Theodoros Papaloukas (

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

: Θεόδωρος Παπαλουκάς; born 8 May 1977), commonly known as Theo Papaloukas or Thodoris Papaloukas, is a retired Greek professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player. He was a four-time All-EuroLeague selection, a member of the EuroLeague 2000–2010 All-Decade Team and was named one of the

50 greatest EuroLeague contributors The 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) of FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague history were awarded and chosen on February 3, 2008, in Madrid, Spain. The occasion was the fiftieth anniversary since the founding of the inaugural s ...

in 2008. A revolutionary figure in basketball, as illustrated by his unique ability to come off the bench and alter the course of an encounter, and his uncanny feel for the game, he symbolized the rise of European basketball in the new millennium. He was honored in 2013 with the highest European award, being named as a EuroLeague Legend for all of his career accomplishments. Papaloukas started his career in 1995, with his local club of Ampelokipoi, before being transferred two years later to Dafni, and then to

Panionios Panionios G.S.S. Football Club (Greek: ΠΑΕ Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ.), the ''Pan-Ionian Gymnastics Club of Smyrna'' (Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, ''Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis''), ...

in 1999. His performances with the latter earned him a transfer to

EuroLeague The EuroLeague is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier and the most prestigious men's basketball league in Europe. The league consists of 20 teams, of which 16 are given lon ...

powerhouse

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...

, where in 2002, he won his first title, the

Greek Cup The Greek Football Cup (), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Betsson Greek Cup for sponsorship reasons is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation. The Greek Cup is the second-most important domestic men's footba ...

. A year later, he moved to Moscow for CSKA, the club that he would help to regain its past glory. After making a minimal impact during his first two seasons in the Russian capital, he evolved into a major contributor to CSKA's success, playing as a

sixth man The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starting lineup, starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in, and the first to be used against the other team's subst ...

in the 2004–05 season, both in the

and the Russian Super League A. In

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, Papaloukas led CSKA to their first EuroLeague title in thirty-five years, and thus earning an All-EuroLeague First Team selection and the

EuroLeague Final Four MVP The EuroLeague Final Four Most Valuable Player Award is presented and awarded to the basketball player who has exhibited the most exceptional play during the EuroLeague Final Four. The award often goes to the best player on the European-wide top ...

award in the process. The following year, he cemented his status as a EuroLeague competition icon, after being named the

EuroLeague MVP The EuroLeague MVP, or EuroLeague Regular Season MVP, is the EuroLeague awards, award bestowed to the player that is deemed to be the "Most valuable player, Most Valuable Player" during the regular season of the EuroLeague. The EuroLeague ...

, before falling short of a second straight EuroLeague title in the championship's final against Panathinaikos. In

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, he won his second EuroLeague title with CSKA, in what would be his last year in Moscow. In the summer of 2008, Papaloukas returned to Olympiacos, and with them he reached another two

EuroLeague Final Four The EuroLeague Final Four is the final four format championship of the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague professional club basketball competition. The Euroleague Basketball Company used the final four format for the first time in 2002, fo ...

s, thereby giving him a then record of eight consecutive EuroLeague Final Four appearances, a record he shared at the time with his former teammate J.R. Holden. On 12 December 2013 he was honored with a EuroLeague Basketball Legend Award. Papaloukas helped lead the Greece men's national basketball team to a title,

EuroBasket 2005 The 2005 FIBA European Championship, commonly known as FIBA EuroBasket 2005, was the 34th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe. It also served as the European qualifier for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, awardin ...

, and a silver medal in

2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised b ...

. He was elected to the All-Tournament Team in both competitions. Papaloukas took part in two Olympic tournaments, in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

and

, with Greece finishing in their personal all-time best fifth position on both occasions. In 2006, he was named the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year.

Professional career

Early years

A native of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, Greece, Papaloukas began his big career at the small local Athens junior team Ethnikos Ellinoroson. He then played for another small, but at the time rising club, called Ampelokipoi, with whom he began his pro career in 1995. He then transferred to Dafni of the Greek 2nd Division in 1997, and transferred again two years later to

, a traditional basketball club of the top-tier level

Greek Basket League The Greek Basketball League (GBL), and also known as the Stoiximan Greek Basketball League (GBL) for sponsorship reasons, is the Greek basketball league system, first tier level professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by the ...

