Vassilis Spanoulis (Greek:Βασίλης Σπανούλης), also commonly known asBill Spanoulis (Greek:Μπίλλ Σπανούλης), orBilly Spanoulis (Greek:Μπίλλυ Σπανούλης;[3][4][5][6][7] born 7 August 1982) is a Greek former professionalbasketball player who is currently thehead coach forAS Monaco of the FrenchLNB Élite and theEuroLeague, as well as the head coach of the senior men'sGreek national team.
In the sport of basketball, his signature move is a cut originating from under the rim where the player moves up the floor to receive a handoff from another player, which is commonly known as "Spanoulis Action",[8][9] "The Spanoulis System", or simply "Spanoulis".[10] During his pro playing career, at a height of 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall, and a weight of 212 lb (96 kg),[11] Spanoulis played as apoint guard-shooting guard, and was nicknamed Kill Bill, V-Span, Greek Thunder, and MVP ("Most Vassilis Player").[12][13] Spanoulis was named theBalkan Athlete of the Year in 2009,[14][15] theEurobasket Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013,[16] theInternational Sports Prize's World Athlete of the Year in 2013, and theEuroLeague MVP the same year. He earned a recordeight All-EuroLeague Team selections and was voted theEuroLeague's 2010–2020 Player of the Decade.[2] Spanoulis retired as the EuroLeague's all-time career leader inassists and totalpoints scored.[17] In 2025, Spanoulis was voted The Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Athlete in the 100-year history ofOlympiacos Piraeus CFP,[18][19][20][21][22] which is themulti-sport club with the most championships won in sports history, with over 300 awards.[23][24]
During his professionalclub playing career, on the international level, Spanoulis was aFIBA World Club Championship champion, aEuropean Triple Crown winner, a three-timeEuroLeague champion and five-timeEuroLeague finalist, and aFIBA Europe League finalist. While on the national domestic level, Spanoulis was a seven-timeGreek Basket League champion, thirteen-time Greek Basket League finalist, and a four-timeGreek Cup winner and nine-time Greek Cup finalist. He spent most of his playing career in the Greek Basket League, winning four Greek League titles as a member ofPanathinaikos Athens, and three Greek League titles as a member ofOlympiacos Piraeus. With those same two Greek clubs, he also won three EuroLeague titles, one with the former club (2009), and two consecutively (2012 and2013) with the latter. In total, in four seasons with Panathinaikos, Spanoulis won eight club championship titles, and in eleven seasons with Olympiacos, he won seven club championship titles.
In international competitions of thenational team, Spanoulis played an instrumental role in the gold medal win of the senior men'sGreek national team, at the2005 FIBA EuroBasket. He was also one of the main stars of Greece's2006 FIBA World Cup silver medal team, as he led Greece with 22 points scored in their memorable victory overTeam USA, by a score of 101–95, in the tournament's semifinals. It was however, Greece's bronze medal win at the2009 FIBA EuroBasket, that emphasized Spanoulis' leadership within an injury-plagued Greek national team, and consequently earned him aEuroBasket All-Star Five honor.[25] In 2020, Spanoulis was named to theFIBA Summer Olympics 1992–2020 Dream Team, which consisted of the 25 best players inFIBA Summer Olympics history, since the inclusion of NBA players, in1992,[26] and to theFIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team, which consisted of the five best players of theFIBA EuroBasket, since the year 2000.[27]
Spanoulis, whose clutch end-of-game play earned him the nickname "Kill Bill",[28] is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in Europe. In 2017, the European basketball expert and historian, Vladimir Stanković, and the EuroLeague's expert basketball panel, named Spanoulis "The Most Clutch Player in EuroLeague History".[29] In 2018, he was named to the 101 Greats of European Basketball selection. Along with the Spanish playerJuan Carlos Navarro, Spanoulis was one of just two players, that were still active players at the time, that were specially selected for the honor. In 2020, Spanoulis was named the "Best EuroLeague Player of The 2010s Decade" by the readers of the website Eurohoops.net.[30] HoopsHype.com named Spanoulis one of the 75 Greatest International Players Ever in 2021.[31] In 2022, Spanoulis was named aEuroLeague Legend, which is the EuroLeague's Hall of Fame award.[32][33][34] Spanoulis was also inducted into theGreek Basket League Hall of Fame, in 2022.[35] Spanoulis'number 7 jersey was retired by the GreekEuroLeague clubOlympiacos Piraeus, on 17 September 2023.[36][37] In October 2023, Spanoulis was voted theEuroLeague's "GOAT" ("Greatest of All Time") player, in a BasketNews.com poll ofEuroLeague players. Spanoulis received 40% of the vote total, while the second-placed vote-getter,Nando de Colo, received a total of 14% of the vote.[38]
Spanoulis was born inLarissa, Greece, on 7 August 1982.[39][40] His father Thanasis Spanoulis, was the owner of adrug store, and his mother Georgia Spanouli, was abank clerk. Spanoulis was the couple's second and last child, being born three years after his older brotherDimitris.
At the age of 7, Spanoulis began training in the sports ofjudo,football,swimming, andbasketball. As a youth, Spanoulis idolized the basketball playersMichael Jordan andNikos Galis.[41] In 1994, at the age of 12, Spanoulis joined theyouth basketball program of themulti-sports clubGymnastikos S. Larissas. Spanoulis' father Thanasis, died ofcancer, on 4 November 1997, when Spanoulis was 15 years old.
In 1999, at the age of 16, Spanoulis won the 1998–99 season's national under-18 club championship of Greece. He led Keravnos Larissa, the youth basketball subsidiary of Gymnastikos S. Larissas, to the title of thePanhellenic Youth Championship. He was the championship's leading scorer andMost Valuable Player. In the competition's semifinals, he scored 40 points against the youth team ofAris Thessaloniki.[42] In the competition's final, he led his team to a 64–61 victory over the youth team ofOlympiacos Piraeus. He hit the game-winning3-point shot, to win the title, at thebuzzer.
In 2000, at the age of 17, Spanoulis won the silver medal at theDBB Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament and the bronze medal at the2000 FIBA Under-18 EuroBasket. In 2002, at the age of 19, Spanoulis won the gold medal at the2002 FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket, in which he made the game-winningfree-throws.
Spanoulis first played proclub basketball withGymnastikos S. Larissas and enjoyed a highly successful career start. His skill set earned him a transfer toAthens andMaroussi, where he won theGreek Basket League's Best Young Player award for the2002–03 season. Following an impressive2004–05 season, during which he was theGreek Basket League Top Scorer, and helped lead Maroussi to theGreek Basket League's finals and the2005 EuroCup quarterfinals, he moved toPanathinaikos, where he became one of European basketball's major stars.[43] In the2005–06 EuroLeague season, Spanoulis made his debut in theEuroLeague in impressive fashion, earning his firstAll-EuroLeague Team selection, as a rookie in the competition. After a stint in theNBA with theHouston Rockets, during the2006–07 season, he returned to Panathinaikos and helped lead them to a EuroLeague title in2009, being voted theEuroLeague Final Four MVP in the process.[44]
Spanoulis' transfer from Panathinaikos toOlympiacos, in the summer of 2010, marked a new step in his career, given Olympiacos'feisty rivalry with Panathinaikos. Spanoulis' move from Panathinaikos to Olympiacos, is generally considered to be one of the biggest transfers and at the same time one of the biggest betrayals in the history of Greek sports. Spanoulis despite being given the opportunity to compete at the highest level with Panathinaikos and being accepted back after his unsuccessful spell in the NBA decided to leave Athens for Pireaus. It also led to perhaps the greatest individual rivalry in the history of Greek sports, between Spanoulis and Panathinaikos playerDimitris Diamantidis. Within a young and rebuilding Olympiacos team, which eventually became well known by its nickname, "The Comeback Kids", Spanoulis not only led the club to an improbable EuroLeague title run in 2012, but he also went on to lead the team to a historical back-to-back EuroLeague championship repeat in2013. In the process, he gained another two EuroLeague Final Four MVP awards, thus joiningToni Kukoč, as the only two players in the history of European basketball to achieve that distinctionon three occasions.[45] Under his leadership, Olympiacos reached another twoEuroLeague Finals, in2015 and2017.
