143 Facts About Vassilis Spanoulis

Vassilis Spanoulis, is a Greek former professional basketball player and coach, who is currently the head coach for AS Monaco of the French LNB Elite and the EuroLeague, as well as the head coach of the senior men's Greek national team.

Use of the Vassilis Spanoulis play has become popular in the NBA, and in other basketball leagues and competitions around the world.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the Balkan Athlete of the Year in 2009, the Eurobasket Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013, the International Sports Prize's World Athlete of the Year in 2013, and the EuroLeague MVP the same year.

Vassilis Spanoulis retired as the EuroLeague's all-time career leader in assists and total points scored.

Vassilis Spanoulis spent most of his playing career in the Greek Basket League, winning four Greek League titles as a member of Panathinaikos Athens, and three Greek League titles as a member of Olympiacos Piraeus.

In total, in four seasons with Panathinaikos, Vassilis Spanoulis won eight club championship titles, and in eleven seasons with Olympiacos, he won seven club championship titles.

In international national team competition, Vassilis Spanoulis played an instrumental role in the gold medal win of the senior men's Greek national team, at the 2005 FIBA EuroBasket.

Vassilis Spanoulis is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball legends that ever played the sport in Europe, and at the peak of his playing career, he took the public's interest in European professional club basketball to a higher level.

In 2020, Vassilis Spanoulis was named the "Best EuroLeague Player of The 2010s Decade" by the readers of the website Eurohoops.

In 2022, Vassilis Spanoulis was named a EuroLeague Legend, which is the EuroLeague's Hall of Fame award.

Vassilis Spanoulis was inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame, in 2022.

In October 2023, Vassilis Spanoulis was voted the EuroLeague's "GOAT" player, in a BasketNews.

Vassilis Spanoulis was born in Larissa, Greece, on 7 August 1982.

Vassilis Spanoulis's father Thanasis Spanoulis, was the owner of a drug store, and his mother Georgia Spanouli, was a bank clerk.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the couple's second and last child, being born three years after his older brother Dimitris.

At the age of 7, Vassilis Spanoulis began training in the sports of judo, football, swimming, and basketball.

In 1994, at the age of 12, Spanoulis joined the youth basketball program of the multi-sports club Gymnastikos S Larissas.

Vassilis Spanoulis led Keravnos Larissa, the youth basketball subsidiary of Gymnastikos S Larissas, to the title of the Panhellenic Youth Championship.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the championship's leading scorer, and Most Valuable Player.

Vassilis Spanoulis hit the game-winning 3-point shot, to win the title, at the buzzer.

In 2000, at the age of 17, Vassilis Spanoulis won the silver medal at the DBB Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament, and the bronze medal at the 2000 FIBA Under-18 EuroBasket.

In 2002, at the age of 19, Vassilis Spanoulis won the gold medal at the 2002 FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket, in which he made the game-winning free-throws.

Vassilis Spanoulis' move from Panathinaikos to Olympiacos, is generally considered to be the biggest transfer in the history of Greek sports.

Vassilis Spanoulis joined the youth system of the Greek sports club Gymnastikos, and its subsidiary youth club Keravnos, in Larissa, in 1994.

Vassilis Spanoulis played with Keravnos, in the Greek junior club levels, from 1994 to 1999.

Vassilis Spanoulis played that season in the 2nd-tier level Greek 2nd Division, with Gymnastikos.

When Vassilis Spanoulis first joined Maroussi, the team's head coach at the time, Nikos Linardos, had the then 19-year-old Vassilis Spanoulis play one-on-one against the well-known veteran EuroLeague player Michael Koch.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the Greek League Most Improved Player that same season.

Vassilis Spanoulis was then drafted in the 2nd round of the 2004 NBA draft, by the Dallas Mavericks, following this sudden emergence.

Vassilis Spanoulis made it onto the Greece men's national basketball team, at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the Greek Basket League Top Scorer for the season.

Vassilis Spanoulis played in the 2005 Greek League All-Star Game and was named to the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team.

Vassilis Spanoulis was one of the most improved players in Europe for the year.

Vassilis Spanoulis helped to lead Maroussi to the 2nd place of the Greek Basket League, for the regular season.

Vassilis Spanoulis started being called, "The Greek Steve Nash", by some European fans, after this season.

Vassilis Spanoulis played in the 2006 Greek League All-Star Game and was named to the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the team's leading scorer, even though he often came off the bench.

Vassilis Spanoulis won the EuroLeague MVP of the Round award twice during the season.

Vassilis Spanoulis was voted as the 7th best worldwide European player of the year in 2006, by FIBA Europe, in their FIBA Europe Player of the Year award voting.