. With Dafni, Papaloukas won the Greek 2nd Division title, and the Greek 2nd Division Player of the Year award, in the 1998–99 season. In 2001, Papaloukas finally moved to

, a long-time Greek League power, as well as one of the perennial contenders in the

. With

, he led the

in assists in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons. After the 2001–02 season, he left

, and moved to another

powerhouse, the Russian Super League A club

CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...

, in 2002.

CSKA Moscow

After three disappointing years, at the club level, Papaloukas was a main factor helping the team win the 2005–06 EuroLeague title, the club's first EuroLeague title in 35 years, with a clutch performance in the 2006 Final Four - 19 points in the semifinal against

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...

, and another 18 points at the final against the then back-to-back European champions,

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv () is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, j ...

, which led to him being awarded him the Final Four MVP award; after he was also named the best

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...

of the EuroLeague for that season. Alongside him on the All-EuroLeague First Team, were the best

shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...

, Juan Carlos Navarro of Barça, the best

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three, is one of the five Basketball position, positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than Power forward (basketball), power forwards and Cent ...

Anthony Parker Anthony Michael Parker (born June 19, 1975) is an American professional basketball executive who is the general manager of the Orlando Magic and former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as w ...

of Maccabi (the 2005–06 EuroLeague

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

), the best

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...

Luis Scola Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa (born 30 April 1980) is an Argentine former basketball player and the chief executive officer for the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) team Pallacanestro Varese. A three-time All-EuroLeague Team, All-EuroLeague selecti ...

of TAU Cerámica, and the best center,

Nikola Vujčić Nikola Vujčić (born 14 June 1978) is a Croatian former professional basketball player, and the current general manager (basketball), team manager of the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., Maccabi Tel Aviv. During his playing career, he played ...

of Maccabi. In 2007, Papaloukas was voted the

2006–07 EuroLeague The 2006–07 Euroleague was the 7th season of the professional basketball competition for elite clubs throughout Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball Company, and it was the 50th season of the premier competition for European men's clubs ov ...

season. CSKA advanced to the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

against Panathinaikos, which was held on the Greens' home court, the Athens Olympic Indoor Hall (which had been chosen as the site more than a year in advance). Panathinaikos won the game, by a score of 93–91, in a very exciting game. Papaloukas scored 23 points and dished out 8 assists, but a number of sportswriters intimated that he did not receive adequate support from his CSKA teammates, and thus his team lost the final. Papaloukas was also a key member of CSKA's

2007–08 EuroLeague The 2007–08 Euroleague was the 8th season of the professional basketball competition for elite clubs throughout Europe, organised by Euroleague Basketball Company, and it was the 51st season of the premier competition for European men's clubs o ...

championship team. Papaloukas was then pursued in

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

by the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

clubs the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

, and the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

to fill their point guard spot. However, on 7 July 2007 Greek newspapers reported that Papaloukas agreed to a newly structured 3-year contract with CSKA, worth

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...

10.5 million

net income In business and Accountancy, accounting, net income (also total comprehensive income, net earnings, net profit, bottom line, sales profit, or credit sales) is an entity's income minus cost of goods sold, expenses, depreciation and Amortization (a ...

Olympiacos

On 20 June 2008, one year after his contract extension with CSKA, Papaloukas used an option to leave his contract with no buyout to sign a three-year contract with

with an annual salary of

3.5 million

. In the first two years of his contract, he helped Olympiacos reach the

, averaging 8 points and 5.2 assists in the EuroLeague 2008–09 season, and 7.4 points and 5.1 assists in the EuroLeague 2009–10 season. In the third, and last, year of his contract, the team failed to advance to the EuroLeague Final Four, losing 3 games to 1 to

Montepaschi Siena Mens Sana Basketball Siena, also known as simply Mens Sana, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Siena. It is a section of the sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871. Under the name Montepaschi Siena, derived from spon ...

in the EuroLeague quarterfinal playoffs, despite having the home court advantage.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

On 13 August 2011 Papaloukas signed a contract with the Israeli team

, the finalists of the

2010–11 EuroLeague The 2010–11 Turkish Airlines Euroleague was the 11th season of the modern era of professional Euroleague Basketball, and the first under the title sponsorship of Turkish Airlines. Including the competition's previous incarnation as the FIBA Eu ...

