PAOK B.C. (Greek: ?.?.?.?. ?.?.?.), commonly known in European competitions as PAOK Thessaloniki, is the professional basketball department of the major Greek multi-sports club A.C. PAOK, which was founded in 1926, and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club's full name is Panthessalonikeios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinoupoliton (????????????????? ????????? ?????? ??????????????????), which is abbreviated as PAOK (?.?.?.?.), and means Pan-Thessaloniki Athletic Club of Constantinopolitans. The team has established a firm reputation in Greek basketball, especially for its success in European competitions. They have twice won the Greek Basket League (1958-59, 1991-92), and three times won the Greek Basketball Cup (1983-84, 1994-95, 1998-99), while they have also won two European Cups: the FIBA Saporta Cup (1990-91) and the FIBA Kora? Cup (1993-94).
Well-known players that have played with the club over the years include: Peja Stojakovi?, John Korfas, Panagiotis Fasoulas, Nikos Stavropoulos, Nikos Boudouris, Efthimios Rentzias, Panagiotis Vasilopoulos, Scott Skiles, Rasho Nesterovi?, Zoran Savi?, Claudio Coldebella, Walter "The Truth" Berry, Scott Skiles, Rawle Marshall, Frankie King, Charles Shackleford, Lawrence Funderburke, Wendell Alexis, Conrad McRae, Matt Bullard, Anthony Bonner, Tracy Murray, C. J. Watson, Cliff Levingston, Damir Mulaomerovi?, Sergei Bazarevich, ?brahim Kutluay, Loukas Mavrokefalidis, Nestoras Kommatos, Blagota Sekuli?, Matthew Nielsen, Martynas Andriu?kevi?ius, Dejan Toma?evi?, Kostas Vasileiadis, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Ken Barlow, and former team's captain, and stand-out on-and-off the court, Bane Prelevi?.
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History
1928-1980
The men's basketball section of the multi-sports club PAOK AC was created in 1928, when Alekos Alexiadis, a young member of the administration council of PAOK AC (founded in 1926), took the initiative to create a men's basketball team. He "gave birth" to the basketball department again, after World War II. After the war, Alekos Alexiadis began to organize a basketball team from the children that played at the only basketball court in Thessaloniki. The first honor for PAOK's basketball section was the win of the 1959 Greek League. The team was crowned the Champions of Greece, with the following players; Dapontes, Kyriakou, Oikonomou, Paschalis, Stalios, Kokkos, Theoridis, Angelidis, Stergiou, and Konstantinidis, and player-coach Iraklis Klagas. Four years later, the Greek League was reconstructed into a professional National League, but PAOK was placed in the Second National Division, where they won an immediate promotion to the first division the next year. The worst season of the club to date was in 1977, when PAOK avoided relegation, with a 66-53 play-out win over Dimokritos.
1981-1990
PAOK met Panathinaikos in its first Greek Cup Final, in 1982. The Athenians managed to scrape through a two-point victory, despite the game being played in Alexandreio Melathron, the then PAOK home arena. In the next season, the team finished second to Aris, after being defeated in only one game by the champions.
The success of both Aris and PAOK, fueled the ongoing rivalry between their fans, that had long been established in football. In 1984, the two teams reached the Greek Cup Final. PAOK head coach, Faidon Matthaiou, in trying to boost his team's morale, ordered the players to completely shave their heads. PAOK won the Greek Cup by four points (74-70), in what is now remembered as the "final of the shaven heads".
The then 22-year-old Bane Prelevi?, debuted in the 1988-89 season. He became the definitive leader of PAOK, and a fan favorite. He was often compared to the great Nikos Galis, who was at the time the captain of Aris. Prelevi? was often quoted for his loyalty to the team. He had a number of injuries and medical emergencies because of weak legs, but he would constantly choose to take heavy dosages of painkillers, rather than missing out on important games.
