Vasilis Spanoulis

Vasilis Spanoulis was a Greek basketball player who was often considered the Michael Jordan of European basketball. European stars such as Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo both considered him their hero. Spanoulis started his career with Gymnastikos S. Larissas from 1999-2001, but later played for the two top Greek teams, Panathinaikos in 2005-6 and 2007-10, and then Olympiakos from 2010.

Spanoulis played for Greece at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, helping them finish fifth both years. He led Greece to gold at the 2005 EuroBasket tournament and a bronze in 2009, and won silver at the 2006 World Cup, famously defeating the United States in the semi-final.

“Billy” Spanoulis was coveted by the NBA and played in the league in the 2006/07 season with the Houston Rockets. However, he did not play much and did not enjoy that year, having difficulty with his coach, Jeff Van Gundy, and Spanoulis quickly returned to Europe.

Spanoulis’ record in Europe was unparalleled. Through 2020, he was the EuroLeague all-time leading scorer and all-time leader in assists. He was EuroLeague Player of the Decade for 2010-20, was European Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013, was EuroLeague MVP in 2013, and won three EuroLeague titles, in 2009 and 2012-13. Spanoulis was named to the All-EuroLeague Team eight times, in 2006, 2009, 2011-15, and 2018.

In the Greek League Spanoulis was even more dominant. He made the All-Greek League Team 10 times between 2005-17, was a 10-time Greek League All-Star from 2005-19, led the league in assists five times, and was Greek League MVP in 2009, 2012, and 2016. He led his teams to seven Greek League titles (2006, 2008-10, 2012, 2015-16), and won four Greek Cups (2006, 2008-09, 2011). In other regional tournaments he helped win the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in 2013, and was named MVP of that tournament. Spanoulis won nine titles at the Acropolis Tournament (2004-10, 2013, 2015), and was twice named MVP of that tournament, in 2007 and 2009.