ...

, before falling short of a second straight EuroLeague title in the championship's final against

Panathinaikos Panathinaikos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Παναθηναϊκός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, literally in English: "Panathenaic Athletic Club" or Panathinaikos A.C.), also known simply as Panathinaikós , is a major Greek multi-sport club ba ...

. In

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, he won his second EuroLeague title with CSKA, in what would be his last year in Moscow. In the summer of 2008, Papaloukas returned to Olympiacos, and with them he reached another two

EuroLeague Final Four The EuroLeague Final Four is the final four format championship of the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague professional club basketball competition. The Euroleague Basketball Company used the final four format for the first time in 2002, f ...

s, thereby giving him a then record of eight consecutive EuroLeague Final Four appearances, a record he shared at the time with his former teammate

J.R. Holden Jon Robert "J.R." Holden (russian: Джон Ро́берт Хо́лден; born August 10, 1976) is a retired American-Russian professional basketball player, currently serving as an NBA Director of Player Personnel for the Brooklyn Nets. Holden wa ...

. On December 12, 2013, he was honored with a

EuroLeague Basketball Legend Award The EuroLeague Basketball Legend Award is an award that is given by the Euroleague Basketball Company, the organizer of the EuroLeague, which is the top-tier level professional basketball competition in Europe. It is awarded only to a very dis ...

. Papaloukas helped lead the

Greece men's national basketball team The Greece men's national basketball team ( el, Eθνική Oμάδα Καλαθοσφαίρισης Ελλάδος) represents Greece in international basketball. They are controlled by the Hellenic Basketball Federation, the governing body for ...

to a title,

EuroBasket 2005 The 2005 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2005, was the 34th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe. It also served as Europe qualifier for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, giving a berth ...

, and a silver medal in

2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised by ...

. He was elected to the All-Tournament Team in both competitions. Papaloukas took part in two Olympic tournaments, in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

and

, with Greece finishing in their personal all-time best fifth position on both occasions. In 2006, he was named the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year.

Professional career

Early years

A native of

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Greece, Papaloukas began his big career at the small local Athens junior team Ethnikos Ellinoroson. He then played for another small, but at the time rising club, called Ampelokipoi, with whom he began his pro career in 1995. He then transferred to Dafni of the Greek 2nd Division in 1997, and transferred again two years later to

, a traditional basketball club of the top-tier level

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

. With Dafni, Papaloukas won the Greek 2nd Division title, and the Greek 2nd Division Player of the Year award, in the 1998–99 season. In 2001, Papaloukas finally moved to

, a long-time Greek League power, as well as one of the perennial contenders in the EuroLeague. With

, he led the

in assists in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons. After the 2001–02 season, he left

, and moved to another EuroLeague powerhouse, the Russian Super League A club

CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow (russian: ЦСКА Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was a central piece ...

, in 2002.

CSKA Moscow

After three disappointing years, at the club level, Papaloukas was a main factor helping the team win the

2005–06 EuroLeague The 2005–06 Euroleague was the 6th season of the professional basketball competition for elite clubs throughout Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball Company, and it was the 49th season of the premier competition for European men's clubs ov ...

title, the club's first EuroLeague title in 35 years, with a clutch performance in the 2006 Final Four - 19 points in the semifinal against

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

, and another 18 points at the final against the then back-to-back

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

champions,

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv ( he, מכבי תל אביב) is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such ...

, which led to him being awarded him the Final Four MVP award; after he was also named the best

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

of the EuroLeague for that season. Alongside him on the All-EuroLeague First Team, were the best

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...

, Juan Carlos Navarro of

Barça Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

, the best

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...

, Anthony Parker of Maccabi (the

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

), the best

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

Luis Scola Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa (born April 30, 1980) is an Argentine former professional basketball player and current executive who currently serves as the chief executive officer for the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) team Pallacanestro Varese. ...

TAU Cerámica Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia, S.A.D., commonly known as Saski Baskonia (), also known as Cazoo Baskonia for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB and the ...