On 19 July 2006 Vassilis Spanoulis opted out of the final two years of his contract with Panathinaikos Athens and signed a three-year deal with the NBA's Houston Rockets, who paid for his contract buyout from Panathinaikos.

Vassilis Spanoulis still had two years under his contract with Panathinaikos, but his buyout was small, and could be paid by the Rockets.

Vassilis Spanoulis's turnovers have been high; his fouls have been high; his shooting percentage has been low.

Vassilis Spanoulis was traded by the Rockets to the San Antonio Spurs, on 12 July 2007, along with a 2009 second-round draft pick, in exchange for center Jackie Butler, and the rights to Argentinian power forward Luis Scola.

On 19 August 2007 the Spurs released Vassilis Spanoulis, giving him the chance to return to Greece to play for Panathinaikos as he had requested.

Reportedly due to "family reasons," Vassilis Spanoulis decided that he would not remain in the NBA, with his agent going as far as comparing the Rockets' reluctance to break his contract to slavery.

Vassilis Spanoulis, instead opted to return to Panathinaikos, to play in the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague.

In June 2013, Vassilis Spanoulis claimed that Van Gundy told him on the first day he arrived at Houston that since he was a rookie, and unfamiliar to Van Gundy, he would be benched for the season.

Vassilis Spanoulis claimed that the Rockets' next head coach, Rick Adelman, wanted to keep him, and that both Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs were interested in having him on their team.

Vassilis Spanoulis signed a 3-year contract with Panathinaikos, the then defending EuroLeague champions.

Vassilis Spanoulis was signed to the team to play at both the point guard and shooting guard positions, along with fellow Greek national team star, Dimitris Diamantidis.

Vassilis Spanoulis' agent set up the contract so that Vassilis Spanoulis could opt out of it after one year.

Vassilis Spanoulis originally stated that, after the first year of his contract, he might opt out of it and return to San Antonio to play in the NBA again.

Vassilis Spanoulis averaged 11.8 points per game and 3.8 assists per game for the season, in 56 games total.

Vassilis Spanoulis was voted as a starter to the Greek League All-Star Game, and to the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team.

Vassilis Spanoulis helped Panathinaikos win the Greek basketball double, as the club won both the Greek Basket League championship, and the Greek Cup title in 2008.

Vassilis Spanoulis is the only basketball player to ever win the award.

In July 2010, after much speculation concerning his free agency and his next contract, Vassilis Spanoulis signed a three-year contract with the Greek Basket League club Olympiacos Piraeus, worth gross income, or net income, plus team performance bonuses.

In 2012, Vassilis Spanoulis won both the 2012 EuroLeague and Greek Basket League championships.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team, and won the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, for the second time in his career.

Vassilis Spanoulis became the fourth player to win the award multiple times.

Vassilis Spanoulis' assist, on Georgios Printezis' game-winning shot against the Russian VTB United League club CSKA Moscow, at the end of the 2012 EuroLeague Final, is widely considered to be the greatest of all-time highlight in the history of the EuroLeague.

Furthermore, Vassilis Spanoulis led the Greek League in assists.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the Greek Basket League MVP, and the Greek Basket League Finals MVP.

Finally, Vassilis Spanoulis was named the Eurobasket News All-Europe Player of the Year in 2012.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer, and was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, after leading Olympiacos to the 2013 EuroLeague championship title, which completed Olympiacos Piraeus' back-to-back EuroLeague championship run.

Vassilis Spanoulis became just the second player to win both the EuroLeague MVP and the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in the same season, along with Dimitris Diamantidis; and he became just the second player to win the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award 3 times, along with Toni Kukoc.

Vassilis Spanoulis won the International Sports Prize's World Athlete of the Year award in 2013.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the Eurobasket News All-Europe Player of the Year, for the second time, in 2013.

Vassilis Spanoulis signed a 3-year contract extension, worth net income, plus team performance bonuses, with Olympiacos in July 2013.

In May 2015, Vassilis Spanoulis was chosen to the All-EuroLeague First Team, for his performance during the season, his seventh All-EuroLeague Team honour.

In game 4 of the Greek League Finals, held at Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall, Olympiacos won in the game's second overtime period, after Vassilis Spanoulis hit another game-winning 3 point field goal, with 1.9 seconds remaining in the game.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the 2016 Greek League MVP, and the 2016 Greek League Finals MVP.

That same season, Vassilis Spanoulis eventually led Olympiacos to the 2017 EuroLeague Final.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the 2018 Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer.

Vassilis Spanoulis passed the previous record holder, Dimitris Diamantidis, in a Greek League game against AEK Athens, in January 2019.

On 14 March 2019, Vassilis Spanoulis suffered a season-ending peroneal tendon rupture on his right ankle, in a EuroLeague game against the Italian club Olimpia Milano.

