Nicholas William Calathes (Greek: Νικόλαος Γουίλιαμ "Νικ" Καλάθης, born February 7, 1989) is aGreek American professionalbasketball player forPartizan Mozzart Bet of theSerbian League (KLS), theABA League and theEuroLeague. He is widely considered as one of the best point guards in EuroLeague history.[1]
After playingcollege basketball for theFlorida Gators, Calathes won the EuroLeague title withPanathinaikos in2011, and reached another final in2021 withFC Barcelona. A two-timeAll-EuroLeague First Team selection, he is theEuroLeague all-time assists leader as well as the competition'sall-time steals leader. Calathes represents theHellenic national basketball team internationally, and won a bronze medal atEuroBasket 2009.
His father started the Orlando Raptors, where he won severalAAU Championships. He attendedLake Howell High School and graduated as the leading high school basketball scorer inSeminole County history.[2] He teamed with futureFlorida GatorChandler Parsons, futureVCU Ram Joey Rodriguez, to help Lake Howell to a 31–3 record, and a state championship in 2007. At Lake Howell, Calathes twice won theFlorida Mr. Basketball award, placing him on a long list of NBA players who have won that award, includingVince Carter,Amar'e Stoudemire,Brandon Knight, andAustin Rivers.[3]
Calathes accepted an athletic scholarship to attend theUniversity of Florida, where he played for coachBilly Donovan'sFlorida Gators men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009. Calathes was considered one of the top play-making guards in college basketball. At 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), he could play the positions ofpoint guard,shooting guard, andsmall forward.
He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 2009, and he was the only player in the nation to average better than 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. Calathes broke the Florida school records for assists and assists per game in each of his first two years, totaling 221 as a freshman (6.1 assists per game), and 231 (6.4 assists per game) as a sophomore. He ranked third in Florida school history in career assists after just two years. He was the SEC Newcomer of the Year and the SEC co-Freshman of the Year in 2008, as he led Florida in scoring and assists.
| Stat | High | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 33 | Kentucky | February 10, 2009 |
| Total Rebounds | 13 | Georgia | January 28, 2009 |
| Assists | 13 | Georgia | February 14, 2009 |
| Steals | 5 | Alabama | February 18, 2009 |
On May 23, 2009, Calathes announced that he would bypass theNBA to play in theGreek Basket League. He agreed to terms with the eliteEuroLeague clubPanathinaikos Athens. The three-year deal paid Calathes around€2.4 millionnet income, in addition to providing him with a home, car, and endorsements, making for a total package commensurate with what the NBA rookie salary scale provided an early lottery selection.[4] Despite his commitment to play in Greece, he was still selected in the second round of the2009 NBA draft by theMinnesota Timberwolves. He was then traded to theDallas Mavericks for a2010 second-round draft pick and cash.
"Diamantidis was theMVP of the series, but Calathes was the key player."
In his first year with Panathinaikos, he won theGreek League championship, averaging 5.4 points, 2.0 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. He also participated in theGreek Youth All-Star Game (for players age 22 and under), in which he scored six points and dished six assists. In 2010, Calathes was also voted the third best young player (age 22 and under) in the Greek League, afterNikos Pappas andVangelis Mantzaris. In the 2010–11 season, Calathes had an average of 7.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in the Greek League. He also participated in the senior men'sHEBA Greek All-Star Game, replacingTheo Papaloukas (who was out with an injury), because he was 16th in the fan voting with 1,200 votes. Calathes scored 11 points and dished six assists in the All-Star Game.
In theEuroLeague 2010–11 playoffs, Calathes scored a career-high 12 points againstBarcelona in game 4 of the playoff series. Barcelona head coachXavi Pascual said, "Diamantidis was the MVP of the series, but Calathes was the key player." His teammate,Ian Vougioukas, stated about him, "Calathes played four outstanding games, especially on defense, and was a key for us." In the four-game playoff series against Barcelona, Calathes averaged 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and a steal in 26 minutes per game.