Spanoulis joined theyouth system of the Greek sports clubGymnastikos, and its subsidiary youth club Keravnos, inLarissa, in 1994. He played with Keravnos, in the Greek junior club levels, from 1994 to 1999. After that, he played two seasons of professional club basketball with the senior men's club of Gymnastikos, from 1999 to 2001.
Spanoulis made hisprofessional club debut in the year 1999, at the age of 17, with the senior club of Gymnastikos S. Larissas, in the 1999–00 season. He played that season in the2nd-tier levelGreek 2nd Division, with Gymnastikos.[46] In 13 Greek 2nd Division games played, he scored a total of 90 points, for a scoring average of 6.9 points per game.[47]
In the 2000–01 season, Spanoulis again played in the2nd-tier level Greek 2nd Division, with Gymnastikos S. Larissas.[46] In 26 Greek 2nd Division games played, he scored a total of 213 points, for a scoring average of 8.2 points per game.[48]
After playing two seasons with Gymnastikos S. Larissas, in the Greek 2nd Division, Spanoulis signed a four-year contract withMaroussi ofthe top-tier level Greek Basket League, theEuropean-wide 3rd-tier levelFIBA Korać Cup, and later, the European-wide 2nd-tier levelEuroCup. Maroussi paid Gymnastikos S.Larissas a contract buyout in the amount of 50 millionGreek drachmas, in order to secure his player rights. When Spanoulis first joined Maroussi, the team's head coach at the time,Nikos Linardos, had the then 19-year-old Spanoulis playone-on-one against the well-known veteran EuroLeague playerMichael Koch. After their one-on-one match, Koch reportedly said to Linardos, "Coach, this kid is a star. He will be a great basketball player."[49]
During the 2001–02 season, Spanoulis helped to leadMaroussi to theGreek Cup Final. This was the first time the team had ever made it to the Greek Cup title game. Maroussi also competed in theEuropean-wide 3rd-tier level FIBA Korać Cup's2001–02 season.
Spanoulis was voted the Greek Basket League'sBest Young Player, of the 2002–03 season. He also played withMaroussi in the European-wide 3rd-tier levelFIBA Europe Champions Cup's2002–03 season.
In the2003–04 season, Spanoulis helped to lead Maroussi to the Greek Basket League Finals. He also helped lead Maroussi to the2003–04 season'sFIBA Europe League Final.[50] In the FIBA Europe League, Spanoulis averaged 10.8 points per game, and 6.4 assists per game, off the bench for Maroussi. He also shot 40% fromthree-point range. He was also named theGreek League Most Improved Player that same season.
Spanoulis was thendrafted in the 2nd round of the2004 NBA draft, by theDallas Mavericks, following this sudden emergence. He also made it onto theGreece men's national basketball team, at the2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games.
In theGreek Basket League 2004–05 season, his last season with Maroussi, Spanoulis averaged 15.9 points per game, and shot 37.8% from 3-point range, in 35 games played in the Greek Basket League competition. He was the Greek Basket League Top Scorer for the season. He then averaged 15.2 points per game, and shot 40.0% from 3-point range, in 12 games of play, in theEuropean-wide 2nd-tier level EuroCup's2004–05 season. For the year in total, Spanoulis averaged 15.7 points per game, and shot 38.3% from 3-point range, in 47 games played with Maroussi. He played in the 2005Greek League All-Star Game and was named to the Greek Basket League'sBest Five Team.
This was a breakthrough year for Vassilis, as he had averaged 11.1 points per game the previous season. He was one of the most improved players in Europe for the year. He helped to lead Maroussi to the 2nd place of the Greek Basket League, for the regular season. At the end of the year, Spanoulis was voted the European 6th Man of the Year, and Rookie of the Year in the EuroCup.[51]
Following his outstanding season in 2004–05 with Maroussi, Spanoulis signed a 3-year contract worth€1.6 millionnet income, with EuroLeague powerhousePanathinaikos Athens. Spanoulis and his agent,Miško Ražnatović,[52] set the contract terms so that Spanoulis would have a buyout clause after just one year and set the buyout amount atUS $400,000. This was Spanoulis' first season playing atthe highest European-wide professional club level.
With Panathinaikos, in theGreek Basket League 2005–06 season, he won both the Greek Basket League championship and the Greek Cup. His team went 24–2 during theGreek Basket League regular season, and 8–0 during the Greek League playoffs, for an overall record of 32–2 in the national domestic league championship, and went undefeated in the Greek Cup, at 5–0, for an overall record of 37–2 in Greek competitions. He played in the 2006 Greek League All-Star Game and was named to theGreek Basket League's Best Five Team.[53]
Spanoulis was also selected to theEuroLeague 2005–06 season'sAll-EuroLeague Second Team.[46][54]
In 28.8 minutes per game of play, during the2005–06 EuroLeague competition, Spanoulis averaged 14.6 points, 3.1 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, in 23 games of EuroLeague play, with Panathinaikos Athens for the season. He also shot 61.8% in 2-point shooting, and 36.8% from 3-point range; 53.4% overall.
He was the team's leading scorer, even though he often came off the bench. He won theEuroLeague MVP of the Round award twice during the season. In 2005–06, his team finished the EuroLeague with a record of 16–7. Spanoulis was also voted as the 7th best worldwide European player of the year (including NBA players) in 2006, byFIBA Europe, in theirFIBA Europe Player of the Year award voting.[46][55][56][57][58][59]
Many fans began calling him, "EuroKobe".[60]
On 19 July 2006[46] Spanoulis opted out of the final two years of his contract with Panathinaikos Athens and signed a three-year deal (2 years guaranteed) with the NBA's Houston Rockets, who paid for his contract buyout from Panathinaikos. The contract was worth $5.832 million.[61] His buyout from Panathinaikos was $400,000.
