OAKA Stadium

GREEN LEGENDS

Panathinaikos’ history is rich with titles, accolades, important moments and great victories…. It is full of important personalities; people who have helped make this history even richer and fill the roof of the OAKA indoors arena with even more banners. Many star players have put on the team jersey and have made a contribution of their own in making Panathinaikos one of the best teams in the history of European basketball and certainly the best in the last decade. From the Panathinaic Stadium, to the “Hindu Tomb”, to Glyfada, to Sporting, to the OAKA and some of the greatest arenas in the continent paraded some of the greatest players and greatest individuals in this sport. It is a herculean task to try and make an all-inclusive list…. “Clover” fans have had the great fortune of watching many big stars put on the jersey of their favorite team. We are just starting with some of them and gradually we will see more names of the people who have helped us be proud of this team being added…. “My Team, My Pride”.

My Team, My Pride

PHAEDON MATTHEOU

He was born on July 12, 1924 in Thessaloniki. He loved and linked his name with Aris, but made history wearing the Panathinaikos’ jersey too. Phaedon Mattheou was an exceptional talent and an even more exceptional person who died on September 17, 2011, at age 87 leaving Greek basketball and Greek sports at large a lot poorer.

GIORGOS KOLOKITHAS

Giorgos Kolokithas is one of the best players that have ever worn Panathinaikos’ jersey, or more accurately put, one of the best basketball players of all times. Born on November 2nd 1945, his talent was much more than obvious. He played for Sporting, where he stayed until 1966. His transfer to Panathinaikos caused a lot of discussions for quite some time. Being a clover player until 1973 went hand-in-hand with exceptional performances until his last day with the team, when he decided to put an early stop to his basketball career. He loved and continues to love basketball as much as life itself.

TAKIS KORONEOS

1968-1986, 1989-90

A player who is intrinsically linked with the green jersey in the hearts and minds of all Panathinaikos’ fans, and all basketball fans at that. He is one of the top guards in the history of the club and Greek basketball in general.

DIMITRIS KOKOLAKIS

An emblematic figure in Greek basketball for many years, Dimitris Kokolakis was one of the first big guys to make history on the courts.

APOSTOLOS KONTOS

Apostolos Kontos was born on November 22nd, 1947 and is one of the most typical shooters in the history of not just Panathinaikos, but of Greek basketball in general.

MEMOS IOANNOU

One of those players whose name is intrinsically linked with Panathinaikos, Memos Ioannou was born on April 15, 1958 and has worn the Panathinaikos’ jersey from 1974 to 1990, winning titles and various accolades, leading the team with his peripheral game.

DAVID STERGAKOS

He is one of the players that will certainly be remembered by those who were fortunate enough to see him play, since he knew basketball very well and had a …regal way of playing the game. He was born in Kansas (Missouri, USA) on October 24, 1956, and saw the world from the vantage point of his 2.06 height.

ANTONIO DAVIS

The University of Texas as El Paso (UTEP) graduate was given through Panathinaikos the opportunity to let his talent unfold and have a glorious career in the NBA. In 1990 he was drafted at No 45 by the Indiana Pacers in the second round, but chose to take his first professional basketball steps in Europe, namely with Panathinaikos.

NIKOS GALIS

Nikolaos Georgalis, AKA Nikos Galis: the man who managed to make his name synonymous to basketball and changed the history of this sport in our country.

STOJAN VRANKOVIC

He is one of the most beloved players to wear the Panathinaikos’ jersey. Stojan Vrankovic first got acquainted with the clover fans as….an opponent, whether at club level playing for Aris, or at National Teams level, playing for the Yugoslavia National Team and then the Croatia National Team. Panathinaikos and the Greek National Team kept finding him on the other side of the fence, but it was not long before he put on the green jersey for the first time and stopped being Stojan Vrankovic by becoming the ‘Stojko’ that everyone loved, not just up in the fans’ stands, but also inside the team..

DOMINIQUE WILKINS

The American player whose full name is Jacques Dominique Wilkins and was born on March 16, 1960 in Paris was undoubtedly the biggest transfer in the history of not just Greek, but European basketball too.

BYRON SCOTT

He is one of the greatest players ever to decide to leave the magic world of the NBA and cross to the other side of the Atlantic. Born on March 28, 1961 in Utah, after his second (single-season) term with the Los Angeles Lakers, Byron Scott decided to put on the “clover” jersey

DEJAN BODIROGA

To Serbs he is “god” and they make sure that people all over the world know learn about it through their mottos. To Catalans he is the man who led them to the top of Europe. To Panathinaikos’ fans he is their beloved Dejan, the one they will remember kissing the clover on the Panathinaikos’ jersey in the 1999 final in SEF (Greek acronym for the Peace and Friendship Stadium, by which that arena is known in Greece) and returning to the Sporting indoors arena as a player who typically left the team but never left their hearts. Dejan Bodiroga made sure to leave his mark in every team he played for.

ZELJKO REBRACA

Born on April 9, 1972 in Prigrevica, he left his own indelible mark on European basketball, while he also had an exceptional course on the NBA courts. Zeljko Rebraca was Zeljko Obradovic’s “chosen one” for the Panathinaikos’ in-the-paint game for two seasons.

DARRYL MIDDLETON

A special player, in a league of his own... His love for basketball has led him to continue playing the game to this very day, at age 45! His story, though, begins several years back.

FRAGISKOS ALVERTIS

Fragiskos Alvertis and Panathinaikos BC have gone hand-in-hand through the most brilliant years in the team’s history. Adored by the “clover” fans, “Fraghi” became an iconic player putting on the green jersey for 19 years and winning 11 Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association (HEBA) Championships, 8 Greek Cups, 5 European Championships as well as 1 Transcontinental Cup.

DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

Dimitris Diamantidis (born May 6, 1980) is an athlete - "myth" for Panathinaikos, and also for the Greek basketball. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Europeans ever to grace the game, he marked his era by being the most versatile player in the EuroLeague, serving as an inspiration to a whole generation of young European stars.