. In Macccabi, Papaloukas didn't get much playing-time, averaging only 9.1 minutes per game in the

, and playing in only 8 Israeli Super League 2011–12 season games. The shortage of playing-time led to his release, after only one disappointing season with the yellows.

Back to CSKA Moscow

In December 2012, Papaloukas was invited to a tryout with

. He was signed by the team, and then officially returned to the court in a EuroLeague game against

Anadolu Efes Anadolu Efes Spor Kulübü, commonly referred to as Anadolu Efes or simply Efes, is a Turkish professional basketball team based in Istanbul. Founded in 1976, the club was formerly known as Efes Pilsen until 2011. Efes is the 2021–22 EuroLeagu ...

, on 28 December 2012. After the end of the

2013 EuroLeague Final Four The 2013 Euroleague Final Four was the concluding Euroleague Final Four, Final Four tournament of the 2012–13 Euroleague, 2012–13 Euroleague season. It was held from 10 May till 12 May 2013, at The O2 Arena in London. The Greek Basket League, ...

in London, he announced his retirement from playing professional basketball, effective at the end of the season.

National team career

Papaloukas was part of the core element of the Greece men's national basketball team. He played at the following

EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

EuroBasket 2001 The 2001 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2001, was the 32nd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2002 FIBA World Championship, giving a ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

EuroBasket 2003 The 2003 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2003, was the 33rd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as the Europe qualifier for the 2004 Summer Olympics, giving a berth ...

in Sweden,

Serbia and Montenegro The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro or simply Serbia and Montenegro, known until 2003 as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and commonly referred to as FR Yugoslavia (FRY) or simply Yugoslavia, was a country in Southeast Europe locate ...

, and

EuroBasket 2007 The 2007 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2007, was the 35th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – ...

in Spain. Papaloukas, who was already well-established in European basketball as a result of appearances in three consecutive

s with

, achieved an acclaimed position among the elite of European basketball at the

in Serbia and Montenegro. After a series of mediocre performances in the first round, he led Greece to a victory over the

Russian National Basketball Team The Russia men's national basketball team () represents Russia in international basketball competition. They are organized and run by the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF). The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Uni ...

in the quarterfinals, and orchestrated a major comeback against the

French National Basketball Team The France men's national basketball team () represents France in international basketball and is administered by the French Federation of Basketball. France is currently ranked fourth in the FIBA Men's World Ranking, FIBA World Ranking. Franc ...

in the semifinal, when Greece was down 7 points with 47 seconds left on the clock. In the final against the

German National Basketball Team The Germany men's national basketball team ( or ''Die Mannschaft'') represents Germany in international basketball competition. The team is directed by the German Basketball Federation (''Deutscher Basketball Bund''), the governing body for b ...

, led by the prodigious

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...

, Papaloukas scored 22 points, leading Greece comfortably to its second European title, eighteen years after its first win at the EuroBasket 1987. As such, Papaloukas was selected to the All-Tournament Team of the

, along with fellow Greek team player

Dimitris Diamantidis Dimitrios 'Dimitris' Diamantidis ( ; born 6 May 1980) is a retired Greek professional basketball player, who spent the last twelve seasons of his EuroLeague career with Panathinaikos BC, Panathinaikos. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Europ ...

, Spanish National Basketball Team shooting guard Juan Carlos Navarro, French National Team

swingman A swingman is an athlete capable of playing multiple positions in their sport. Basketball In basketball, the term "swingman" (a.k.a. "wing" or "guard-forward") denotes a player who can play both the shooting guard (2) and small forward (3) positi ...

and NBA player

Boris Diaw Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod (born 16 April 1982), better known as Boris Diaw, is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw began his playing career in Pro A and returned to that lea ...

, and Nowitzki, who also claimed the

title. Papaloukas also joined the elite club of players who have achieved the European title at both the

national team A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport. The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...

and club levels during the same year, as he won the

title with CSKA at the Final Four in Prague on 28–30 April 2006. Papaloukas climbed to the second position of global basketball as he, along with his fellow Greek team players, drove Greece to the final of the

in Japan, losing there in the final to the Spanish National Basketball Team. The win of the Greece national team over

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

in the semifinal, by a score of 101–95, had Papaloukas with 12 assists, 8 points and 5 rebounds. He also earned a place on the All-Tournament Team, which also included the tournament MVP

Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, Gasol's teammate

Jorge Garbajosa Jorge Garbajosa Chaparro (born 19 December 1977) is a Spanish former professional basketball player, the outgoing president of the Spanish Basketball Federation, and the current President of FIBA Europe. Standing at 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in ...