The contract amount was for an average of $1.944 million per season. The Rockets had acquired the rights to Spanoulis on draft night (24 June 2004), when Houston swapped draft pick #55Luis Flores, and cash considerations of $300,000 with the Dallas Mavericks, for Spanoulis (pick #50).[46][62]
"He's a very versatile ball handler," Rockets [then]general manager,Carroll Dawson, said. "He's a good finisher and a very good prospect. He wants to be a great player. Everybody is going to like this young man because he is a very hard-nosed player. We have watched his progress very closely," Dawson said. "It's a big adjustment to come to the NBA from Europe, but he is a hard worker."[63][64]
Rockets [then] Director of Player Personnel,Dennis Lindsey, stated the following about Spanoulis before signing him to the team. "We're very, very happy with his progress," said Lindsey. "He changed clubs this year from Maroussi to the bigger club this year, Panathinaikos. For those not familiar with European basketball, they are like theNew York Yankees ofGreece and one of the two or three better organizations inEurope. They are an NBA-level club. From our standpoint, we really like what Vassilis has done. He is their leading scorer. They are 9–1 in the EuroLeague and they have already qualified for the top sixteen."[65]
Lindsey praised Spanoulis' offensive ability. "He's got a couple of characteristics that we like," added Lindsey. "He can really drive and get the ball in the paint, and he's relentless with it. He kind of plays basketball like a fullback a little bit, where he just kind of breaks through the line and there's contact on a lot of plays."[65]
"Theowner andJeff and Carroll really like what they've seen so far and we've made a couple of trips over and hopefully in the near future we can have him as a Rocket because we think he can help us."[65]
Spanoulis saw limited playing time with the Houston Rockets during his rookie NBA year in2006–07, averaging 2.7 points and 0.9 assists in 8.8 minutes per game, on 31.9% field goal shooting (17.2% from behind the 3-point line), in 31 games played off the bench.[66]
During Spanoulis' first NBA season, there was a dispute between him and Rocketshead coach,Jeff Van Gundy, over playing time. There was an issue between the team's management, Spanoulis, and the coach as well, over the contract that Spanoulis had signed. To sign with the Rockets, and fulfill his dreams of playing in the NBA, Spanoulis took a considerably smaller contract than the one that was being offered to him by his Greek team,Panathinaikos Athens. He still had two years under his contract with Panathinaikos, but his buyout was small and could be paid by the Rockets.
Spanoulis agreed to play for Houston for $1.944 milliongross income per season, for 3 years, passing up on his former team Panathinaikos's much larger offer of€1.6 million net income per season, over 3 years, just for a chance of playing in the NBA. Spanoulis made the Rockets' rotation,[67] but there was a falling out between him and Rockets coach Van Gundy, after Van Gundy benched Spanoulis, after the coach claimed that he had played poorly, citing that rookie players are dangerous for coaches that are in contract years, and that Spanoulis was too turnover prone and lacking in outside shooting touch to be a good fit in Van Gundy's offensive system design. Said Van Gundy about the situation: "(Spanoulis) says, 'I was[Tracy] McGrady back home.' Great. McGrady is McGrady here,"..."I feel badly for him. He feels he was misled. Frankly, he's been his own worst enemy in many ways. Some of it is excuses. His turnovers have been high; his fouls have been high; his shooting percentage has been low. I would rather anybody start out with self-evaluation—what can I do better?—versus lash out and blame. Because I'm not playing him now doesn't mean he won't play in the future, or we don't feel he could be a good player. I think he's allowed his disappointment to go to discouragement, which has, at times, stunted his improvement. We'll see. We'll see."[68]
Spanoulis was traded by the Rockets to theSan Antonio Spurs, on 12 July 2007, along with a 2009 second-round draft pick, in exchange forcenterJackie Butler, and the rights toArgentinianpower forwardLuis Scola.[69][70] On 19 August 2007, the Spurs released Spanoulis, giving him the chance to return to Greece to play for Panathinaikos as he had requested. This was officially announced on 23 August 2007.[71]
Reportedly due to "family reasons," 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.[72] Spanoulis, instead opted to return to Panathinaikos, to once again play in the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague.[52]
In June 2013, 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. Spanoulis also claimed that the Rockets' next head coach,Rick Adelman, wanted to keep him and that bothTony Parker andGregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs were interested in having him on their team.[73]
In November 2015, theGeneral Manager of the San Antonio Spurs,R.C. Buford, confirmed to the Greek press that the Spurs made the trade for Spanoulis to keep him and have him play on their team. Buford also confirmed that it was Spanoulis' choice to not play with the Spurs and to return to play in Greece.[74][75]
On 19 August 2007, Spanoulis was released by theSan Antonio Spurs, after deciding he wanted to play in Greece during the 2007–08 season. This was because his mother was in poor health at that time, and that Spanoulis wanted to be near her.[76] Spanoulis signed a 3-year contract with Panathinaikos,[77] the then defending EuroLeague champions. Spanoulis was signed to the team to play at both thepoint guard andshooting guard positions, along with fellowGreek national team star, Dimitris Diamantidis. Former NBA player andLithuanian national team star,Šarūnas Jasikevičius, would also later sign with Panathinaikos. Spanoulis, Diamantidis, and Jasikevičius would go on to form the team's legendary ThreePlaymakers Offensive System, as utilized by the team's then-head coach,Željko Obradović.
The contract Spanoulis signed was for 3-years, at€5.5 million net income salary,[78] plus a $1,166,400 contract buyout from his NBASan Antonio Spurs contract (Panathinaikos paid the buyout, so it did not count against the Spurs'salary cap). Spanoulis' agent set up the contract so that Spanoulis could opt out of it after one year. Spanoulis originally stated that, after the first year of his contract, he might opt out of it and return toSan Antonio to play in the NBA again.[76]
During the 2007–08 season, Spanoulis led his team, Panathinaikos, in both points scored (661) and assists (215), over 36 games played in theGreek Basket League 2007–08 season, and 20 games played in theEuroLeague 2007–08 season. He averaged 11.8 points per game and 3.8 assists per game for the season, in 56 games total. Spanoulis was theGreek Basket League assists leader. He was voted as a starter to the Greek League All-Star Game, and to the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team.
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. In the Greek Cup Final, against Panathinaikos' arch-rival Olympiacos, Spanoulis helped to lead his team to the championship cup victory, by scoring 20 points and dishing out 7 assists.
In 2009, Spanoulis led Panathinaikos to the covetedEuropean Triple Crown title, as they won theEuroLeague 2008–09 season's championship, theGreek League 2008–09 season's championship, and the 2009 Greek Cup title, all in the same club season. Panathinaikos Athens' 2008–09 season team is often considered to be the best EuroLeague team of all time, by European basketball media and analysts. During the 2008–09 club season, Spanoulis was named to the All-EuroLeague Team, and he was also named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP.[79] In addition to that, he was named to theGreek Basket League Best Five, and he was also named the 2009Greek League MVP.[80]
After the 2008–09 club season, Spanoulis finished the year of 2009, by leading the seniorGreek national team to the bronze medal at the2009 EuroBasket, where he was also named to theEuroBasket All-Tournament Team. Due to all his accomplishments and achievements, Spanoulis won the highly prestigious and covetedBTA Balkan Athlete of the Year,[14] which is an award that is given to the calendar year's best athlete that has citizenship in one of the twelve nations of theBalkans region. Spanoulis is the only basketball player to ever win the award.
Spanoulis won theGreek League's2009–10 season championship, withPanathinaikos.
In July 2010, after much speculation concerning his free agency and his next contract, Spanoulis signed a three-year contract with the Greek Basket League clubOlympiacos Piraeus, worth€13.2 milliongross income,[81] or€7.2 million net income (€2.4 million net income per season), plus team performance bonuses. In his first year with Olympiacos, Spanoulis won the Greek Cup, was named to the EuroLeague'sAll Second Team, and was theGreek Basket League assists leader.