, and the best

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

Nikola Vujčić Nikola Vujčić (born 14 June 1978) is a Croatian former professional basketball player, and the current team manager of the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. During his playing career, at a height of 2.11 m (6' 11") tall, he played at both the cen ...

of Maccabi. In 2007, Papaloukas was voted the

2006–07 EuroLeague The 2006–07 Euroleague was the 7th season of the professional basketball competition for elite clubs throughout Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball Company, and it was the 50th season of the premier competition for European men's clubs ov ...

season. CSKA advanced to the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

against

, which was held on the Greens' home court, the Athens Olympic Indoor Hall (which had been chosen as the site more than a year in advance). Panathinaikos won the game, by a score of 93–91, in a very exciting game. Papaloukas scored 23 points and dished out 8 assists, but a number of

sportswriters Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

intimated that he did not receive adequate support from his CSKA teammates, and thus his team lost the final. Papaloukas was also a key member of CSKA's

2007–08 EuroLeague The 2007–08 Euroleague was the 8th season of the professional basketball competition for elite clubs throughout Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball Company, and it was the 51st season of the premier competition for European men's clubs ov ...

championship team. Papaloukas was then pursued in

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

by the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

clubs the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

, and the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

to fill their point guard spot. However, on July 7, 2007, Greek newspapers reported that Papaloukas agreed to a newly structured 3-year contract with CSKA, worth

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...

10.5 million

net income In business and accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and amortization, interest, a ...

Olympiacos

On June 20, 2008, one year after his contract extension with CSKA, Papaloukas used an option to leave his contract with no buyout to sign a three-year contract with

with an annual salary of

3.5 million

. In the first two years of his contract, he helped Olympiacos reach the

, averaging 8 points and 5.2 assists in the EuroLeague 2008–09 season, and 7.4 points and 5.1 assists in the EuroLeague 2009–10 season. In the third, and last, year of his contract, the team failed to advance to the EuroLeague Final Four, losing 3 games to 1 to

Montepaschi Siena Mens Sana 1871 Basket is an Italian professional basketball club based in Siena. It is a section of the sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871. Under the name Montepaschi Siena, derived from sponsor Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, ...

in the EuroLeague quarterfinal playoffs, despite having the home court advantage.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

On August 13, 2011, Papaloukas signed a contract with the Israeli team

, the

finalists The final of a competition is the match or round in which the winner of the entire event is decided. In sports competitions following a Single-elimination tournament, knockout system, where only two individuals or teams compete in each match, the f ...

of the 2010–11 EuroLeague. In Macccabi, Papaloukas didn't get much playing-time, averaging only 9.1 minutes per game in the EuroLeague, and playing in only 8

Israeli Super League The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...

2011–12 season games. The shortage of playing-time led to his release, after only one disappointing season with the yellows.

Back to CSKA Moscow

In December 2012, Papaloukas was invited to a tryout with

. He was signed by the team, and then officially returned to the court in a EuroLeague game against

Anadolu Efes Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independe ...

, on December 28, 2012. After the end of the 2013 EuroLeague Final Four in London, he announced his retirement from playing professional basketball, effective at the end of the season.

National team career

Papaloukas was part of the core element of the

. He played at the following

EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

EuroBasket 2001 The 2001 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2001, was the 32nd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2002 FIBA World Championship, giving a be ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

EuroBasket 2003 The 2003 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2003, was the 33rd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as the Europe qualifier for the 2004 Summer Olympics, giving a berth ...

in Sweden,

Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...

, and

EuroBasket 2007 The 2007 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2007, was the 35th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics, giving a berth to th ...

in Spain. Papaloukas, who was already well-established in European basketball as a result of appearances in three consecutive

s with

, achieved an acclaimed position among the elite of European basketball at the

in Serbia and Montenegro. After a series of mediocre performances in the first round, he led Greece to a victory over the

Russian National Basketball Team The Russia men's national basketball team (russian: национа́льная сбо́рная Росси́и по баскетболу, natsionalnaya sbornaya rossii po basketbolu) represents Russia in international basketball competition. Th ...

in the quarterfinals, and orchestrated a major comeback against the

French National Basketball Team The France men's national basketball team (french: Équipe de France de basketball) represents France in international basketball and is administered by the French Federation of Basketball. France is currently ranked fifth in the FIBA World Ran ...

in the semifinal, when Greece was down 7 points with 47 seconds left on the clock. In the final against the

German National Basketball Team The Germany men's national basketball team (german: Deutsche Basketballnationalmannschaft or ''Die Mannschaft'') represents Germany in international basketball competition. The team is directed by the German Basketball Federation (''Deutscher B ...

, led by the prodigious

All-Star

Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the gr ...

, Papaloukas scored 22 points, leading Greece comfortably to its second European title, eighteen years after its first win at the

EuroBasket 1987 The 1987 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1987, was the 25th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. It was held in Greece between 3 and 14 June 1987. Twelve national teams entered the e ...

. As such, Papaloukas was selected to the All-Tournament Team of the

, along with fellow Greek team player

Dimitris Diamantidis Dimitris Diamantidis ( el, Δημήτρης Διαμαντίδης ; born May 6, 1980) is a retired Greek professional basketball player, who spent the last twelve seasons of his EuroLeague career with Panathinaikos, where he last served as the ...

