Nikos Zisis

Nick Galis is still wearing his sneakers but just to play with his friends and “students” in his own camp in Halkidiki. “Spider” Fassoulas who used to sit at the Parliament sits the past years targets Greece’s biggest harbour, Pireus, mayor sit. Fanis “baby” Christodoulou has plenty to do to running his own businesses. For seven years Greece has been searching for the new players who will take the team to the top of the “European Olympus” and revive the medal spirit of the past. The bad news is that after the last appearance of Fassoulas and Christodoulou at the World Basketball Championship in 1998, Greece never made the top-4 teams in any big tournament. The good news is that with coach Yannakis in charge, everybody is determined to see Greece back on the medal rostrum…

Fact 1. Greece has not contended for a major medal since 1998. At the past three European Championships, Greece has had the material, the willingness and the προϋποθέσεις?? to fight for a medal but never made it. Neither in France at 1999 when they were disqualified after the first round, nor in Turkey in 2001 when they were knocked out by Germany in the elimination round. In Stockholm with most successful coach in Greece Yannis Ioannidis on the bench and all its stars on board, Greece was one of the favourites for a medal, even the gold. But the nightmare of the Czechs (1999) and Germans (2001) came back wearing the Italian uniform. Greece was kept out of the semis by Italy and everybody came back with heads down. “Blondy” Ioannidis turned to a political career, and Panagiotis Yannakis, who had coached the team at the1998 World Championships took charge once more. The target was the medal at the “home” Olympics in Athens but the likes of Manu, Scola and Hugo were of a differing opinion, eliminating Greece from medal contention again. 5th place, just like at the 1996 Atlanta Games, was not enough for the hungry Greek players and fans.

		Michail Kakiouzis

Fact 2. Greek basketball never lacks talent.  Ten of the eighteen players of the pre-selection currently play or used to play in a foreign league, and all 10 of them will be on the final 12 player roster for EuroBasket. True, most of the players have been labelled as “lazy”, but it is in their hands to improve every year.

Fact 3. Those who say that basketball in Greece is going down are looking at their 2002 calendar… Basketball has been on the up in the past 3 years thanks to the success of Panathinaikos in the Euroleague, and Maroussi and Makedonikos in other European cups. The Greek League has also benefited from a number of strong teams, where, except for “Pana” which is one (or maybe two) levels above all the others, the rest of the teams are almost at the same level resulting in many close games.

So, what can somebody expect from this National Team? Good question, tough answer. The Greek national team is once again capable of producing the best and delivering the worst, like at the past three EuroBaskets. Coach Yannakis, is slowly rebuilding the team giving opportunities to young guys who are not yet famous but have the willingness to become so.

		Demetrios Papanikolaou

The generation of Sigalas, Alvertis (both of them used to be captains of the team) and Rentzias came to an end because of the age of the two first players and sub-par performances in the past two years by the third. When captain Giorgos Sigalas was left out of the Olympic preparation squad last year, this was big news for everybody. “Rambo” didn’t react as he is a real gentleman, neither did “Fragi” Alvertis last July when he was also left out of the team. Yannakis, as reporters said, wanted the Panathinaikos captain to play reduced minutes, but to have the role which Sigalas had. To be the guy who will control and teach the youngsters without playing a lot. Yannakis’ decision was not welcomed by Alvertis who stayed at home for the first time since his first national team call 11 years previously. Now, the “oldest” player of the team is the 28 year old Dimitris Papanikolaou who is not sure of a EuroBasket place after a so-so season with Panathinaikos. The national team “belongs” from now on to the new generation of the ‘80s. Papadopoulos, Diamantidis, Zisis, Spanoulis together with the more experienced Kakiouzis, Dikoudis and Papaloukas will carry the team in Belgrade.

		Theodoros Papaloukas

Many others were left out of the team, like top scorer of the HEBA A1 League, Nickos Economou (who was cut from the national team three years ago by Ioannidis), captain and best scorer of AEK Nickos Hatzis and others like Liadelis, Diamantopoulos and “baby Shaq” Sofoklis Schortsianitis who keeps on getting bigger and fatter, rather than fitter and stronger. And Tsakalidis? “Jake” doesn’t live here anymore. He has not been in Greece since EuroBasket 2003 and has also refused his “Greek” citizenship because he doesn’t want to go to the army.
Yannakis’ plan is to have a strong defensive team which will try to play an up-tempo offense. Something like the “Spanish” style. Rebound, quick pass to the play-maker and then a fast break finished with a dunk. Are the players of the team capable of playing that way? For sure, yes! But they must believe in their power and not be anxious like they were in France, Turkey and Sweden in the past three tournaments. The psychological strength of this team is Yannakis’ No1 priority. The coach is of course the most capable man of doing that, as for more than 25 years was the heart of the national team. The man who was encouraging everybody. The soul of the team. He has the spirit to give to the young players and everybody hopes that he will manage to do it.