In 2012, Spanoulis won both the2012 EuroLeague and Greek Basket League championships. He was also named to the All-EuroLeague First Team, and won the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, for the second time in his career. He became the fourth player to win the award multiple times. Spanoulis'assist, onGeorgios Printezis' game-winning shot against the RussianVTB United League clubCSKA Moscow, at the end of the2012 EuroLeague Final,[82] is widely considered to be the greatest of all-time highlight in the history of the EuroLeague.
Furthermore, Spanoulis once again led the Greek League in assists. He was also named theGreek Basket League MVP, and theGreek Basket League Finals MVP. Finally, Spanoulis was named theEurobasket News All-Europe Player of the Year in 2012. Spanoulis and Printezis, whose duo were nicknamed, "Greek Thunder (Spanoulis) and Greek Lightning (Printezis)", would go on to form one of the greatest player duos in the history of the EuroLeague.
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Spanoulis was named theEuroLeague MVP in 2013.[17] He was also theEuroLeague Finals Top Scorer, and was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, after leading Olympiacos to the2013 EuroLeague championship title, which completedOlympiacos Piraeus' back-to-back EuroLeague championship run (2012 and 2013). He 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 also became just the second player to win the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award 3 times, along with Toni Kukoč.[83]
Spanoulis also won theInternational Sports Prize's World Athlete of the Year award in 2013.[84][85] He was also named theEurobasket News All-Europe Player of the Year, for the second time, in 2013.[86]
Spanoulis signed a 3-year contract extension, worth€6 million net income (€2 million net income per season),[87] plus team performance bonuses, with Olympiacos in July 2013.[88] With Olympiacos, he won the2013 edition of theFIBA Intercontinental Cup, being namedthe MVP of the tournament.[89][90][91] In May 2014, he was named to the All-EuroLeague Team, for the sixth time in his career.[92]
In May 2015, Spanoulis was chosen to theAll-EuroLeague First Team, for his performance during the season, his seventh All-EuroLeague Team honour.[93] He led Olympiacos to the2015 EuroLeague Final, and he also won the2014–15 season's Greek League championship with Olympiacos and was voted theMVP of the league's finals.
Spanoulis won the2015–16 season's Greek League championship. In game 2 of the 2015–16 Greek League Finals, against Olympiacos' arch-rivals, Panathinaikos, Spanoulis hit a game-winningbuzzer-beating 3-pointer.[94] In game 3 of the Greek League Finals, he scored 11 points in the last 3 minutes and 1 second of the 4th quarter, to seal the victory for his team.[95] In game 4 of the Greek League Finals, held atNikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall, Olympiacos won in the game's secondovertime period, after Spanoulis hit another game-winning 3-point field goal, with 1.9 seconds remaining in the game.[96] Spanoulis' game four game-winning shot, which is often referred to simply as "The Shot",[97] is widely considered to be the most famous game-winning shot in the history of European basketball.
Spanoulis was subsequently named the 2016Greek League MVP,[98][99] and the 2016Greek League Finals MVP.[100][101]
In June 2016, Spanoulis signed a new 2-year contract extension with Olympiacos, lasting through the 2017–18 season.[102] The contract was worth€3 million net income (€1.5 million net income per season).[103] During thatseason's EuroLeague competition, Euroleague.net named Spanoulis the "Most Clutch Player in EuroLeague History".[29] That same season, Spanoulis eventually led Olympiacos to the2017 EuroLeague Final.
During the 2017–18 season, Spanoulis became the EuroLeague's all-timecareer leader in assists,[104][105] and theGreek Professional Basket League's all-timecareer leader in points scored.[106][107] He was also the 2018Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer. In May 2018, he was named to theAll-EuroLeague Second Team of the2017–18 season, the eighth All-EuroLeague Team selection of his career, which set a record for the most All-EuroLeague Team selections of all time.[108]
Before the start of the 2018–19 season, Spanoulis signed a one-year contract extension withOlympiacos, on 2 July 2018,[109] at a salary of €1.2 million net income. He was named theMVP of Round 14 of the2018–19 EuroLeague season.[110]
During theGreek Basket League 2018–19 season, Spanoulis became theProfessional Greek League's all-time career assists leader. He passed the previous record holder, Dimitris Diamantidis, in a Greek League game againstAEK Athens, in January 2019.[111][112][113] On 14 March 2019, Spanoulis suffered a season-ending peroneal tendon rupture on his right ankle, in a EuroLeague game against the Italian clubOlimpia Milano.[114][115]
After undergoing a2018–19 season-ending right ankle surgery, for a peroneal tendon rupture, on 1 April 2019,[116] Spanoulis began individual workouts again on 5 July 2019.[117] After his return to individual training, Spanoulis signed a one-year contract extension withOlympiacos,[118][119] at a salary of €600,000 net income. On 29 November 2019, Spanoulis passedJuan Carlos Navarro, to become the EuroLeague'sall-time career leader inPerformance Index Rating (PIR). He accomplished the milestone in aEuroLeague 2019–20 season game versus the Italian clubOlimpia Milano.[120][121][122] On 2 January 2020, Spanoulis also passed Navarro as theEuroLeague's all-time leading scorer since the2000–01 season, in Olympiacos' loss againstFenerbahçe.[123][124][125] His record was surpassed byMike James in 2024.[126]
After Spanoulis set the EuroLeague scoring record, he was congratulated via video by several well-known professional basketball players. He was congratulated by severalNBA players such asGiannis Antetokounmpo,Tony Parker,Pau Gasol, andLuka Dončić. He was also congratulated by several EuroLeague players such asGeorgios Printezis,Juan Carlos Navarro,Facu Campazzo,Fernando San Emeterio,Othello Hunter,Šarūnas Jasikevičius,Sergio Rodríguez,Alexey Shved,Kostas Sloukas,Stratos Perperoglou,Ante Tomić,Toko Shengelia,Vasilije Micić,Vladimir Lučić,Gustavo Ayón,Nick Calathes,Jordan Taylor,Kyle Hines, andKostas Papanikolaou. He was also congratulated by the legendary European basketball coachAíto.[127][128]
On 4 February 2020, Spanoulis again suffered a season-ending peroneal tendon rupture injury,[129] in a EuroLeague game againstŽalgiris Kaunas.[130] It was the same right foot injury, that he had suffered in the previous 2018–19 season. On 7 February 2020, Spanoulis had another surgery to repair the tendon.[131]
On 12 May 2020, Spanoulis was named to theEuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team.[132][133][134] Among the 10 players voted onto the EuroLeague's All-Decade Team, Spanoulis was voted the number one overallEuroLeague Player of the 2010–2020 Decade, in a vote decided by EuroLeaguehead coaches, EuroLeague players,fans, andsports journalists. He received more than twice as many votes as the player who came in second place in the voting,[135][2] which wasBogdan Bogdanović.
On 11 July 2020, Spanoulis re-signed withOlympiacos, to a one-year €600,000 net income contract, through the2020–21 season.[136][137][138] On 10 December 2020, in a game againstRed Star Belgrade, Spanoulis passedJuan 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 bothFIBA andEuroLeague Basketball, dating back to the originalFIBA European Champions Cup competition, in1958.[139]@@@
At the age of 38, Spanoulis announced his intention to retire from playing professional basketball, on 26 June 2021.[140][141] On 27 September 2021, at the age of 39, Spanoulis held apress conference, in which he officially announced his retirement as a player.[142] When he retired, Spanoulis finished his men's playing career with a total of 13,533points scored in 1,234games played, across all leagues and competitions.
