Konstantinos "Kostas" Papanikolaou is a Greek professional basketball player and the team captain for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague.
18 Facts About Kostas Papanikolaou
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Kostas Papanikolaou has previously played in the NBA for the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets, as well as for the EuroLeague powerhouse FC Barcelona.
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Kostas Papanikolaou is widely considered amongst the best defensive players in European basketball.
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Kostas Papanikolaou was named the MVP of the Greek Youth All-Star Game in 2009.
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Kostas Papanikolaou was named the Greek League's Best Young Player in 2009.
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On 28 June 2012, Kostas Papanikolaou was selected with the 48th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
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On 10 July 2013, Kostas Papanikolaou's rights were acquired by the Houston Rockets, via a trade that sent Thomas Robinson to the Trail Blazers.
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On 23 September 2014, Kostas Papanikolaou signed with the Houston Rockets.
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Kostas Papanikolaou later re-signed with Denver on November 5,2015, and made his debut for the team that night.
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Kostas Papanikolaou was waived again by the Nuggets on 7 January 2016, before his salary became fully guaranteed.
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On 20 January 2016, Kostas Papanikolaou signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Olympiacos, returning to the club for a second stint.
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Kostas Papanikolaou signed another three-year extension on 22 September 2020.
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Kostas Papanikolaou won the silver medal at the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
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Kostas Papanikolaou won the gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team and won the MVP award.
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Kostas Papanikolaou then won the silver medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship with Greece's junior national team, where he was named to the All-Tournament Team.
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Kostas Papanikolaou played at the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification.
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Kostas Papanikolaou has appeared in 134 games for the senior national side and has scored a total of 842 points.
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Kostas Papanikolaou is a modern guard-forward with the ability to fight at least three positions with great success.