Spanish National Basketball Team The Spain men's national basketball team ( es, Selección Española de Baloncesto) represents Spain in international basketball competitions. They are managed by the Spanish Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Spain. Spa ...

shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro, French National Team

swingman A swingman is an athlete capable of playing multiple positions in their sport. Basketball In basketball, the term “swingman” (a.k.a. “wing” or “guard-forward”) denotes a player who can play both the shooting guard (2) and small forwa ...

and NBA player

Boris Diaw Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod (born April 16, 1982), better known as Boris Diaw, is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw began his playing career in Pro A and returned to that l ...

, and Nowitzki, who also claimed the

title. Papaloukas also joined the elite club of players who have achieved the European title at both the

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

and

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

levels during the same year, as he won the EuroLeague title with CSKA at the Final Four in Prague, April 28–30, 2006. Papaloukas climbed to the second position of global basketball as he, along with his fellow Greek team players, drove Greece to the final of the

in Japan, losing there in the final to the

. The win of the Greece national team over

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

in the semifinal, by a score of 101–95, had Papaloukas with 12 assists, 8 points and 5 rebounds. He also earned a place on the All-Tournament Team, which also included the tournament MVP

Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA champion ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, Gasol's teammate

Jorge Garbajosa Jorge Garbajosa Chaparro (born December 19, 1977), also known as The Pornoplayer, is a Spanish former professional basketball player and the current president of the Spanish Basketball Federation. Standing at 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in), he p ...

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team me ...

, and

Manu Ginóbili Emanuel David Ginóbili Maccari (, , ; born 28 July 1977) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. Over a 23-year professional career, he became one of only two players (along with Bill Bradley) to have won a EuroLeague title, an ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. His most formidable personal recognition came on January 26, 2007, when he was voted by fans and journalists as the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year for 2006, topping the likes of Nowitzki, Gasol, and

Tony Parker William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket in LNB Pro A. Himself the son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career at Paris Basket Racing in ...

. In the summer of 2008, Papaloukas became the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of Greece's national team for the 2008 Olympic Games. It was also the last time he ever played for Greece's national team.

Player profile

Papaloukas was a 2.00 m (6 ft 6 in) tall (102 kg (225 lb.) player who could play as either a

, or

point forward Point forward is a nontraditional position in basketball, with a small forward—or sometimes a power forward or combo forward—adding the responsibilities of point guard to their play. Characteristics Generally, teams employ a point forward ...

on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He was a pass-first play maker with a distinctive style of play. His play making ability and pass first point guard skills at his height, combined with his versatility to play multiple positions on the basketball court on both ends of the floor made him an extraordinary player. Papaloukas was selected to the EuroLeague's 50th anniversary 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors list in 2008. Papaloukas is widely known by the nicknames of Teó and Thodoris. As a player, he was also sometimes given other much less used nicknames, such as The Computer, due to his ability to analyze the court, The Thread, because of his unique ability to complete passes through opposing defenses, like threading a needle, and other nicknames like Paps, Pappas, and The Tsar.

Post playing career

After he retired from playing professional basketball, Papaloukas was named a EuroLeague Legend, and also an official ambassador of the EuroLeague. He also became a member of the EuroLeague's official technical rules committee.

EuroLeague career statistics

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2001–02 , style="text-align:left;",

, 19 , , 13 , , 26.9 , , .468 , , .333 , , .671 , , 2.9 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 8.4 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2002–03 , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , 21 , , 1 , , 16.4 , , .453 , , .280 , , .630 , , 2.0 , , 3.4 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 4.7 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2003–04 , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , 21 , , 0 , , 17.4 , , .453 , , .172 , , .782 , , 1.7 , , 2.7 , , 1.5 , , .1 , , 6.3 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2004–05 , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , 23 , , 0 , , 18.5 , , .611 , , .412 , , .679 , , 2.3 , , 3.8 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 7.6 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;", 2005–06† , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , 24 , , 0 , , 22.7 , , .549 , , .275 , , .736 , , 3.1 , , 4.0 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 9.3 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , style="background:#CFECEC;", 25* , , 3 , , 24.4 , , .578 , , .341 , , .716 , , 3.2 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 5.4* , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 9.8 , , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;", 2007–08† , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , 23 , , 0 , , 21.8 , , .500 , , .242 , , .690 , , 2.7 , , 4.6 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 7.7 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;", Olympiacos , 22 , , 2 , , 25.1 , , .612 , , .368 , , .636 , , 2.7 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 5.2* , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 8.0 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Olympiacos , 19 , , 0 , , 24.4 , , .561 , , .351 , , .643 , , 2.1 , , 5.1 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 7.4 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2010–11 , style="text-align:left;", Olympiacos , 18 , , 0 , , 21.4 , , .470 , , .214 , , .609 , , 2.6 , , 3.8 , , 1.6 , , .0 , , 5.4 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Maccabi , 20 , , 1 , , 9.6 , , .435 , , .333 , , .720 , , 1.1 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .0 , , 3.0 , , 3.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;", CSKA , 17 , , 0 , , 11.1 , , .379 , , .333 , , .786 , , 1.5 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.2 , , 3.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", , 252 , , 20 , , 20.1 , , .526 , , .300 , , .694 , , 2.4 , , 3.9 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 6.8 , , 9.9

