Dimitrios Papanikolaou

Dimitrios Papanikolaou (alternate spelling: Dimitris) (Greek: Δημήτρης Παπανικολάου; born February 7, 1977 in Nea Liosia, Athens, Greece) is a retired Greek professional basketball player and a professional basketball coach. He is 2.02 m (6 ft 7 ​1⁄2 in) tall. He spent most of his career playing at the shooting guard and small forward positions, although he also played at the power forward position late in his career.

Dimitrios Papanikolaou
Δημήτρης Παπανικολάου
Personal information
Born (1977-02-07) February 7, 1977
Nea Liosia, Athens, Greece
NationalityGreek
Listed height6 ft 7.5 in (2.02 m)
Listed weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
Playing career1992–2011
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
Coaching career2012–present
Career history
As player:
1992–1995Sporting
1995–2002Olympiacos
2002–2003Makedonikos
2003–2007Panathinaikos
2007–2009AEK Athens
2009–2010Panionios
2010–2011Peristeri
As coach:
2012AEK Athens
2012Ilysiakos
2013Greece (assistant)
2014Greece Under-17
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Greece
FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
1993 Turkey Under-16
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
1995 Greece Under-19

Playing career

Clubs

Papanikolaou began his professional career in 1992 with the Greek club Sporting Athens when he was transferred from the amateur club Asteras Neon Liosion. He then transferred to Olympiacos Piraeus in the year 1995. With Olympiacos, he won 2 Greek Basket League championships (1996, 1997), 2 Greek Cups (1997, 2002), the EuroLeague championship (1997), and also the Triple Crown (1997). In 1997 summer Papanikolaou left Olympiakos for Virtus Bologna, but he wasn't free for the Italian club until his 21st birthday. Finally, after 5 months without official action in Bologna, he signed a new contract with Olympiacos.[1]

In 2002, he moved to Makedonikos Kozani, and then in 2003, he moved to Panathinaikos Athens. With Panathinaikos, he won 4 Greek Basket League championships (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), 3 Greek Cups (2005, 2006, 2007), the EuroLeague championship (2007), and also the Triple Crown (2007). In 2007, he moved to AEK Athens, in 2009 to Panionios, and a year later he joined Peristeri. He announced his retirement from professional basketball on August 22, 2011.[2]

Greek national team

With the Greek Under-16 junior national team, Papanikolaou won the gold medal at the 1993 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. With the Greek Underr-19 junior national team, he also won the gold medal at the 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. With the senior men's Greek national basketball team, Papanikolaou competed at the 1998 FIBA World Cup, and finished in 4th place in the world with Greece.

He also competed with Greece at the following EuroBaskets: the 1997 EuroBasket, the 1999 EuroBasket, the 2001 EuroBasket, and the 2003 EuroBasket. Papanikolaou was also a member of the Greek team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games; and he was also a member of Greece's team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. In both Olympics, Greece managed to finish 5th in the world.

Coaching career

On January 24, 2012, Papanikolaou began his coaching career, as the head coach of AEK Athens, where he stayed for about one month. In the summer of 2012, he became the head coach of Ilysiakos. In 2013, he became an assistant coach for the senior men's Greek national basketball team.[3] In 2014, he coached the Greek men's national under-17 basketball team at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship.

Honors and accomplishments

Pro career

Greek junior national team

References
  1. Η περιπέτεια με την Κίντερ g-point gr
  2. "No more basketball for Dimitrios Papanikolaou". Contra.gr (in Greek). Greece. August 22, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  3. Basket.gr Ο Τρινκέρι στην Εθνική Ανδρών για δύο χρόνια (in Greek). Archived 2013-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
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