Basketball-Greek League

Why Greek basketball is so popular

Basketball is a very popular sport in Greece, especially in the Athens area. The basketball-Greek League is one of the most popular leagues in Greece. There are two teams that garner the most attention for Greek basketball: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. Both of these teams also have basketball teams for kids, which helps with the popularity as well.

Olympiacos BC has been around since 1926 and is currently led by coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos. Panathinaikos BC was established in 1908 and is currently coached by Giannis Sfairopoulos. These two teams are classified as historical clubs because they've been around for so long and are some of the biggest names in European basketball. They both play in Greece's top division and have a rivalry that dates back to 1926, when they first played each other.

The history of basketball in Greece

The game of basketball was introduced to the Greeks in 1923 by physical education teacher James Naismith. Naismith visited Athens, Greece in 1922 and gave a demonstration of the sport, which had been originally invented for an all-male class at Springfield College in 1891. The Greek audience received it with enthusiasm and the first regulation basketball court was built not long after.

Fast forward to today, and you'll find that many Greeks who manage to leave Greece (to study at school or work abroad) return home with a new love for their national game. There are now more than 400 gyms across Greece dedicated exclusively to basketball, while there are also amateur teams popping up all over the country, especially in Athens and Thessaloniki.

The most popular and successful Greek teams in the Euroleague

If you're a basketball fan, chances are you've heard of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos - the two most successful Greek teams in Euroleague competition. Both of these teams have won the Euroleague championship three times, with Panathinaikos winning in 1994, 1996 and 2000. Olympiakos has won in 1986, 1993 and 2002.

The dominance of these two clubs is one reason why basketball is so popular in Greece. Their national team also boasts many talented players that have made a name for themselves throughout Europe, such as Nikola Kalinic, Dimitris Diamantidis, Vassilis Spanoulis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis.

Another reason why basketball is so popular in Greece is because it's their main sport to watch on TV every week. Basketball games are broadcasted live on Fridays on ERT2 at 8:00 pm CET and every Sunday at 8:00 am on ERT1 at 8:00 pm CET. The game also gets some airtime on other channels like Eurosport 2 and SuperSport 7 Plus depending on the time of day.

Whats the future for Greek basketball?

Some high schools in Greece do have basketball teams, but there are very few compared to soccer, which is by far the most popular sport in Greece. But this might change soon.

In recent years, Greek basketball has been gaining a lot of popularity among Greeks who watch it on TV or attend games when they're abroad. Combined with the general rise in awareness about sports from around the world, more and more people are becoming aware of Greek basketball and its athletes as well as their international success stories.

It's also helped that there are now more channels broadcasting European games every week for Greeks to watch at home in their free time. If this trend continues, Greece could be seeing a boom in interest from young kids who want to learn how to play the game better so they can get on those teams one day.

And if you ask any Greek athlete what they would like to see happen with their nation's love of sports, they'll tell you that they want to see basketball continue to grow and become a mainstream sport here too!

Conclusion

It's no secret that Greek basketball is one of the most popular sports in the country. It's a team sport, with an individual skill set, and the game is fast paced. But the popularity of basketball should not come as a surprise to anyone. It has become one of the most popular sports in the world and Greece has a long tradition of success with it. With a rich history and a promising future it's not hard to see why Greek basketball is so popular.