In the 2010–11 EuroLeague semifinal againstMontepaschi Siena, Calathes had another good performance, which helped send Panathinaikos to the 2011EuroLeague Final. He scored 17 points, dished two assists to his teammates, and grabbed six rebounds. At the2011 EuroLeague Final againstMaccabi Tel Aviv, Calathes helped Panathinaikos, by scoring four points, recording six assists, and making two steals. Finally, Calathes won his first EuroLeague title. In the2010–11 Greek League playoffs, Calathes had an average of 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, in 23 minutes per game. He helped Panathinaikos to reach the Greek League Finals. He played especially good in the fourth game of the Greek League Finals, in which he had 16 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds, in 42 minutes. He won his second Greek League championship with Panathinaikos, and he was named to theEurobasket.com website's All-Greek A1 League First Team and All-Defensive Team. He also won the Eurobasket.com website's Most Improved Player of the Year award.
In the summer of 2012, Calathes signed a two-year contract with the RussianVTB United League teamLokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.[5] He signed a two-year €2.2 millionnet income contract.[6] He was named to theFirst Team[7] and selected theseason MVP[8] of Europe's2nd-tier level competition, theEuroCup, in 2013.
On July 22, 2013, the Dallas Mavericks traded Calathes's draft rights to theMemphis Grizzlies in exchange for a 2016 second-round pick.[9] On August 20, 2013, Calathes officially signed a two-year contract with the Grizzlies.[10] In February 2014, starting for the injuredMike Conley Jr., he was namedRookie of the Month, averaging 10.7 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.
On April 18, 2014, just days before the 2014 postseason commenced, Calathes was suspended for 20 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy; the league stated that Calathes had tested positive forTamoxifen, though there was no evidence indicating that Calathes had been testosterone doping or using any other performance-enhancing substance that would have been masked by the Tamoxifen. The NBA statement announcing the suspension, which took effect immediately, also indicated that the banned substance was an ingredient in a supplement that Calathes had been taking.[11] Calling the suspension a "true injustice", actingNBPA Executive Director Ron Klempner indicated that the suspension would be appealed.[12]
On July 15, 2015, Panathinaikos announced the signing of Calathes for three years.[13] It was reported that thenet income of the deal was$7 million. On October 22, against theTurkish Super League clubKarşıyaka Basket, Calathes set a new personal career-high of 11 assists in aEuroLeague game.[14][15] On March 6, 2016, he won theGreek Cup for the second time in his career, having nine points, seven assists, and four rebounds in the Greek Cup Final. He was named the 2016Greek League Best Defender.[16] He won the Greek Cup again with Panathinaikos in 2017, as well as the Greek championship title.
In the summer of 2017, Calathes played inThe Basketball Tournament onESPN for Pedro's Posse. He competed for the $2 million prize, losing in the first round to Team 23, by a score of 107–92.[17]
In the 2017–18 season, Calathes emerged as the team leader of Panathinaikos. Over 31 EuroLeague games, he averaged career-highs of 14.5 points and 8 assists per game. In May 2018, he was named to theAll-EuroLeague First Team of the2017–18 season.[18]
On June 27, 2018, Calathes agreed to a €6.5 million net income contract extension with Panathinaikos, that would keep him in Athens through the 2020–21 season.
On July 9, 2020, Calathes signed withFC Barcelona of the SpanishLiga ACB andEuroLeague.[19] Calathes helped Barcelona to the top of the2021–22 Spanish championship and to two consecutiveCopa del Rey (2021 and2022) wins. He would also reach theEuroLeague Final Four in both seasons with the Catalans, finishing as runners-up in2021. While at Barcelona, Calathes would set several individual records, such as theall-time assist leader in theEuroLeague or the assist record in a EuroLeague Final Four.[20][21] On June 23, 2022, Calathes was excluded from the plans of Barcelona coach,Šarūnas Jasikevičius, for the 2022–23 season,[22] after arguments between the two ex-teammates and due to the decision of the Blaugrana to cut down on their budget.
On August 23, 2022, Calathes signed a two-year contract withFenerbahçe of theTurkish Basketball Super League (BSL).[23][24] In a highly successful 2023–24 season, which saw Calathes reunite with his former coach Jasikevičius, Fenerbahçe made its return to theEuroLeague Final Four after a five-year break.[25] The team also won the Turkish League and the Turkish Cup.
On June 17, 2024, Calathes signed a two-year deal withAS Monaco of the FrenchLNB Pro A and theEuroLeague, joining his former Panathinaikos teammate and EuroLeague all-time leading scorerMike James.[26]
On October 29, 2025, Calathes signed a deal until the end of season withPartizan of theSerbian League (KLS), theABA League and theEuroLeague, reuniting with his former Panathinaikos head coachŽeljko Obradović.[27]
Calathes made his debut with the Greek junior national team at the2008 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he averaged 11.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 22 minutes per game. With theUnder-20 Greek junior national basketball team, he played in 10 games in total, scoring 115 points, averaging 11.5 points per game.