In international club competitions, Spanoulis scored 24 points in 2 games played in the official World Club Championship, known as theFIBA Intercontinental Cup, and he also 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 holderNikos Galis' 4,904 career points.[143] At the time of his retirement, 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. Of Spanoulis' 4,872 career points scored in European-wide leagues, 4,455 points were scored in 358 games played in Europe's top-tier level competition, the EuroLeague, which was the league's all-time career scoring record, including all formats of the competition, dating back to the original FIBA European Champions Cup, which began in1958.[139]
Spanoulis also scored a total of 16 points in 4 games played in the 3rd-tier levelFIBA Korać Cup competition,[144] 86 points in 8 games played in the 3rd-tier levelFIBA Europe Champions Cup competition,[145] 133 points in 21 games played in the 3rd-tier levelFIBA Europe League competition,[146] and 182 points in 12 games played in the European 2nd-tier levelEuroCup competition.[147] In addition to that, he also scored a total of 5,909 points in 571 games played in national domestic leagues. Of which, 303 points were scored in 39 games played in the Greek 2nd Division, 5,517 points were scored in 500 games played in the Greek Basket League (Greek 1st Division),[148] and 89 points were scored in 32 games played in the NBA (85 points scored in 31 regular season NBA games, and 4 points scored in 1 NBA playoff game).[149]
Spanoulis' 5,517 points scored in the Greek Basket League is the league'sall-time career scoring record. Spanoulis also scored a total of 414 points in 47 games played in the Greek Cup competition.[150] Innational team competitions, Spanoulis had a total of 211caps (games played), in which he scored a total of 2,314 points.[151]
After he retired from playing professional club basketball, Spanoulis was inducted into the EuroLeague's Hall of Fame, as he was named aEuroLeague Legend, on 22 April 2022.[152][153][154]
Spanoulis' number 7 jersey was retired byOlympiacos Piraeus, on 17 September 2023, at a ceremony that was called, "The Night of the Legend".[155][156][157][158][159]
As a result of the great success that he had with Olympiacos during his playing career, Spanoulis was votedOlympiacos Piraeus CFP'smulti-sport club's Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Athlete, across all club sports and divisions, in the club's 100-year history.[160][161][162][163][164][165]
"Do you understand who Vassilis Spanoulis is in Europe? He's like theKobe [Bryant], or [Michael]Jordan of Europe."
"I always said, and you [Georgios Bartzokas] know of course, Vassilis Spanoulis is my favorite player of all time in Europe. I think he's the greatest player to ever play in Europe."
— Joe Arlauckas, on Vassilis Spanoulis' European basketball playing career.[168]
"At the age of twelve to thirteen, I [Luka Dončić] got enchanted by Spanoulis.""From playing in Europe, I know he [Spanoulis] was my idol. I always admired him. That's why I wear the number seven...I couldn't get the seven, because it was taken...that's why I have 77...I just want to thank him...for everything that he brought to basketball, not just to me. I think to a lot of players, he just showed...how to play basketball, how to act on the court, what is leadership. So, that's everything."
— Luka Dončić, on his childhood idol, Vassilis Spanoulis' influence on him as a young player, and choosing to wear the number 7, to honor him.[169][170]
"I feel particularly moved, because from the first day in my life that I saw Vassilis Spanoulis, I believed in him, and I saw that he had a special passion, and a different character from all the others. Later in his career, we also discovered his greatness. There was not anything that he couldn't do. It was a sensational career for European andGreek basketball, and he continued our great history since 1987. He left his mark on all of European basketball. I personally admire him for his rare character."
"I think one night [jersey retirement ceremony] is not enough. He [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. He has done incredible things in his career, we thank him very much, but not only for the basketball that he played, but also for the way he persevered on the court and worked with the people around him. Vassilis has done things that are difficult for anyone to predict, although from a young age – because I was his supporter in his early days – he was a player who had passion and faith, worked hard, and he listened to advice that would help him reach higher. He didn't just reach high; he surpassed the sky. I think he is an example to follow, not only for what he did as an athlete, but also as a family man.
There are many moments, but certainly the first year we were in Maroussi, he showed that he can lead any basketball team...The least that could have been done was to retire his jersey. Kudos to the people who realized that this had to be done, for a player who started modestly, far from the center of basketball, and began to compete with the best in the world, and to make us rejoice with his successes. He never gave up. He never stopped dreaming and believing, and that was his biggest motivation. Every day that he was on the court, he gave his best, and he wanted to make his goals come true...These players [current players] need to understand that talent is not enough, and that you must understand the game, but also work hard, because without hard work, you will not achieve even 1/10 of what Vassilis did."
— Panagiotis Giannakis, on Vassilis Spanoulis' European basketball playing career.[171][172]
Spanoulis was a key member of theGreek under-18 junior national team at theFIBA Under-18 EuroBasket's2000 tournament. Greece finished in third place in the tournament, winning the bronze medal.[173] He averaged 10.1 points per game at the tournament.[174] Spanoulis also played at the 2000 edition of theAlbert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament, where he averaged 14.0 points per game,[175] and won the silver medal with Greece.
Spanoulis was also on theGreek under-20 junior national team that finished in first place, and thus won the gold medal, at the2002 FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket. During the 2002 FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket's gold medal game, Spanoulis sank two clutch free throws, with just 13 seconds remaining on the game clock. That allowed Greece to clinch the win over theSpain under-20 national team and win the tournament's gold medal.[46][176] Spanoulis averaged 16.0 points per game at the tournament.[177]
Spanoulis played with Greece at the2001 Mediterranean Games. Spanoulis was a key member of the team for Greece during that tournament. Greece finished in second place in the tournament, winning the silver medal.Spanoulis won a gold medal with theGreek national team, at the2006 FIBA Stanković World Cup tournament.[178] On the way to that achievement, Greece defeatedAustralia,[179] and thenGermany[180] (the latter whose team includedNBA starDirk Nowitzki).
Spanoulis was named theMVP of both the2007 edition and the2009 edition of theAcropolis Tournament. He was also the Top Scorer of the2008 edition of the Acropolis Tournament and theassist leader of the2013 edition of the Acropolis Tournament. In total, Spanoulis won eight gold medals at the Acropolis Tournament with the Greek national team, as he won the2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2013, and2015 editions of the tournament.[181] He also won the silver medal at the2004 edition of the Acropolis Tournament.
Spanoulis' retirement from the Greece men's national basketball team was announced on 17 September 2015, after the2015 FIBA EuroBasket.[182] He 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 (9 tournaments in total:2006 FIBA World Cup,2007 FIBA EuroBasket,2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament,2008 FIBA Summer Olympics,2009 FIBA EuroBasket,2010 FIBA World Cup,2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament,2013 FIBA EuroBasket, and the2015 FIBA EuroBasket).
In December 2019, Greece's senior national team head coach at the time,Rick Pitino, stated that "Just for the record I would love to see Spanoulis join our national team".[183][184][185]
In his career, Spanoulis had 146 officialcaps with the senior men's Greek national team, in which he scored a total of 1,494 points, for a scoring average of 10.2 points per game. In all officialgames played with Greece's men's national team, he had a total of 211 caps, in which he scored a total of 2,314 points, for a scoring average of 11.0 points per game.[186] Spanoulis finished hisnational team career with Greece, having won a total of nine medals at all levels, seven of which came inFIBA competitions. In 2020, he was named to both theFIBA Summer Olympics 1992–2020 Dream Team, and theFIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team.
