Greece’s rising star

VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's London Calling) - For someone still a couple of months shy of his 22nd birthday, Kostas Papanikolaou already owns a curriculum vitae that many players can only dream about.

Every year, he’s reaching finals and often he’s winning them.

Consider what Papanikolaou has achieved already.

At the 2007 U18 European Championship, he captured a silver medal and in the same age group the following year in his own country, he helped the Greeks capture gold.

Next, he played two years at the U20 European Championships and in 2009, Papanikolaou and Greece again played at home, this time in Rhodes, and won the gold medal.

The following year in Austria, France edged the Greeks in the title game.

It’s not often that a player leaves the youth ranks and immediately takes a prominent role in the senior team, but Papanikolaou did last year at the EuroBasket in Lithuania.

After impressing for Olympiacos, Ilias Zourous drafted the forward into his squad and Papanikolaou rewarded him with one steady display after another, first in Alytus and then in Vilnius.

Papanikolaou and the Greeks then moved on to Kaunas and accomplished their pre-tournament aim of a top-six finish to earn a trip to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) for the second consecutive time.

After pushing France very hard in the Quarter-Finals before falling, 64-56, the Greeks rebounded with an 87-77 victory over Serbia, who are led by Papanikolaou’s Olympiacos coach, Dusan Ivkovic.

That triumph over the Serbians punched the Greeks’ ticket to the OQT.

Now, Papanikolaou has just completed a season in which he not only won a Turkish Airlines Euroleague crown with Olympiacos, something they achieved despite trailing CSKA Moscow by 19 points late in the third quarter, but he also celebrated a Greek league title after the Reds’ 3-2 series win against giants Panathinaikos.

The season could hardly have been any better.

Now, those three letters that are often associated with promising young players – N-B-A – are often mentioned in the same breath with Papanikolaou.

"The NBA is on my mind,” he admitted.

“I want to play in premier league in the world.

“It's a dream that one day should become a reality.

“I don’t mean that I want to go this year.

“There is no need to do something in a hurry (because) I have more time in front of me…”

Papanikolaou is working on his legend in Greece.

“Besides, I have a contract with Olympiacos. And I want to stay…” he said.

There could not be a better environment for Papanikolaou to learn in, and continue to win, than at Olympiacos.

He was just one of several youngsters to play a significant role in the Olympiacos success story this year.

The club’s future is bright.

Far more pressing is the OQT in Caracas, Venezuela.

He’s already shifted his focus to Greece’s national team.

"Participation in the Olympic Games is another big dream for an athlete,” he said.

“When you have such a challenge ahead, you’re not thinking about anything else.”

The adrenaline is already flowing.

Papanikolaou has seen his country compete in the big tournaments the past several years, including the last couple of Olympics.

He wants to experience that for himself.

“There is fatigue as we have had very little time to rest, but never mind,” he said in remarks to the Greek media.

“The national team awaits us and we must give everything.

“Our work in the pre-Olympic is difficult, but we must do everything to qualify in London.”

A word to the wise – don’t bet against Papanikolaou making it.

Jeff Taylor

FIBA

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