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony ( ; born May 29, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Anthony played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a ten-time NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA T ...

, and

Manu Ginóbili Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili ( , ; born 28 July 1977) is an Argentine former professional basketball player. Credited for popularizing the Euro step move in the NBA, he is regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards and sixth men in the le ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. His most formidable personal recognition came on 26 January 2007, when he was voted by fans and journalists as the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year for 2006, topping the likes of Nowitzki, Gasol, and

Tony Parker William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket, LDLC ASVEL of the LNB Élite and the EuroLeague. The son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career ...

. In the summer of 2008, Papaloukas became the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of Greece's national team for the

2008 Olympic Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fr ...

. It was also the last time he ever played for Greece's national team.

Player profile

Papaloukas was a 2.00 m (6 ft 6 in) tall (102 kg (225 lb.) player who could play as either a

, or

point forward Point forward is an unorthodox offensive position in basketball in which a forward, usually a small forward, adds the responsibilities of a point guard to their play. More rarely, a power forward can also assume the position. The purpose of the po ...

on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He was a pass-first play maker with a distinctive style of play. His play making ability and pass first point guard skills at his height, combined with his versatility to play multiple positions on the basketball court on both ends of the floor made him an extraordinary player. Papaloukas was selected to the

's 50th anniversary

50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors The 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) of FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague history were awarded and chosen on February 3, 2008, in Madrid, Spain. The occasion was the fiftieth anniversary since the founding of the inaugural s ...

list in 2008. Papaloukas is widely known by the nicknames of Teó and Thodoris. As a player, he was also sometimes given other much less used nicknames, such as The Computer, due to his ability to analyze the court, The Thread, because of his unique ability to complete passes through opposing defenses, like threading a needle, and other nicknames like Paps, Pappas, and The Tsar.

Post playing career

After he retired from playing professional basketball, Papaloukas was named a EuroLeague Legend, and also an official ambassador of the

. He also became a member of the EuroLeague's official technical rules committee.

Personal

His family hails from Prousos Evritania.Οι Ρουμελιώτες τίμησαν την Παναγία Εκδήλωση στην Αθήνα και βράβευση του Θοδωρή Παπαλουκά, ευρυτανικής καταγωγής evrytanika.gr
/ref>

Career statistics

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2001–02 , style="text-align:left;",

, 19 , , 13 , , 26.9 , , .468 , , .333 , , .671 , , 2.9 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 8.4 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2002–03 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="6",

, 21 , , 1 , , 16.4 , , .453 , , .280 , , .630 , , 2.0 , , 3.4 , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 4.7 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2003–04 , 21 , , 0 , , 17.4 , , .453 , , .172 , , .782 , , 1.7 , , 2.7 , , 1.5 , , .1 , , 6.3 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2004–05 , 23 , , 0 , , 18.5 , , .611 , , .412 , , .679 , , 2.3 , , 3.8 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 7.6 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;", 2005–06† , 24 , , 0 , , 22.7 , , .549 , , .275 , , .736 , , 3.1 , , 4.0 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , 9.3 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="background:#CFECEC;", 25* , , 3 , , 24.4 , , .578 , , .341 , , .716 , , 3.2 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 5.4* , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 9.8 , , 15.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;", 2007–08† , 23 , , 0 , , 21.8 , , .500 , , .242 , , .690 , , 2.7 , , 4.6 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 7.7 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3",

, 22 , , 2 , , 25.1 , , .612 , , .368 , , .636 , , 2.7 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 5.2* , , 1.1 , , .0 , , 8.0 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , 19 , , 0 , , 24.4 , , .561 , , .351 , , .643 , , 2.1 , , 5.1 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 7.4 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

, 18 , , 0 , , 21.4 , , .470 , , .214 , , .609 , , 2.6 , , 3.8 , , 1.6 , , .0 , , 5.4 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Maccabi , 20 , , 1 , , 9.6 , , .435 , , .333 , , .720 , , 1.1 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .0 , , 3.0 , , 3.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 17 , , 0 , , 11.1 , , .379 , , .333 , , .786 , , 1.5 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .1 , , 2.2 , , 3.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 252 , , 20 , , 20.1 , , .526 , , .300 , , .694 , , 2.4 , , 3.9 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 6.8 , , 9.9

Awards and accomplishments

Pro clubs

* Greek 2nd Division Champion: (1999) *

Eurobasket.com Eurobasket.com, also commonly referred to as "Eurobasket News", is a basketball-centered website that provides coverage of every professional and semi-professional club basketball league from around the world, as well as many amateur level lea ...