Spanoulis made his debut with the senior men'sGreek national team, for the first time, in the summer of 2004, when he was selected by his then-head coach atMaroussi, Greek basketball legend,Panagiotis Giannakis, to be a member of the Greek squad during the2004 FIBA Summer Olympics, which were held inAthens,Greece. Spanoulis was able to play in front of his home country's fans atHelliniko Olympic Arena, as Greece was the Olympic Game's host country. Greece finished in 5th place in the tournament, losing toManu Ginóbili and the eventual gold medal-winningArgentine national basketball team, 69–64, in the quarterfinals.[187] That was tied for the 2nd highest finish for Greece, inSummer Olympics Basketball, in its history. The 5th-place finish, making Greece one of the top 5 national teams in the world, was the beginning of Greece's great run, in international tournaments during the 2000s (decade).
Spanoulis averaged a team-leading 12.8 points per game,[188] at the2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where Greece finished in first place. He also played at the main2008 FIBA Summer Olympics competition, where he led Greece in scoring average at 14.3 points per game,[189] and at the2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he again led Greece in scoring, with an average of 19.3 points per game,[190] which was the third highest scoring average in the tournament. He was named to theFIBA Summer Olympics 1992–2020 Dream Team in 2020.
"Just for the record I would love to see Spanoulis join our [Greek]national team"."I must say that I still want Spanoulis to play. Before the injury [Spanoulis' ankle injury], I thought that Spanoulis would play. I want him to be the leader, I want him to lead the team, even if he is not 100% ready. He will have time to get back on his feet. I want him to come as a leader. We will not win with athleticism, but with intelligence and the pride of playing for Greece. Spanoulis is very important to me; I want to have him with me. I will make him an offer that he can't refuse."
— Rick Pitino, on Vassilis Spanoulis playing for him on theGreek NT.[183][184][185]
On 3 June 2021, Spanoulis returned to once again play with the senior Greek national team at the2020 FIBA World Olympics Qualification Tournament, after a six-year hiatus from the team was announced.[191][192][193] However, on 26 June 2021, Spanoulis announced his retirement from the sport for good, after he suffered an injury during Greece's training camp preparation.[194][195][196]
At the2005 FIBA EuroBasket, Spanoulis was a key member of the Greek team[197] that won theFIBA EuroBasket and took home the gold medal.[198] It was just the second time in Greece's history, that the senior men's national basketball team won the gold medal at the FIBA EuroBasket, and the first time since the1987 FIBA EuroBasket, when the legendary playersNikos Galis,Panagiotis Fasoulas,Fanis Christodoulou, andPanagiotis Giannakis, led Greece's national team.
Two years later, at the2007 FIBA EuroBasket, Spanoulis was again part of Greece's team.[199] Greece played the tournament shorthanded, as it was without key players,Antonis Fotsis andSofoklis Schortsanitis, and was not able to medal in the tournament. Greece finished in 4th place in the tournament,[200] losing in the semifinals game against theSpain basketball team, and its numerous star players, likeMarc Gasol,Juan Carlos Navarro,José Calderón,Sergio Rodríguez,Jorge Garbajosa,Rudy Fernández, andPau Gasol. Spanoulis was the game's leading scorer, with 24 points, and he also dished out 5 assists,[201] but Spain got the win, by a score of 82–77, over the depleted Greek squad. Spanoulis led the Greek team in scoring during the tournament, with a scoring average of 11.7 points per game.[202] He also had the top highlight play of the tournament, with abuzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the game for Greece againstCroatia, by a score of 81–78.[203][204][205][206] 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 also widely considered to be one of the greatest game-winning shots ever in any FIBA tournament.[207]
At the2009 FIBA EuroBasket, Spanoulis led Greece in scoring, with an average of 14.1 points per game, and led Greece to the bronze medal. He was named to theFIBA EuroBasket All-Star Five. At the2013 FIBA EuroBasket, despite playing most of the tournament with a severe ankle injury,[208][209] Spanoulis led Greece in scoring, and was third overall in the tournament in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game.[210] During the tournament, he led Greece with a 20-point scoring performance, to a 79–75 victory[211] over the world's 2nd-ranked team in theFIBA World Rankings at the time,Spain.[212] At the2015 FIBA EuroBasket, Spanoulis led the Greek team, which had four players who had spent the2014–15 season in theNBA (Giannis Antetokounmpo,Kosta Koufos,Nick Calathes, andKostas Papanikolaou) in points per game and assists per game. Greece was ultimately defeated in the quarterfinals bySpain, by a score of 73–71, and finished the tournament in 5th place. After the tournament, Spanoulis announced his retirement from the Greek senior national team.[182] He was Greece's leading scorer in every major FIBA tournament that he played in, from 2006 onward. He was named to theFIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team in 2020.[213]
Spanoulis was a member of the Greek senior team that competed at the2006 FIBA World Cup,[214] and he helped to lead the Greek team to the silver medal, as they finished in second place in the tournament.[215] In the semifinals game againstTeam USA, Spanoulis was Greece's leading scorer, and the game's second-leading scorer overall (afterCarmelo Anthony, who scored 27 points for the USA), with 22 points, and along with his teammates,Theo Papaloukas andSofoklis Schortsanitis, led Greece to victory over the US, by a score of 101–95.[216] Team USA's head coach at the time,Mike Krzyzewski, later stated that, "I know that from 2006. That's a lesson we learned that the Greek team taught us, how to play internationally."[217]
Spanoulis led the Greek national team in scoring during the 2006 FIBA World Cup, with an average of 11.7 points per game, and he also led the Greek team in free throw shooting percentage at 87.8 percent.[218]
"...I know that from2006 [FIBA World Cup]. That's a lesson we [Team USA] learned that theGreek team taught us, how to play internationally."
— Mike Krzyzewski, onTeam USA's loss to Vassilis Spanoulis and theGreek NT, at the2006 FIBA World Cup.[217]
Spanoulis also played with Greece at the2010 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 13.7 points per game,[219] which made him Greece's leading scorer in the tournament.
After he retired from playing professional club basketball, Spanoulis began a new career, working as abasketball coach, in 2021. He began his coaching career, working as thehead coach of the EuroLeague under-18 Next Generation Select team. Spanoulis led the under-18 Next Generation Select team to theEuroLeague under-18 Next Generation tournament's 2021–22 season finals, where they lost toMega Basket's Under-18 team, by a score of 82–61.[220][221][222]
On 24 June 2022, Spanoulis was officially announced as the new head coach of theGreek Basket League andFIBA Champions League clubPeristeri Athens.[223][224] In his first season as Peristeri's head coach, Spanoulis led the club to its first-ever finals appearance in theGreek Cup competition, as they made it to the title game of theGreek Cup 2022–23. However, they lost in the finals to theEuroLeague clubOlympiacos Piraeus.
In the Greek Basket League's2022–23 season, Spanoulis led the team to a third-place overall finish in the league. In theleague's playoffs, Peristeri defeated the FIBA Champions League clubAEK Athens, with a 2–0 sweep in their first round best-of-three series. They then proceeded to lose 3–2 in their best-of-five semifinals series against the EuroLeague clubPanathinaikos Athens. Peristeri then finished their season by sweeping the FIBA Champions League clubPAOK Thessaloniki 3–0, in the league's third-place series. During the entire Greek Basket League season (regular season and playoffs), Peristeri managed to beat the Greek EuroLeague club Panathinaikos, three times in seven games, with one of their four losses against Panathinaikos coming by just one point.
