Antonis Fotsis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Antonis Fotsis
Αντώνης Φώτσης

Fotsis, as a Panathinaikos player, in 2008
No. 6 – Ilysiakos
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1981-04-01) 1 April 1981 (age 44) Maroussi, Greece
Listed height	6 ft 10.25 in (2.09 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48th overall
Selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies
Pro career	1996–present
League	Greek C League
Career history
1996–1997	Ilysiakos
1997–2001	Panathinaikos
2001–2002	Memphis Grizzlies
2002–2003	Panathinaikos
2003–2005	Real Madrid
2005–2008	Dynamo Moscow
2008–2011	Panathinaikos
2011–2013	Olimpia Milano
2013–2017	Panathinaikos
2017–present	Ilysiakos
Career highlights and awards
3× EuroLeague champion (2000, 2009, 2011) FIBA EuroStar (2007) EuroCup champion (2006) Liga ACB champion (2005) LBA All-Star (2012) 10× Greek League champion (1998–2001, 2003, 2009–2011, 2014, 2017) 6× Greek Cup winner (2003, 2009, 2014–2017) Greek All-Star Game MVP (2011) 6× Greek All-Star (2001, 2003, 2009–2011, 2014) Greek League Best Young Player (2001) Greek League Hall of Fame (2022) 3× Acropolis Tournament MVP (2002, 2008, 2011) EuroLeague records since the 2000–01 season Most rebounds in a game
Medals Event 1st 2nd 3rd FIBA World Cup 0 1 0 FIBA Stanković World Cup 1 0 0 FIBA EuroBasket 1 0 1 FIBA U-18 European Championship 0 0 1 Men's basketball Representing  Greece FIBA World Cup Silver 2006 Japan FIBA Stanković World Cup Gold 2006 China FIBA EuroBasket Gold 2005 Serbia & Montenegro Bronze 2009 Poland FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Bronze 1998 Bulgaria U-18 Team

Antonis Fotsis (born April 1, 1981) is a Greek professional basketball player. He plays for Ilysiakos. Antonis is about 6 feet 10 inches (2.09 meters) tall. He mostly plays as a power forward. Sometimes, he can also play as a center or a small forward.

Antonis Fotsis was once the captain of the Greek national team. He was added to the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame in 2022. People often call him "Batman" because of how well he could jump and block shots when he was younger.

Antonis Fotsis's Basketball Journey

Antonis Fotsis started his basketball career in 1996. He was known as a very promising young player in Europe.

Starting in Greece

Antonis began playing professionally with Ilysiakos in the Greek Basket League. He was very talented even at a young age. In 1997, when he was just sixteen, he joined the famous Greek club Panathinaikos.

It's interesting that Antonis started playing as a point guard. Later, he moved to small forward and then to power forward. Because he played guard early on, he became known as a power forward with great basketball skills. He was the best young player in Greece at that time. He even played in the Nike Hoop Summit All-World Team twice (in 1998 and 1999).

Antonis didn't play much in his first two years with Panathinaikos. But by the 1999–2000 season, he became a key player. He helped Panathinaikos win the EuroLeague championship that year, even though he was only nineteen. The next year, he was a starter when Panathinaikos reached the finals of the FIBA SuproLeague.

Playing in the NBA

In 2001, Antonis Fotsis was chosen by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the NBA draft. The Grizzlies team later moved and became the Memphis Grizzlies. Antonis played one season in the NBA during the 2001–02 season.

He played in 28 games for the Grizzlies. He averaged about 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. His best game was on January 19, 2002, when he scored 21 points against the Orlando Magic. His last NBA game was on April 17, 2002.

Coming Back to Europe

After his time in the NBA, Antonis returned to Panathinaikos for the 2002–03 season. He became one of the team's main players. He scored about 14.5 points per game in the EuroLeague. That year, he helped Panathinaikos win both the Greek Cup and the Greek League championship.

In 2003, he moved to the Spanish team Real Madrid. With Real Madrid, he helped the team reach the EuroCup Finals in 2004. They also won the Spanish League championship in 2005.