Awards and accomplishments

Pro clubs

* Greek 2nd Division Champion: (1999) *

Eurobasket.com Eurobasket.com also commonly referred to as "Eurobasket News", is a basketball-centered website that provide coverages of every professional and semi-professional leagues around the world. Although primarily focusing on European basketball, th ...

's Greek 2nd Division Player of the Year: (1999) * 3× Greek League assists leader: (2001, 2002, 2009) * 5× Greek League All-Star: (2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011) * 3×

Winner: (2002, 2010, 2011) * 7× Russian League Champion: (2003–08, 2013) * 3× Russian Cup Winner: (2005–07) * 3× Russian League Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007) * Russian Cup

: (2006) * 2× EuroLeague

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

: (2006, 2008) * 4×

All-EuroLeague Team The All-EuroLeague Team is an award for Europe's premier level league, the EuroLeague, that is given to the league's top ten basketball players for each season, since the 2000–01 season. During the FIBA era of the EuroLeague, players were honor ...

: (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) ** 2×

First Team: (2006, 2007) ** 2×

Second Team: (2008, 2009) *

: (2006) *

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

Champion: (2006) * FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year: (2006) * All-Europe Player of the Year: (2006) * 2× EuroLeague assists leader: (

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

) *

: (2007) *

EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer The EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer is the individual award for the player that gained the highest points in the EuroLeague Finals, the championship finals of the European-wide top-tier level professional club basketball competition, the EuroLeagu ...

: (2007) * 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors: (2008) * EuroLeague 2000–10 All-Decade Team: (2010) *

Israeli State Cup The Israel State Cup ( he, גביע המדינה, ''Gvia HaMedina''), is a knockout cup competition in Israeli football, run by the Israel Football Association (IFA). The State Cup was first held in 1928 as the People's Cup. Because it involv ...

Winner: (2012) *

Adriatic League The ABA League, renamed to the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the 1st-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Mac ...

Champion: (2012) *

VTB United League VTB United League (russian: Единая Лига ВТБ) is an international professional men's club basketball list of basketball leagues, league that was founded in 2008. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus an ...

Champion: (2013) *

EuroLeague Basketball Legend The EuroLeague Basketball Legend Award is an award that is given by the Euroleague Basketball Company, the organizer of the EuroLeague, which is the top-tier level professional basketball competition in Europe. It is awarded only to a very dist ...

: (2013)

Greek national team

* 7×

Acropolis Tournament The Acropolis International Basketball Tournament (also known as the Acropolis of Athens Basketball Tournament and the Acropolis Basketball Cup) (Greek: Τουρνουά Ακρόπολις) is an international basketball competition that is playe ...

Champion: (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) *

: *

EuroBasket All-Tournament Team The FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team is the FIBA Europe award that is bestowed upon the five best players of each FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol holds the record for most selections in the All-EuroBasket Team, with seven. FIBA Euro ...

: (

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

) * 2006 FIBA Stanković Continental Champions’ Cup: *

: *

: All-Tournament Team

References

External links

Theo Papaloukas' Official Twitter

Euroleague.net Profile

Eurobasket.com Profile

Draftexpress.com Profile

* ttp://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_rdCa0AljHPAjbl9YuZSHL2.coid_kl-Qub2wHLUH0UwthgNad1.articleMode_on.html FIBAEurope.com Papaloukas Voted Best European Player
From FIBA Europe Official Website: "Papaloukas Legend Grows With FIBA Europe Player Of Year Honor"
by Jeff Taylor
Hellenic Basketball Federation Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papaloukas, Theo 1977 births Living people ABA League players Ampelokipoi B.C. players Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Dafnis B.C. players Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece FIBA EuroBasket-winning players Greece national basketball team players Greek men's basketball players Greek Basket League players Israeli Basketball Premier League players Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players Olympiacos B.C. players Olympic basketball players of Greece Panionios B.C. players PBC CSKA Moscow players Point guards Shooting guards Small forwards Basketball players from Athens 2006 FIBA World Championship players Greek expatriate basketball people in Russia Greek expatriate basketball people in Israel