In European-wide competition, Peristeri was eliminated by theFrench Pro A League clubJDA Dijon, by a series score of 2–1, in theplay-ins of theFIBA Champions League 2022–23 season.
In the2023 edition of theGreek Super Cup competition,Peristeri was eliminated by the Greek EuroLeague clubOlympiacos Piraeus, in the semifinals, by a score of 84–64. In the2023–24 edition of theGreek Cup competition, Peristeri was once again eliminated by Olympiacos, as they lost in the quarterfinals, by a score of 87–68.
In the2023–24 FIBA Champions League season, Peristeri qualified for the2024 FIBA Champions League Final Four. In the semifinals, Peristeri was knocked out of the Final Four tournament, after a 97–94 defeat to theSpanish ACB League clubTenerife.[225] Ultimately, Peristeri finished in fourth place in the FIBA Champions League season, after they lost the bronze medal game against the Spanish ACB League clubUCAM Murcia, by a score of 87–84.[226] Spanoulis was named theFIBA Champions League'sBest Coach of the Season.[227][228][229][230]
"To play against him [Spanoulis], and then understand that as acoach, he has the same attention to details...his name isKill Bill for a reason, and he has the same mentality as a coach. He holds everybody accountable, he holds himself accountable. The amount of information you can get from him, from just a two-minute conversation, it's unbelievable. I've never seen it before. He can be walking next to you, and in those two minutes, you're getting so much energy, and so much knowledge, in two minutes."
— Jermaine Love, on Vassilis Spanoulis' basketball knowledge and coaching ability.[231]
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On 27 November 2024,AS Monaco, of France's top-tier levelLNB Pro A and the EuroLeague, signed Spanoulis to be their new head coach, on a two-year contract.[232] In his very first season as the club's head coach, Spanoulis led Monaco to the2025 EuroLeague Final Four, by eliminatingBarcelona with a 3-2 series win in the playoffs of theEuroLeague 2024–25 season.[233] In the Final Four, Monaco defeated Olympiacos in the semifinals but lost in the final to Fenerbahçe Beko. In the French Championship, Monaco lost the title to Paris in the fifth game of the series.
Spanoulis was named thehead coach of the senior men'sGreek national team, on 2 October 2023.[234][235][236] He made his head coaching debut with Greece, on 23 February 2024, in which he guided Greece to a 72–64 win over theCzech Republic, inPiraeus,Athens, as part of the2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualification.[237] Spanoulis next coached Greece at the2024 Piraeus FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, before the2024 FIBA Summer Olympics.
"Certainly, coach [Dimitris]Itoudis is an excellent coach, and the collaboration we had was tremendous. I wish I could have been at theWorlds [2019 FIBA World Cup] with him, because he was a terrific coach. But Spanoulis coming to thenational team, someone who has won with the national team, and all of the players respect him – is something different. I don't believe that any player on the national team didn't have him as a role model.""I think this is what the national team needs. A person with many unbelievable moments forGreek basketball, from playing for the national team, toPanathinaikos andOlympiacos. He has tremendous experience as a player. As a coach, over the last two years, he showed what he can do."
— Giannis Antetokounmpo, on Vassilis Spanoulis coaching theGreek NT.[238][239]
Under Spanoulis' leadership, the Greek national team won the2024 Piraeus FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and thus qualified for the main2024 Summer Olympic Games basketball tournament. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Greece managed to qualify through the tournament'sDeath Group, which also consisted ofAustralia,Spain, andCanada, and make it to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, they were eliminated by the2023 FIBA World Cup championsGermany, by a score of 76–63.[240]
Spanoulis' older brother,Dimitris, is a former professional basketball player. Spanoulis is married toMiss Star Hellas of 2006,Olympia Chopsonidou. Together, the couple have six children: Thanasis, Vassilis Jr., Dimitris, Emilia, Anastasia and Alexandra.
Spanoulis' basketball idols, and favorite players as a kid, wereMichael Jordan[241] andNikos Galis.[41] During his playing career, Spanoulis is often referred to by the nicknames V-Span andKill Bill.[242] When Spanoulis played withMaroussi Athens, he was given the nicknameBill the Butcher, byTracy Murray, who was at that time a player of Maroussi's rivals,Panathinaikos Athens.[243]
Spanoulis was the first Greek-born player to play for theHouston Rockets, and he was the third Greek-born player to play in theNBA.[244] While he was with theHouston Rockets, Spanoulis was friends with his teammates:Lucas,Tsakalidis,Battier,McGrady,[245] andNovak.[246] Over his playing career in Europe, some of the basketball players that he has been friends with have included:Batiste,[247]Parker,Arroyo,Jasikevičius,Teodosić,Nesterović,Blakney,Calathes,Bourousis,Diamantidis,Papaloukas,Printezis,Vasilopoulos,James,Larkin,Mantzaris,Papapetrou,Sloukas,Papanikolaou,Agravanis,Perperoglou,Vezenkov,Milutinov,Tomić,Antić,Vukčević,Hines,Hunter,McKissic, along with numerous other teammates that he is also good friends with from his basketball playing career. Over the years, he has been best friends withNikos Zisis, and he was thebest man at Zisis' wedding.[248]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance index rating |
| Bold | Career high |
| † | Denotes season in which Spanoulis won theEuroLeague championship |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Panathinaikos | 23 | 3 | 27.8 | .534 | .368 | .780 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | — | 14.6 | 15.5 |
| 2007–08 | 20 | 5 | 27.8 | .444 | .355 | .750 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 1.3 | — | 11.3 | 11.1 | |
| 2008–09† | 19 | 9 | 25.6 | .413 | .309 | .879 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 1.2 | — | 10.5 | 11.4 | |
| 2009–10 | 14 | 6 | 25.3 | .398 | .277 | .845 | 1.5 | 3.6 | 1.1 | — | 10.3 | 9.7 | |
| 2010–11 | Olympiacos | 20 | 17 | 29.5 | .444 | .347 | .852 | 1.8 | 4.3 | 1.1 | .1 | 14.2 | 14.3 |
| 2011–12† | 21 | 19 | 29.8 | .479 | .386 | .827 | 2.0 | 4.0 | .7 | .1 | 16.7 | 16.0 | |