On 29 November 2019, Vassilis Spanoulis passed Juan Carlos Navarro, to become the EuroLeague's all-time career leader in Performance Index Rating.

Vassilis Spanoulis's record was surpassed by Mike James in 2024.

Vassilis Spanoulis was congratulated by several NBA players such as: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, and Luka Doncic.

Vassilis Spanoulis was congratulated by several EuroLeague players such as: Georgios Printezis, Juan Carlos Navarro, Facu Campazzo, Fernando San Emeterio, Othello Hunter, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Sergio Rodriguez, Alexey Shved, Kostas Sloukas, Stratos Perperoglou, Ante Tomic, Toko Shengelia, Vasilije Micic, Vladimir Lucic, Gustavo Ayon, Nick Calathes, Jordan Taylor, Kyle Hines, and Kostas Papanikolaou.

Vassilis Spanoulis was congratulated by the legendary European basketball coach Aito.

On 4 February 2020, Vassilis Spanoulis again suffered a season-ending peroneal tendon rupture injury, in a EuroLeague game against Zalgiris Kaunas.

On 7 February 2020, Vassilis Spanoulis had another surgery to repair the tendon.

Vassilis Spanoulis received more than twice as many votes as the player who came in second place in the voting, which was Bogdan Bogdanovic.

On 10 December 2020, in a game against Red Star Belgrade, Vassilis Spanoulis passed Juan Carlos Navarro, to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of Europe's top-tier level basketball competition, including all the history of the competition, under both the management of both FIBA and EuroLeague Basketball, dating back to the original FIBA European Champions Cup competition, in 1958.

At the age of 38, Vassilis Spanoulis announced his intention to retire from playing professional basketball, on 26 June 2021.

On 27 September 2021, at the age of 39, Vassilis Spanoulis held a press conference, in which he officially announced his retirement as a player.

When he retired, Vassilis Spanoulis finished his men's playing career with a total of 13,533 points scored in 1,234 games played, across all leagues and competitions.

In international club competitions, Vassilis Spanoulis scored 24 points in 2 games played in the official World Club Championship, known as the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, and he scored a total of 4,872 points in 403 games played in European-wide professional club competitions, which was the second most points ever scored in the history of European-wide competitions, and a mere 32 points behind the career record holder Nikos Galis' 4,904 career points.

At the time of his retirement, Vassilis Spanoulis stated that being able to spend more time with his family, was more important than playing until he scored another 33 points to break Galis' scoring record.

Vassilis Spanoulis scored a total of 16 points in 4 games played in the 3rd-tier level FIBA Korac Cup competition, 86 points in 8 games played in the 3rd-tier level FIBA Europe Champions Cup competition, 133 points in 21 games played in the 3rd-tier level FIBA Europe League competition, and 182 points in 12 games played in the European 2nd-tier level EuroCup competition.

Vassilis Spanoulis scored a total of 414 points in 47 games played in the Greek Cup competition.

In national team competitions, Vassilis Spanoulis had a total of 211 caps, in which he scored a total of 2,314 points.

Vassilis Spanoulis was paid tribute by the legendary EuroLeague basketball coaches, Dusan Ivkovic and Zeljko Obradovic.

Vassilis Spanoulis was paid tribute at his jersey retirement ceremony, by several EuroLeague basketball coaches, such as: Ettore Messina, Dimitris Itoudis, Jonas Kazlauskas, Vangelis Angelou, and Georgios Bartzokas.

Vassilis Spanoulis left his mark on all of European basketball.

Vassilis Spanoulis [Vassilis Spanoulis] has done so many great things, and is a player who has made us proud, and motivated our children to get involved in the sport.

Vassilis Spanoulis has done incredible things in his career, we thank him very much, but not only for the basketball that he played, but for the way he persevered on the court and worked with the people around him.

Vassilis Spanoulis never stopped dreaming and believing, and that was his biggest motivation.

Vassilis Spanoulis was a key member of the Greek under-18 junior national team at the FIBA Under-18 EuroBasket's 2000 tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis averaged 10.1 points per game at the tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis played at the 2000 edition of the Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament, where he averaged 14.0 points per game, and won the silver medal with Greece.

Vassilis Spanoulis was on the Greek under-20 junior national team that finished in first place, and thus won the gold medal, at the 2002 FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket.

Vassilis Spanoulis was a key member of the team for Greece during that tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis won a gold medal with the Greek national team, at the 2006 FIBA Stankovic World Cup tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the MVP of both the 2007 edition and the 2009 edition of the Acropolis Tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the Top Scorer of the 2008 edition of the Acropolis Tournament, and the assist leader of the 2013 edition of the Acropolis Tournament.

