1991 FIBA Centennial Jubilee

Last updated
1991 FIBA Centennial Jubilee
Tournament details
Arena SEF
Piraeus, Greece
DatesJune 5–9
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of Italy.svg  Italy
Runners-upFlag of Greece.svg  Greece

The 1991 FIBA Centennial Jubilee was the special edition tournament of the Acropolis International Basketball Tournament that was organized jointly by FIBA Europe and the Hellenic Basketball Federation to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the sport of basketball. The tournament was held from June 5 to June 9, 1991, at the SEF Indoor Hall in Piraeus, Greece. The tournament was won by Italy, with Greece finishing in second place.

Contents

The Centennial Jubilee also included a FIBA Europe All-Star Game, which was divided up into a Balkans versus the rest of Europe format. The Balkans Selection won the all-star game, which took place on 8 June 1991, by a score of 103–102. The tournament is not counted officially with the other 29 Acropolis International Tournaments, because it was not solely organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation.

Participating teams

Standings

Champions FIBA Centennial Jubilee
TeamPldWLPFPAPDPts
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 330289246+436
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 32126126765
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia 101838521
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 101859381
Flag of France.svg  France 1018090101
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 10185102171

Results

June 5, 1991
Italy  Flag of Italy.svg10285Flag of Spain.svg  Spain

Final standings

The Balkans versus The Rest of Europe

In the FIBA Europe All-Star Game, the FIBA Balkans Selection took on a FIBA European Selection from the rest of Europe. The FIBA Balkans Selection won the all-star game, by a score of 103–102. Nikos Galis, of The FIBA Balkans Selection Team, was the game's top scorer, with 22 points, while Jure Zdovc hit the game's winning shot.

"The FIBA European Selection" team consisted of:

"The FIBA Balkans Selection" team consisted of:

Related Research Articles

The Yugoslavia men's national basketball team represented the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1992 in international basketball, and was controlled by the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece men's national basketball team</span> Mens national basketball team representing Greece

The Greece men's national basketball team represents Greece in international basketball. They are controlled by the Hellenic Basketball Federation, the governing body for basketball in Greece. Greece is currently ranked 14th in the FIBA World Ranking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikos Galis</span> Greek basketball player

Nikolaos Georgalis, commonly known as either Nikos Galis, or Nick Galis, is a Greek former professional basketball player. Galis, who during his playing days was nicknamed, "Nick The Greek", "The Gangster", and "The Iron Man", is widely regarded as Europe's greatest scorer to ever play the game, and as one of the all-time greatest players in FIBA international basketball history. In 1991, Galis was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players. In 2007, he became an inaugural member of the FIBA Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was chosen as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. In 2017, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was named one of the 101 Greats of European Basketball. In 2022, he was inducted in to the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panagiotis Giannakis</span> Greek basketball player and coach

Panagiotis "Notis" Giannakis, alternatively spelled Panayiotis Yiannakis or Yannakis, is a former Greek professional basketball player and coach. He is considered to be one of the greatest sportspeople of Greece. He started his senior career at the age of just 13 at Ionikos Nikaias and after noticeable success, he achieved extraordinary success as a player with Aris Thessaloniki from 1984 to 1993, in partnership with Greek basketball's biggest star Nikos Galis along with the rest of the squad, while achieving victory as the national team captain in EuroBasket 1987 in Athens, Greece's first major tournament win in non-Olympic sport which, along with Aris' extraordinary success, cultivated the sport in the country. At the end of his career, he won the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos in 1996 As head coach, he most prominently led Greece to its second European trophy in EuroBasket 2005 at Serbia and Montenegro, where a team of new and talented stars shone brightest under the nurturship of Giannakis. He would repeat the success the next year, acquiring the silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, where the team most notably scored a decisive win against the USA stars of the NBA in the semi-final, which would be USMNBT's last loss in a tournament until 2019. However, Greece's arch rivals Spain would defeat Giannakis' team in the final, as they would do again in the semi-finals of the 2007 EuroBasket. Outside of the Greek national team, he would coach Greek clubs like Aris, where he had the most success as player, Olympiacos, where he achieved renewed success, and the China men's national basketball team. As a player, he was primarily a point guard, but he could also play at the shooting guard position. During his playing career, Giannakis was also widely-known under his nickname of "O Drákos", or "The Dragon" in English.

Panagiotis "Panos" Fasoulas is a Greek politician and former professional basketball player. He was selected in the second round by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1986 NBA draft, but never decided to play in the NBA. Considered to be one of the best big men ever in European basketball, Fasoulas became a FIBA Hall of Fame player in 2016. In 2022, he was inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vassilis Spanoulis</span> Greek basketball player and coach (born 1982)

Vassilis Spanoulis, also commonly known as Bill Spanoulis, or Billy Spanoulis is a Greek professional basketball coach and former player, who was most recently the head coach of the pro club Peristeri Athens of the Greek Basket League, as well as the head coach of the senior men's Greek national team. Spanoulis, who during his playing days was nicknamed "Kill Bill", is widely regarded as one of the best European basketball players of all time. During his professional club playing career, Spanoulis was a FIBA World Club Championship champion, a Triple Crown winner, a three-time EuroLeague champion and five-time EuroLeague finalist, a FIBA Europe League finalist, a seven-time Greek Basket League champion and thirteen-time Greek Basket League finalist, and a four-time Greek Cup winner and nine-time Greek Cup finalist. In four seasons with Panathinaikos Athens, Spanoulis won eight club championship titles, and in eleven seasons with Olympiacos Piraeus, he won seven club championship titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanis Christodoulou</span> Greek basketball player (born 1965)