| 2012–13† | 31* | 31* | 30.0 | .397 | .321 | .782 | 2.2 | 5.5 | .9 | .0 | 14.7 | 15.1 | |
| 2013–14 | 26 | 26 | 28.1 | .430 | .344 | .738 | 2.0 | 4.6 | .4 | — | 15.1 | 13.0 | |
| 2014–15 | 26 | 26 | 28.1 | .396 | .333 | .759 | 1.8 | 5.5 | .8 | .1 | 14.4 | 14.4 | |
| 2015–16 | 20 | 20 | 26.9 | .318 | .260 | .706 | 1.5 | 5.4 | .4 | — | 11.2 | 8.6 | |
| 2016–17 | 33 | 32 | 26.8 | .396 | .315 | .759 | 1.7 | 6.1 | .6 | — | 12.6 | 11.9 | |
| 2017–18 | 24 | 24 | 26.3 | .396 | .315 | .817 | 1.5 | 5.6 | .7 | — | 14.0 | 11.9 | |
| 2018–19 | 25 | 14 | 22.1 | .382 | .331 | .712 | 1.8 | 5.1 | .4 | .0 | 10.2 | 9.0 | |
| 2019–20 | 22 | 20 | 24.6 | .410 | .286 | .807 | 1.2 | 4.6 | .4 | — | 11.3 | 9.7 | |
| 2020–21 | 34 | 2 | 17.3 | .355 | .283 | .644 | 1.5 | 2.7 | .6 | — | 6.4 | 4.7 | |
| Career | 358 | 254 | 26.2 | .412 | .321 | .779 | 1.8 | 4.5 | .8 | .0 | 12.4 | 11.7 | |
| † | Denotes season in which Spanoulis won theGreek Basketball League championship |
| * | Led the league in the regular season |
| ** | Led the league in the full season (regular season and playoffs combined) |
| Season | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 |  Maroussi | HEBA A1 | 16 | 13 | .606 | .166 | .650 | .3 | .9 | .3 | .0 | 4.9 |
| 2002–03 | Maroussi | HEBA A1 | 29 | 29.5 | .496 | .278 | .750 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 1.5 | .0 | 10.3 |
| 2003–04 | Maroussi | HEBA A1 | 33 | 28.3 | .534 | .361 | .827 | 2.2 | 2.8 | .8 | .0 | 11.1 |
| 2004–05 | Maroussi | HEBA A1 | 35 | 30.9* | .459 | .377 | .825 | 2.1 | 3.9* | 1.4 | .0 | 15.9** |
| 2005–06† | Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 34 | 27.7 | .519 | .367 | .779 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .0 | 11.0 |
| 2007–08† | Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 36 | 26.4 | .570 | .393 | .803 | 1.7 | 4.3* | 1.1 | .0 | 12.1 |
| 2008–09† | Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 30 | 23.7 | .481 | .405 | .830 | 2.0 | 2.8 | .7 | .0 | 10.1 |
| 2009–10† | Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 31 | 21.1 | .708 | .433 | .795 | 1.3 | 2.5 | .6 | .0 | 10.1 |
| 2010–11 | Olympiacos | HEBA A1 | 30 | 23.5 | .515 | .300 | .784 | 1.4 | 5.1 | .7 | .0 | 10.6 |
| 2011–12† | Olympiacos | HEBA A1 | 31 | 23.4 | .475 | .336 | .815 | 2.1 | 5.0* | .8 | .0 | 11.7 |
| 2012–13 | Olympiacos | GBL | 33 | 24.5 | .487 | .295 | .743 | 1.5 | 5.7* | .8 | .0 | 11.3 |
| 2013–14 | Olympiacos | GBL | 29 | 21.4 | .441 | .294 | .745 | 2.0 | 4.8 | .6 | .0 | 9.4 |
| 2014–15† | Olympiacos | GBL | 31 | 23.5 | .525 | .375 | .747 | 1.7 | 5.6* | .5 | .0 | 12.5 |
| 2015–16† | Olympiacos | GBL | 29 | 25.0 | .459 | .333 | .822 | 1.5 | 5.4 | .6 | .0 | 13.1 |
| 2016–17 | Olympiacos | GBL | 25 | 22.2 | .442 | .205 | .802 | 1.5 | 5.7 | .5 | .0 | 8.4 |
| 2017–18 | Olympiacos | GBL | 28 | 23.0 | .487 | .261 | .821 | 1.6 | 5.3 | .4 | .0 | 10.8 |
| 2018–19 | Olympiacos | GBL | 15 | 20.6 | .518 | .306 | .642 | 2.5 | 4.8 | .7 | .0 | 9.5 |
| 2020–21 | Olympiacos | GBL | 3 | 16.3 | .571 | .462 | .857 | .7 | 4.3 | 1.0 | .0 | 10.7 |
| Career | 499 | 23.6 | .504 | .330 | .792 | 1.7 | 4.3 | .8 | .0 | 11.0 | ||
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Houston | 31 | 0 | 8.8 | .319 | .172 | .810 | .7 | .9 | .2 | .0 | 2.7 |
| Career | 31 | 0 | 8.8 | .319 | .172 | .810 | .7 | .9 | .2 | .0 | 2.7 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Houston | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 4.0 |
| * | Denotes tournaments in which Spanoulis won a Gold medal (first place) |
| ** | Denotes tournaments in which Spanoulis won a Silver medal (second place) |
| *** | Denotes tournaments in which Spanoulis won a Bronze medal (third place) |
| Year | Tournament | National Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Mediterranean Games | Greece Men | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8.0 |
| 2004 | Summer Olympics | 6 | N/A | 11.0 | .444 | .500 | .750 | 0.7 | 1.0 | .3 | .0 | 3.8 | |
| 2005 | EuroBasket | 7 | 0 | 10.3 | .227 | .100 | .600 | 1.1 | 0.3 | .3 | .0 | 2.4 | |
| 2006 | Stanković World Cup | 3 | N/A | 23.0 | .429 | .444 | .706 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 | .0 | 9.3 | |
| 2006 | World Cup | 9 | N/A | 27.2 | .358 | .262 | .878 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | .0 | 11.7 | |
| 2007 | EuroBasket | 9 | 0 | 26.1 | .418 | .303 | .576 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | .0 | 11.7 | |
| 2008 | World OQT | 4 | N/A | 24.0 | .474 | .400 | .900 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 2.8 | .0 | 12.8 | |
| 2008 | Summer Olympics | 6 | N/A | 28.2 | .531 | .273 | .632 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .0 | 14.3 | |
| 2009 | EuroBasket | 9 | 8 | 31.3 | .458 | .436 | .829 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 1.4 | .1 | 14.1 | |
| 2010 | World Cup | 6 | 6 | 29.3 | .520 | .419 | .810 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | .0 | 13.7 | |
| 2012 | World OQT | 3 | 2 | 26.3 | .613 | .500 | .619 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 0.3 | .0 | 19.3 | |
| 2013 | EuroBasket | 6 | 6 | 30.2 | .439 | .303 | .780 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 0.7 | .2 | 16.7 | |
| 2015 | EuroBasket | 7 | 7 | 27.6 | .411 | .385 | .727 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 0.3 | .1 | 11.4 | |
| Career | 79 | N/A | 24.9 | .445 | .351 | .746 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 1.1 | .0 | 11.3 | ||
| Year | Tournament | National Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | U18 World Cup | Greece Under-18 | 7 | N/A | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14.0 |
| 2000 | U18 EuroBasket | 8 | N/A | 25.9 | .579 | .286 | .786 | 1.1 | 1.9 | .5 | .0 | 10.1 | |
| 2002 | U20 EuroBasket Qualifying | Greece Under-20 | 5 | N/A | 29.2 | .545 | .304 | .533 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 1.4 | .0 | 15.0 |
| 2002 | U20 EuroBasket | 8 | N/A | 31.3 | .467 | .477 | .875 | 3.1 | 5.5 | .9 | .0 | 16.0 | |
| Career | 28 | N/A | 28.7 | .520 | .395 | .755 | 2.5 | 3.9 | .9 | .0 | 13.7 | ||
Bronze Silver Gold Silver Silver Gold Gold Gold Gold Silver Gold Gold Gold Gold Bronze Gold Gold GoldEuroLeague under-18 Next Generation Select team:
Gold (withGreece) Gold (withGreece) Bronze (withGreece)
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Player:
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