In total, Vassilis Spanoulis won eight gold medals at the Acropolis Tournament with the Greek national team, as he won the 2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2013, and 2015 editions of the tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis won the silver medal at the 2004 edition of the Acropolis Tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis ended his Greece men's national basketball team career, having been the leading scorer in every major tournament that he played in, from 2006 onward.

Vassilis Spanoulis will have time to get back on his feet.

Vassilis Spanoulis is very important to me; I want to have him with me.

Vassilis Spanoulis finished his national team career with Greece, having won a total of nine medals at all levels, seven of which came in FIBA competitions.

Vassilis Spanoulis made his debut with the senior men's Greek national team, for the first time, in the summer of 2004, when he was selected by his then head coach at Maroussi, Greek basketball legend, Panagiotis Giannakis, to be a member of the Greek squad during the 2004 FIBA Summer Olympics, which were held in Athens, Greece.

Vassilis Spanoulis was able to play in front of his home country's fans at Helliniko Olympic Arena, as Greece was the Olympic Game's host country.

Vassilis Spanoulis averaged a team-leading 12.8 points per game, at the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where Greece finished in first place.

Vassilis Spanoulis played at the main 2008 FIBA Summer Olympics competition, where he led Greece in scoring average at 14.3 points per game, and at the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he again led Greece in scoring, with an average of 19.3 points per game, which was the third highest scoring average in the tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis will have time to get back on his feet.

Vassilis Spanoulis is very important to me; I want to have him with me.

However, on 26 June 2021, Vassilis Spanoulis announced his retirement from the sport for good, after he suffered an injury during Greece's training camp preparation.

At the 2005 FIBA EuroBasket, Vassilis Spanoulis was a key member of the Greek team that won the FIBA EuroBasket and took home the gold medal.

Two years later, at the 2007 FIBA EuroBasket, Vassilis Spanoulis was again part of Greece's team.

Vassilis Spanoulis led the Greek team in scoring during the tournament, with a scoring average of 11.7 points per game.

Vassilis Spanoulis' 2007 game-winning shot against Croatia, is widely considered to be the greatest game-winning shot in the history of the FIBA EuroBasket tournament, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest game-winning shots ever in any FIBA tournament.

At the 2009 FIBA EuroBasket, Vassilis Spanoulis led Greece in scoring, with an average of 14.1 points per game, and led Greece to the bronze medal.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named to the FIBA EuroBasket All-Star Five.

At the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket, despite playing most of the tournament with a severe ankle injury, Vassilis Spanoulis led Greece in scoring, and was third overall in the tournament in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game.

Vassilis Spanoulis was Greece's leading scorer in every major FIBA tournament that he played in, from 2006 onward.

Vassilis Spanoulis was a member of the Greek senior team that competed at the 2006 FIBA World Cup, and he helped to lead the Greek team to the silver medal, as they finished in second place in the tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis led the Greece national team in scoring during the 2006 FIBA World Cup, with an average of 11.7 points per game, and he led the Greek team in free throw shooting percentage at 87.8 percent.

Vassilis Spanoulis played with Greece at the 2010 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 13.7 points per game, which made him Greece's leading scorer in the tournament.

Vassilis Spanoulis began his coaching career, working as the head coach of the EuroLeague Under-18 Next Generation Select Team.

On 24 June 2022, Vassilis Spanoulis was officially announced as the new head coach of the Greek Basket League and FIBA Champions League club Peristeri Athens.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the FIBA Champions League's Best Coach of the Season.

Vassilis Spanoulis can be walking next to you, and in those two minutes, you're getting so much energy, and so much knowledge, in two minutes.

Vassilis Spanoulis was named the head coach of the senior men's Greek national team, on 2 October 2023.

Vassilis Spanoulis next coached Greece at the 2024 Piraeus FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, prior to the 2024 FIBA Summer Olympics.

Vassilis Spanoulis' older brother, Dimitris, is a former professional basketball player.

Vassilis Spanoulis is married to Miss Star Hellas of 2006, Olympia Chopsonidou.

When Vassilis Spanoulis played with Maroussi Athens, he was given the nickname Bill the Butcher, by Tracy Murray, who was at that time a player of Maroussi's rivals, Panathinaikos Athens.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the first Greek-born player to play for the Houston Rockets, and he was the third Greek-born player to play in the NBA.

Vassilis Spanoulis was one of the idols of Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Slovenian basketball player Luka Doncic, when they were youths in Europe.

Doncic wore the number 7 jersey when he was a member of Real Madrid, as an homage to Vassilis Spanoulis, who wore the number 7 jersey with the Greek national team and Olympiacos Piraeus.