In 2009, Calathes debuted with theGreece men's national basketball team, and with them he won the bronze medal at theEuroBasket 2009. At the 2009 EuroBasket, Calathes was 5th in the tournament in steals, with 1.6 per game, and he also averaged 4.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and two assists, in 17 minutes per game. In the semifinal againstSpain, despite his team losing the game, he scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished two assists, and made two steals.
The next summer, at the2010 FIBA World Championship, Greece failed to win a medal. Calathes averaged 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during the tournament. At theEuroBasket 2011, Calathes helped Greece to finish in sixth place, with averages of 9.2 points and 3.8 assists per game. He also played at the2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Calathes was suspended from competing in anyFIBA competitions for four months, from April 2014 to August 2014, byWADA.[28] This was due to his NBA suspension for violating the league's anti-drug policy, after he tested positive forTamoxifen.[29][30]
With Greece, he also played at the2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, theEuroBasket 2015, and the2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He also played with Greece at theEuroBasket 2017, and the2019 FIBA World Cup qualification.
Calathes has played with the Greece men's national basketball team in 105 games to date, scoring 851 points, for an average of 8.1 points per game.[31]
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 EB | Greece | 8 | 1 | 17.3 | .353 | .182 | .636 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 4.1 |
| 2010 WC | 6 | 0 | 12.7 | .491 | .000 | .625 | 2.2 | 2.5 | .7 | 0.2 | 4.5 | |
| 2011 EB | 11 | 10 | 25.5 | .418 | .222 | .784 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 9.2 | |
| 2012 OQT | 3 | 2 | 18.3 | .429 | .1000 | .778 | 2.0 | 3.0 | .7 | 0.0 | 7.3 | |
| 2014 WC | 6 | 6 | 26.2 | .509 | .375 | .462 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 11.3 | |
| 2015 EB | 8 | 8 | 25.1 | .556 | .611 | .667 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 9.9 | |
| 2016 OQT | 3 | 3 | 19.7 | .412 | .286 | .000 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 5.3 | |
| 2017 EB | 7 | 7 | 27.7 | .500 | .333 | .462 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 13.6 | |
| 2019 WC | 5 | 5 | 28.7 | .491 | .417 | .429 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 13.4 |
Calathes was born to aGreek-American father and anIrish-American mother. He holdsdual citizenship with the United States and Greece. He acquired his Greek passport on June 30, 2008, due to his Greek background. His paternal grandparents emigrated toFlorida from the Greek islandLemnos. His older brother,Pat, is also a professional basketball player.
Calathes' last name in Greek translates as "basket" (καλάθι). In 2013, Calathes' son Luke was born.
| 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Memphis | 71 | 7 | 16.5 | .457 | .311 | .611 | 1.9 | 2.9 | .9 | .1 | 4.9 |
| 2014–15 | Memphis | 58 | 0 | 14.4 | .424 | .256 | .533 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .1 | 4.2 |
| Career | 129 | 7 | 15.6 | .441 | .288 | .581 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .1 | 4.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Memphis | 9 | 3 | 14.0 | .333 | .462 | .375 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 3.7 |
| Career | 9 | 3 | 14.0 | .333 | .462 | .375 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 3.7 | |
| † | Denotes season in which Calathes won theEuroLeague |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Panathinaikos | 14 | 2 | 13.7 | .386 | .227 | .455 | 1.9 | 1.7 | .6 | — | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| 2010–11† | 22 | 6 | 15.4 | .562 | .353 | .692 | 1.6 | 1.5 | .7 | .1 | 4.8 | 5.0 | |