1991-2000
PAOK brought limitless joy to its fans, by winning the European 2nd-tier level FIBA European Cup Winner's Cup, when PAOK defeated CAI Zaragoza in Geneva, by a score of 76-72, on March 26, 1991.
The next season, PAOK reached once again in the final of the same competition, but lost to Real Madrid, by a score of 63-65. The game was going to overtime, as the two teams were equal at 63 points, when Panagiotis Fasoulas lost the ball by Rickey Brown in the last 2 seconds, and Real Madrid scored an unexpected basket. The same year, PAOK won the Greek League championship, by beating out Aris in the final four mini league and Olympiacos in the play-off finals.
The 1992-93 season PAOK with a brilliant starting five roster (John Korfas, Bane Prelevi?, Cliff Levingston, Ken Barlow and Panagiotis Fasoulas) and under the coaching of Du?an Ivkovi?, participated in the 1992-93 FIBA European League (now called EuroLeague), which was the club's first appearance in the top-tier level European league, and managed to reach the Final Four in Piraeus, Athens. PAOK lost in the semifinal game to the Italian champions Benetton Treviso, which was led by the Croat superstar Toni Kuko?, by a score of 77-79 and two days later in the third-place game PAOK defeated Real Madrid of Arvydas Sabonis and Rickey Brown.
In 1994, PAOK returned to European success, by winning the European 3rd-tier level FIBA Kora? Cup, in a two-leg final against Stefanel Trieste, winning both at home and away, by 9 points. The following year, PAOK won the Greek Cup, in a 19-point victory against Chipita Panionios, 72-53. In 1999, PAOK again won the Greek Cup, by defeating AEK, by a score of 71-54.
The new home of PAOK, the PAOK Sports Arena, able to hold 8,500 fans, was inaugurated on 17 March 2000. That marked the end of a long period of time of sharing the home court of Alexandreio Melathron with Aris. Bane Prelevi? returned to PAOK, after quick spells at Kinder Bologna and AEK, and then quit basketball at the end of the season. He later returned to PAOK in the 2001-02 season, as an assistant coach.
2001-2010
PAOK finished in 6th place in the 2003-04 Greek League season, boasting a squad full of youngsters. Prelevi? became the team's head coach, and led the team into a short winning streak.
A month after the start of the 2006-07 Greek League season, Prelevi? was replaced as head coach by Kostas Pilafidis, and he then assumed a non-technical position, as the General Manager of the team. During a game that year, PAOK and Aris put on a spectacular show that PAOK ended up winning, after two overtime periods.
2010-present
PAOK played in the European-wide 2nd-tier level EuroCup, in 5 out of 6 seasons (2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16), from 2010 to 2016. After the FIBA-Euroleague Basketball controversy, PAOK moved to the FIBA Champions League, where they played in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
Paok Basketball Video
Arenas
PAOK played its home games for many years at the 5,183 seat Alexandreio Melathron (Nick Galis Hall). In 2000, the club moved to the 8,500 seat PAOK Sports Arena.
Roster
Depth chart
Honours
Domestic competitions
Greek League
- Winners (2): 1958-59, 1991-92
- Runners-up (8): 1959-60, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1997-98, 1999-00
Greek Cup
- Winners (3): 1983-84, 1994-95, 1998-99
- Runners-up (4): 1981-82, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91
European competitions
EuroLeague
- 3rd place (1): 1992-93
FIBA Saporta Cup
- Winners (1): 1990-91
- Runners-up (2): 1991-92, 1995-96
FIBA Kora? Cup
- Winners (1): 1993-94
Individual honours
In European and worldwide competitions
International record
The road to the European Cup victories
Seasons
Notable players
PAOK coaches
This is a list of PAOK B.C. coaches since the 1957-58 season:
Sponsorships
- Great Sponsor: Village Cinemas
- Official Sponsor: CYTA
- Official Supporter: Makedonia Palace, Loux
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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