Theofanis "Fanis" Christodoulou is a Greek former professional basketball player. He played mainly at small forward, but his complete all-around skills allowed him to play all five positions. During his playing career, many sports journalists called him "The European Charles Barkley". While his nickname among his teammates was "Bembis" ("Baby").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panathinaikos B.C.</span> Greek professional basketball team

Panathinaikos B.C., also known simply as Panathinaikos, currently also known as Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for sponsorship reasons, is the professional basketball team of the major Athens-based multi-sport club Panathinaikos A.O. It is owned by the billionaire Giannakopoulos family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aris B.C.</span> Basketball club

Aris Basketball Club known in European competitions as Aris Thessaloniki, is the professional basketball team of the major Thessaloniki-based Greek multi-sport club A.C. Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of the multi-sport club and the football team. Their traditional home arena is Alexandreio Melathron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panionios B.C.</span> Basketball team in Nea Smyrni, Greece

Panionios B.C., known in European competitions as Panionios Athens is the Greek professional basketball club that is based in Nea Smyrni, and that plays its home games in Palaio Faliro, Greece. The club is also widely known as Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, or Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis, which is the Pan-Ionian Gymnastic Club of Smyrna. This is usually abbreviated to the club name of Πανιώνιος Γ.Σ.Σ. Panionios B.C. is the basketball department of the Panionios Gymnastic Club that is based in Nea Smyrni.

The Acropolis International Basketball Tournament is an international basketball competition that is played between national teams, which has been held almost every year since 1986, and takes place in Athens, Greece, during the summer. It takes place before the big official FIBA tournaments like the FIBA Summer Olympic Games, the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the FIBA World Cup, and the FIBA EuroBasket. The tournament is named after the Athenian Acropolis. The competition is played under FIBA rules.

Nikolaos "Nikos" Stavropoulos, a.k.a.Professor Nicholas "Magic" Stavropoulos, is a former Greek professional basketball player and coach. During his club playing career, at a height of 1.96 m (6'5") tall, Stavropoulos played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. During his playing career, Stavropoulos was known for his dazzling passing skills, and his spectacular play-making ability, which garnered him the nickname "Magic", or "Greek Magic", after NBA player Magic Johnson, who played during the same era, and was also known for his dazzling passes and play-making ability.

Jon Anthony Korfas is a Greek-American former professional basketball player and coach. During his professional playing career, Korfas won all three of the FIBA Europe continental-wide titles on the club level. With Panathinaikos Athens, he won the top-tier level FIBA EuroLeague championship, during the 1995–96 season. He also won the second-tier level FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup championship in the 1990–91 season, and the third-tier level FIBA Korać Cup championship in the 1993–94 season with PAOK Thessaloniki. With Panathinaikos, he also won the world club title, as he won the 1996 edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. He was also selected to the FIBA EuroLeague All-Final Four Team at the 1993 FIBA EuroLeague Final Four.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jure Zdovc</span> Slovenian basketball player and coach

Jurij "Jure" Zdovc is a Slovenian former professional basketball player and coach. He was most recently the head coach of Bursaspor of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). As a player, he was a 1.98 m (6'6") tall point guard, who began his professional playing career with the Yugoslav Second Division club Smelt Olimpija.

Branislav Prelević is a retired Serbian professional basketball player and coach. He is commonly referred to by his nickname Bane.

The FIBA Europe All-Star Game was the all-star basketball exhibition game, which was also known as the "FIBA Europe Festival". The "FIBA Europe Festival All-Star Game" was held from 1964 to 1995. It was organized by FIBA Europe. The FIBA European Selection teams won most of the FIBA Europe Festival All-Star Games, with an overall record of 24–5. The FIBA Europe Festival All-Star Game event was eventually replaced by the FIBA EuroStars All-Star Game event, in 1996. The FIBA EuroStars All-Star Game was last held in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgos Kolokithas</span> Greek basketball player

Giorgos Kolokithas was a Greek professional basketball player. He is considered one of the best scorers and players in Greek basketball history, and as a player, he had the nickname of "Basket Machine". He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HEBA Greek All-Star Game</span> Greek professional basketball league

The HEBA Greek All-Star Game, also known as the EKO Greek All-Star Game for sponsorship reasons, is the All-Star Game of the Hellenic Basketball Association (HEBA) professional men's basketball competition. The HEBA Greek all-star game includes players that currently play in HEBA's top-tier level Greek Basket League. The HEBA Greek all-star game was originally founded and organized by Gus Sarianides.

Basketballin Greece erupted with the win of the Greece men's national basketball team at the 1987 EuroBasket in Athens, which caused a general basketball euphoria in the country. Since then, the Greece men's national teams have achieved consistent international success, leading Greece to join Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Italy, Spain, France, and Lithuania in the circle of European basketball powers. In addition to the Greece national team's triumph in 1987, they won the gold medal at the 2005 EuroBasket, silver medals at the 1989 EuroBasket, and the 2006 FIBA World Cup, and the bronze medal at the 2009 EuroBasket.

The following is a history of the basketball players and head coaches that have competed for the Greece men's national basketball team, at all of the major international basketball tournaments.