kids encyclopedia robot

Kostas Papanikolaou facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Kostas Papanikolaou
2022-03-10 ALBA Berlin gegen Olympiacos Piraeus (EuroLeague 2021-22) by Sandro Halank–062.jpg
Papanikolaou with Olympiacos, in 2022
No. 16 – Olympiacos
Small forward
Personal information
Born (1990-07-31) 31 July 1990 (age 35)
Trikala, Greece
Listed height 2.04 m (6 ft 8.31 in)
Listed weight 107 kg (236 lb)
Career information
NBA Draft 2012 / Round: 2 / Pick: 48th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Pro career 2008–present
League GBL
EuroLeague
Career history
2008–2009 Aris Thessaloniki
2009–2013 Olympiacos
2013–2014 FC Barcelona
2014–2015 Houston Rockets
2015–2016 Denver Nuggets
2016–present Olympiacos
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× EuroLeague champion (2012, 2013)
  • EuroLeague Rising Star (2013)
  • Liga ACB champion (2014)
  • Catalan League champion (2013)
  • Liga ACB Defensive Player of the Year (2014)
  • 5× Greek League champion (2012, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2025)
  • 5× Greek Cup winner (2010, 2011, 2022–2024)
  • 3× Greek Super Cup winner (2022–2024)
  • 5× All-Greek League Team (2012, 2013, 2017, 2023, 2024)
  • Greek League Best Defender (2017)
  • 2× Greek League Best Young Player (2009, 2012)
  • 5× Greek All-Star (2013, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023)
  • FIBA U20 EuroBasket MVP (2009)
  • Panhellenic Youth Championship champion (2009)
  • Panhellenic Youth Championship MVP (2009)
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Greece
FIBA U19 World Cup
Silver 2009 New Zealand Under-19
FIBA U20 EuroBasket
Gold 2009 Greece Under-20
Silver 2010 Croatia Under-20
FIBA U18 EuroBasket
Gold 2008 Greece Under-18
Silver 2007 Spain Under-18

Konstantinos "Kostas" Papanikolaou (born July 31, 1990) is a Greek professional basketball player. He is the team captain for Olympiacos. This team plays in the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the EuroLeague.

Kostas is 2.04 meters (6 feet 8.5 inches) tall. He plays as a small forward. He is known as one of the best defensive players in European basketball. His nickname is "Air Pap".

Kostas has won the EuroLeague championship twice with Olympiacos. These wins were in 2012 and 2013. He was also named the EuroLeague Rising Star in 2013. He has played in two more EuroLeague finals with Olympiacos. These were in 2017 and 2023.

He is the first player in EuroLeague history to reach amazing milestones. These include 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, 300 three-pointers, 200 steals, and 100 blocks. Kostas has also been a regular player for the senior Greek national team since he was young.

Kostas Papanikolaou's Basketball Journey

Starting with Aris (2008–2009)

Kostas Papanikolaou started playing basketball in youth teams. He played for Proteas Grevenon and Aris. He made his professional debut in the Greek Basket League with Aris in the 2008–09 season.

In 2009, he was named the MVP of the Greek Youth All-Star Game. He also won the Greek League's Best Young Player award that same year.

Joining Olympiacos (2009–2013)

On September 14, 2009, Kostas signed a five-year deal with Olympiacos. He quickly became a key player for the team.

With Olympiacos, he won the EuroLeague and Greek League championships in 2012. He was also voted the EuroLeague Rising Star for the 2012–13 EuroLeague season. He helped Olympiacos win the EuroLeague championship again in the 2012–13 season.

Playing for FC Barcelona (2013–2014)

On July 20, 2013, Kostas signed a four-year contract with FC Barcelona. This is a Spanish League club.

Barcelona won the 2013–14 Spanish Liga ACB championship with Kostas on the team.

Time in the NBA: Houston Rockets (2014–2015)

Kostas was chosen in the 2012 NBA draft by the New York Knicks. His draft rights were later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. Then, on July 10, 2013, his rights were traded to the Houston Rockets.

On September 23, 2014, Kostas signed with the Houston Rockets. He played in the Rising Stars Challenge during the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. Even though he had some injuries, the Rockets kept him for the next season. He averaged 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Playing for Denver Nuggets (2015–2016)

On July 20, 2015, the Rockets traded Kostas to the Denver Nuggets. He was later waived by the Nuggets. He re-signed with them on November 5, 2015. He was waived again on January 7, 2016.

Returning to Olympiacos (2016–Present)

On January 20, 2016, Kostas Papanikolaou signed a new deal with Olympiacos. This marked his return to the club. He has stayed with Olympiacos ever since.

He signed new contract extensions in 2018 and 2020. On July 6, 2023, he renewed his contract with Olympiacos until 2026.

Playing for Greece

Greek Junior National Teams

Kostas played for Greece's junior national basketball teams. He won a silver medal at the 2007 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He won a gold medal at the 2008 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

He also won a silver medal at the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. Kostas won a gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. He was named the MVP of that tournament. He also won a silver medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.

Greek Senior National Team

In August 2009, Kostas played his first game for the senior men's Greek national basketball team. He has played in many major tournaments with the team.

These include EuroBasket 2011, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and EuroBasket 2015. He also played in EuroBasket 2017, the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and EuroBasket 2022. He has played in 134 games for the national team. He has scored a total of 842 points.

