GRE - Dimitris Diamantidis "Mister Europa 2007" (+ videos)

ROMA (Mister Europa) - Dimitris Diamantidis has become the first Greek player since the legendary Nikos Galis to capture Superbasket magazine's top honor after being named "Mister Europa 2007".

The 27-year-old Panathinaikos superstar has beaten France's NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker, Russia's EuroBasket MVP Andre Kirilenko and Germany's NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki to the award.

Last season, Diamantidis was voted the Euroleague's top defensive player for a third year running.

He also earned the Euroleague Final Four MVP award after leading Panathinaikos past CSKA Moscow in the title game in Athens.

Diamantidis was voted Greek League MVP after Panathinaikos' fifth consecutive title triumph, and he helped the team also win the Greek Cup.

Just as Diamantidis, the winner of the Best Male Athlete of the Year in Greece, is a national hero, Galis has been adored in his country for two decades.

He received the Italian weekly magazine's "Mister Europa 1987" award after leading Greece to the EuroBasket crown that year.

Diamantidis was elected "Mister Europa 2007" by a panel of "Superbasket" journalists.

Superbasket "Mister Europa" Roll of honor

1976 Pierluigi Marzorati (Italy)
1977 Drazen Dalipagic (Yugoslavia)
1978 Drazen Dalipagic (Yugoslavia)
1979 Vladimir Tkachenko (USSR)
1980 Dino Meneghin (Italy)
1981 Dragan Kicanovic (Yugoslavia)
1982 Dragan Kicanovic (Yugoslavia)
1983 Dino Meneghin (Italy)
1984 Juan Antonio San Epifanio (Spain)
1985 Arvydas Sabonis (USRR)
1986 Drazen Petrovic (Yugoslavia)
1987 Nikos Galis (Greece)
1988 Sarunas Marciulonis (USSR)
1989 Vlade Divac (Yugoslavia)
1990 Toni Kukoc (Yugoslavia)
1991 Toni Kukoc (Yugoslavia)
1992 Toni Kukoc (Croatia)
1993 Drazen Petrovic (Croatia)
1994 Aleksandar Djordjevic (Yugoslavia)
1995 Aleksandar Djordjevic (Yugoslavia)
1996 Toni Kukoc (Croatia)
1997 Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania)
1998 Predrag Danilovic (Yugoslavia)
1999 Andrea Meneghin (Italy)
2000 Gregor Fucka (Italy)
2001 Predrag Stojakovic (Yugoslavia)
2002 Predrag Stojakovic (Yugoslavia)
2003 Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania)
2004 Pau Gasol (Spain)
2005 Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
2006 Jorge Garbajosa (Spain)
2007 Dimitris Diamantidis (Greece)

FIBA