Later in 2005, he joined the Russian team Dynamo Moscow. Antonis was one of the top players for Dynamo Moscow. He won the EuroCup championship with Dynamo in 2006. In 2007, he helped Dynamo reach the EuroLeague quarterfinals. In one amazing game on March 21, 2007, he scored 22 points and grabbed 24 rebounds. This set a new EuroLeague record for rebounds in a single game since the 2000–01 season.

In 2008, Antonis came back to Panathinaikos for the second time. He was a starter when the team won the special Triple Crown in the 2008–09 season. This means they won three major championships in one year. Antonis was important for this win with his strong defense and important baskets. He played more minutes than any other Panathinaikos player in the 2009 EuroLeague Final Four.

In the 2009–10 season, Panathinaikos won the Greek League championship again. Antonis was named the Greek League MVP (Most Valuable Player) for April that season. He continued to show his great defensive skills.

In July 2011, he signed with Olimpia Milano in Italy for two seasons. Then, on July 2, 2013, he signed a new three-year contract to return to Panathinaikos. He signed another two-year contract with Panathinaikos in 2016. On July 25, 2017, he left Panathinaikos.

In August 2017, Antonis Fotsis announced he was returning to Ilysiakos. This was the first team he played for professionally back in 1996.

Playing for His Country

Fotsis, as a member of the senior Greece men's national basketball team.

Antonis Fotsis also played for the Greek national basketball teams. With the junior team, he won a bronze medal at the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

He played for the senior Greek national team in many big tournaments. These included the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. He helped the Greek team win a gold medal at the 2005 EuroBasket. He also won a silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Antonis became the captain of Greece's senior national team before the 2009 EuroBasket tournament. At that tournament, Greece won the bronze medal. He also played in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the 2011 EuroBasket, and the 2013 EuroBasket.

Antonis Fotsis is the 7th highest scorer in the history of the Greek senior men's national team. He scored 1,734 points in his career, averaging about 9.4 points per game.

More About Antonis

Antonis Fotsis has been called "Batman" since he was a teenager. His teammates gave him this nickname because he could jump so high and block shots. He was like the comic book hero flying through the air!

When he was at his best, Antonis was great at blocking shots and getting offensive rebounds. He was also an excellent 3-point shooter, which is special for a power forward. He played very physically on defense because he was so athletic.

Antonis also has Turkish citizenship.

Awards and Achievements

Antonis Fotsis has won many awards and championships throughout his career.

Team Championships

• 3 times EuroLeague Champion: (2000, 2009, 2011)
• 10 times Greek League Champion: (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2017)
• 6 times Greek Cup Winner: (2003, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• Won the Triple Crown in 2009
• Spanish League Champion: (2005)
• EuroCup Champion: (2006)

Individual Awards

• 2 times Nike Hoop Summit All-World Team: (1998, 1999)
• Greek League Best Young Player: (2001)
• 6 times Greek League All-Star: (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014)
• FIBA EuroStar: (2007)
• Greek League All-Star Game MVP: (2011)
• Italian League All-Star: (2012)
• Inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame: (2022)
• Holds the EuroLeague record for most rebounds in a single game (24 rebounds).

National Team Medals

• 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship: Bronze Medal
• 2005 EuroBasket: Gold Medal
• 2006 Stanković World Cup: Gold Medal
• 2006 FIBA World Championship: Silver Medal
• 2009 EuroBasket: Bronze Medal

Fun Facts About Antonis Fotsis

Antonis Fotsis has a cool nickname: "Batman"! He got this nickname when he was a teenager because he could jump really high and seemed to "glide" above the basketball hoop, just like the comic book hero.

When he was at his best, Antonis was great at blocking shots and getting offensive rebounds. He was also an excellent 3-point shooter, which is impressive for a power forward. He played very physically on defense because he was so athletic.

He also has Turkish citizenship.

See also

In Spanish: Antonis Fotsis para niños