How Kostas Plays

Kostas Papanikolaou is a smart player. He is fast and tall. He can play in different positions on the court. He is very good at shooting three-pointers. He also likes to drive to the basket and score.

On defense, Kostas is excellent. His long legs and quick moves help him guard opponents well. He was named the Greek League Best Defender in 2017. He also won the same award in the Spanish ACB League in 2014. He is known as a leader and is the captain of Olympiacos.

Major Awards and Achievements

Kostas Papanikolaou has won many awards and titles throughout his career.

Club Achievements

  • EuroLeague Champion (2 times): 2012, 2013 (with Olympiacos)
  • Liga ACB Champion (1 time): 2014 (with FC Barcelona)
  • Catalan League Champion (1 time): 2013 (with FC Barcelona)
  • Greek League Champion (5 times): 2012, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2025 (with Olympiacos)
  • Greek Cup Winner (5 times): 2010, 2011, 2022, 2023, 2024 (with Olympiacos)
  • Greek Super Cup Winner (3 times): 2022, 2023, 2024 (with Olympiacos)

Individual Awards

  • EuroLeague Rising Star: 2013
  • EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer: 2012
  • Liga ACB Defensive Player of the Year: 2014
  • Greek League Best Defender: 2017
  • 2 times Greek League Best Young Player: 2009, 2012
  • FIBA U20 EuroBasket MVP: 2009

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 Houston 43 1 18.5 .350 .292 .722 2.7 2.0 .7 .3 4.2
2015–16 Denver 26 6 11.3 .364 .313 .643 1.5 .6 .5 .2 2.6
Career 69 7 15.8 .354 .297 .688 2.3 1.5 .6 .3 3.6

NBA Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015 Houston 8 0 2.6 .250 .000 .500 .3 — — — 0.4
Career 8 0 2.6 .250 .000 .500 .3 — — — 0.4

EuroLeague Statistics

† Denotes season in which Papanikolaou won the EuroLeague
* Led the league
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2009–10 Olympiacos 6 1 6.4 .250 .000 .500 1.2 .8 .5 — .8 2.0
2010–11 16 14 13.7 .447 .435 .647 3.1 .3 .6 .1 3.9 4.6
2011–12† 22 13 19.8 .490 .333 .688 3.4 .6 .5 .3 6.1 7.4
2012–13† 31* 30 23.8 .497 .521* .723 4.4 1.4 .9 .7 8.7 11.7
2013–14 Barcelona 28 27 25.0 .507 .361 .500 3.4 2.2 .8 .5 6.9 8.5
2015–16 Olympiacos 7 5 18.9 .410 .118 .583 4.3 1.0 .6 .4 5.9 5.9
2016–17 37* 32 23.3 .422 .316 .826 4.8 1.5 1.2 .4 8.1 9.7
2017–18 28 23 24.0 .469 .373 .775 4.3 2.1 1.0 .4 8.3 11.3
2018–19 30 23 23.4 .431 .371 .738 3.9 1.6 .8 .3 6.9 8.1
2019–20 26 21 23.9 .481 .391 .708 3.6 1.5 1.4 .3 8.5 9.4
2020–21 14 13 21.7 .365 .370 .895 2.2 2.0 .6 .5 5.7 5.9
2021–22 37 37 23.4 .408 .331 .758 2.5 1.6 .9 .2 6.6 6.6
2022–23 38 38 25.3 .526 .429 .729 3.8 2.0 .7 .2 8.7 10.3
2023–24 38 33 25.1 .435 .362 .652 3.6 2.7 .8 .1 7.4 9.3
Career 358 310 22.9 .458 .375 .724 3.7 1.7 .8 .3 7.3 8.7

EuroCup Statistics

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2008–09 Aris Thessaloniki 2 0 2.0 .333 .000 — — — — .5 1.0 0.5
Career 2 0 2.0 .333 .000 — — — — .5 1.0 0.5

Domestic Leagues Statistics

† Denotes season in which Papanikolaou won a league title
Year Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008–09 Greece Aris Thessaloniki HEBA A1 12 4.6 .250 .200 1.000 .4 .3 .4 .1 0.8
2009–10 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 19 11.3 .439 .250 .727 1.4 .7 .5 .4 2.6
2010–11 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 31 16.8 .500 .208 .651 3.5 .9 1.0 .3 5.9
2011–12† Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 32 20.8 .497 .348 .684 4.6 .7 1.1 .3 7.7
2012–13 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 34 22.3 .569 .400 .635 4.1 1.7 1.1 .6 9.2
2013–14† Spain Barcelona ACB 40 23.7 .448 .333 .787 4.0 1.0 .8 .3 6.6
2015–16† Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 19 20.0 .524 .345 .683 4.3 1.6 1.1 .2 9.4
2016–17 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 29 21.7 .487 .371 .763 4.6 1.3 .9 .2 9.3
2017–18 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 30 22.8 .506 .316 .738 4.9 2.0 .8 .5 8.3
2018–19 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 22 23.4 .444 .328 .730 3.1 2.4 1.1 .2 7.3
2021–22† Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 29 21.6 .477 .400 .688 3.1 2.3 1.0 .2 7.0
2022–23† Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 28 22.3 .470 .347 .667 3.0 3.2 .8 .4 7.8
2023–24 Greece Olympiacos HEBA A1 33 23.3 .474 .367 .694 4.0 2.8 .7 .2 8.4

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kostas Papanikolaou para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Kostas Papanikolaou Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.