| 2011–12 | 23* | 14 | 23.5 | .486 | .298 | .500 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.2 | .0 | 7.6 | 8.3 | |
| 2015–16 | 27 | 26 | 30.2 | .417 | .329 | .568 | 4.1 | 6.4 | 2.0* | .2 | 9.0 | 12.8 | |
| 2016–17 | 33 | 33 | 27.2 | .405 | .246 | .500 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 1.5 | .2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | |
| 2017–18 | 31 | 31 | 29.0 | .476 | .293 | .576 | 3.8 | 8.0* | 1.7* | .1 | 14.5 | 18.5 | |
| 2018–19 | 33 | 33 | 31.0 | .393 | .265 | .528 | 4.3 | 8.7* | 1.7* | .1 | 12.2 | 15.8 | |
| 2019–20 | 28* | 28* | 32.2* | .420 | .281 | .594 | 4.9 | 9.1* | 1.1 | .1 | 13.3 | 17.8 | |
| 2020–21 | Barcelona | 41* | 37 | 25.1 | .428 | .327 | .533 | 3.3 | 6.5 | .9 | .2 | 7.8 | 10.3 |
| 2021–22 | 29 | 27 | 24.5 | .487 | .317 | .450 | 4.0 | 6.4* | 1.1 | .1 | 7.3 | 11.8 | |
| 2022–23 | Fenerbahçe | 39 | 39 | 25.7 | .440 | .336 | .382 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 1.1 | .0 | 8.0 | 10.0 |
| 2023–24 | 38 | 35 | 23.7 | .464 | .357 | .513 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 1.1 | .2 | 7.1 | 10.5 | |
| Career | 358 | 311 | 25.8 | .438 | .300 | .537 | 3.7 | 5.8 | 1.3 | .1 | 9.0 | 11.8 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Lokomotiv Kuban | 17 | 15 | 33.8 | .551 | .275 | .593 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 1.4 | .1 | 12.9 | 17.2 |
| Career | 17 | 15 | 33.8 | .551 | .275 | .593 | 5.9 | 6.6 | 1.4 | .1 | 12.9 | 17.2 | |
| Year | Team | League | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 |  Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 30 | 16.0 | .516 | .364 | .622 | 2.4 | 2.1 | .9 | .1 | 5.6 |
| 2010–11 | Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 34 | 19.9 | .525 | .279 | .667 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .1 | 7.8 |
| 2011–12 | Panathinaikos | HEBA A1 | 33 | 22.0 | .476 | .275 | .537 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 1.7 | .0 | 8.1 |
| 2012–13 |  Lokomotiv Kuban | RPBL | 9 | 30.6 | .482 | .300 | .651 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 1.2 | .2 | 12.9 |
| 2012–13 | Lokomotiv Kuban | VTBUL | 16 | 31.0 | .541 | .414 | .611 | 4.6 | 5.8 | 1.7 | .1 | 15.0 |
| 2015–16 | Panathinaikos | GBL | 34 | 28.0 | .412 | .261 | .533 | 4.6 | 6.3 | 1.9 | .3 | 8.6 |
| 2016–17 | Panathinaikos | GBL | 35 | 23.3 | .471 | .368 | .545 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 1.1 | .1 | 9.5 |
| 2017–18 | Panathinaikos | GBL | 35 | 22.0 | .460 | .318 | .500 | 3.9 | 6.9 | 1.7 | .1 | 10.4 |
| 2018–19 | Panathinaikos | GBL | 27 | 22.7 | .438 | .378 | .811 | 3.4 | 8.2 | 1.4 | .0 | 9.8 |
| 2019–20 | Panathinaikos | GBL | 19 | 17.0 | .418 | .419 | .800 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 1.5 | .0 | 6.8 |
| 2020–21 |  Barcelona | ACB | 40 | 20.0 | .478 | .393 | .523 | 2.9 | 5.3 | 1.2 | .1 | 8.1 |
| 2021–22 | Barcelona | ACB | 39 | 22.5 | .406 | .288 | .590 | 4.3 | 5.2 | .8 | .3 | 6.3 |
| 2022–23 |  Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 20 | 22.5 | .420 | .329 | .429 | 3.9 | 5.7 | .9 | — | 7.7 |
| 2023–24 | Fenerbahçe | TBSL | 22 | 24.2 | .472 | .458 | .700 | 3.9 | 7.8 | .9 | .1 | 6.8 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | Florida | 36 | 36 | 32.6 | .426 | .367 | .724 | 5.2 | 6.1 | 1.6 | .1 | 15.3 |
| 2008–09 | Florida | 36 | 35 | 33.3 | .482 | .390 | .707 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 1.9 | .2 | 17.2 |
| Career | 72 | 71 | 33.0 | .455 | .380 | .715 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 1.8 | .1 | 16.3 | |
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