's Greek 2nd Division Player of the Year: (1999) * 3× Greek League assists leader: (2001, 2002, 2009) * 5× Greek League All-Star: (2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011) * 3×

Winner: (2002, 2010, 2011) * 7× Russian League Champion: (2003–08, 2013) * 3× Russian Cup Winner: (2005–07) * 3× Russian League Player of the Year (2005, 2006, 2007) * Russian Cup

: (2006) * 2×

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...

: (2006, 2008) * 4×

All-EuroLeague Team The All-EuroLeague Team is an EuroLeague awards, award for European professional club basketball system, Europe's premier level league, the EuroLeague, that is given to the league's top ten basketball players for each season, since the 2000–01 s ...

: (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) ** 2× All-EuroLeague First Team: (2006, 2007) ** 2× All-EuroLeague Second Team: (2008, 2009) *

: (2006) * Triple Crown Champion: (2006) * FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year: (2006) * All-Europe Player of the Year: (2006) * 2× EuroLeague assists leader: (

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

) *

: (2007) *

EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer The EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer is the individual EuroLeague awards, award for the player that gained the highest point (basketball), points in the EuroLeague Finals, the championship finals of the European professional club basketball system, E ...

: (2007) *

: (2008) * EuroLeague 2000–2010 All-Decade Team: (2010) * Israeli State Cup Winner: (2012) *

Adriatic League The ABA League, renamed the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the top-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, ...

Champion: (2012) * Israeli Super League Champion: (2012) *

VTB United League The VTB United League () is an international professional men's club basketball league that was founded in 2009. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus and Kazakhstan. Since 2013, it is the first tier of Russian ...

Champion: (2013) * EuroLeague Basketball Legend: (2013) * 101 Greats of European Basketball: (2018) *

Greek Basket League Hall of Fame The Greek Basketball League Hall of Fame, or Hellenic Basketball Association (HEBA) Hall of Fame (), is a Hall of Fame (HOF) that recognizes and honors the best basketball players and head coaches in the history of Greece's top-tier level profes ...

: (2022)

Greek national team

* 7× Acropolis Tournament Champion: (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) *

: *

EuroBasket All-Tournament Team The FIBA EuroBasket All-Tournament Team, or FIBA EuroBasket All-Star Five, is the FIBA Europe award that is bestowed upon the five best players of each FIBA EuroBasket tournament. Pau Gasol holds the record for the most selections in the All-E ...

: (

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

) * 2006 FIBA Stanković World Cup: *

: *

: All-Tournament Team *

FIBA EuroStar FIBA EuroStars was an annual All-Star Game showcase of the sport of European professional club basketball. It was organized by FIBA Europe. Commonly considered to be the European equivalent of the NBA All-Star Game, the FIBA EuroStars Game featu ...

: (2007)

References

External links

Theo Papaloukas' Official Twitter

Euroleague.net Profile

Eurobasket.com Profile

Draftexpress.com Profile

* ttp://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_rdCa0AljHPAjbl9YuZSHL2.coid_kl-Qub2wHLUH0UwthgNad1.articleMode_on.html FIBAEurope.com Papaloukas Voted Best European Player
From FIBA Europe Official Website: "Papaloukas Legend Grows With FIBA Europe Player Of Year Honor"
by Jeff Taylor
Hellenic Basketball Federation Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Papaloukas, Theo 1977 births Living people 2006 FIBA World Championship players ABA League players Ampelokipoi B.C. players Basketball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Athens Dafnis B.C. players Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece FIBA EuroBasket–winning players Greek expatriate basketball people in Israel Greek expatriate basketball people in Russia Greece national basketball team players Greek Basket League players Greek men's basketball players Israeli Basketball Premier League players Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players Olympiacos B.C. players Olympic basketball players for Greece Panionios B.C. players PBC CSKA Moscow players Point guards Shooting guards Small forwards