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Kostas Papanikolaou
Greek basketball player (born 1990) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Konstantinos "Kostas" Papanikolaou (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Παπανικολάου; born 31 July 1990) nicknamed "Air Pap" is a Greek professional basketball player and the team captain for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. Standing at 2.04 m (6'8 1⁄2") tall,[1][2] he plays at the small forward position. He is widely considered among the best defensive players in European basketball.[3]
![]() Papanikolaou with Olympiacos, in 2022 | |
No. 16 – Olympiacos | |
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Position | Small forward |
League | Greek Basket League EuroLeague |
Personal information | |
Born | (1990-07-31) 31 July 1990 (age 33) Trikala, Greece |
Listed height | 204 cm (6 ft 8 in) |
Listed weight | 107 kg (236 lb) |
Career information | |
NBA draft | 2012: 2nd round, 48th overall pick |
Selected by the New York Knicks | |
Playing career | 2008–present |
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 | |
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Stats ![]() | |
Stats ![]() | |
A back-to-back EuroLeague champion with Olympiacos in 2012 and 2013, Papanikolaou was the EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer in 2012 and won the EuroLeague Rising Star award in 2013. He has reached another two finals with the Reds in 2017 and 2023. Papanikolaou is also the first player in EuroLeague history to record 2.000 points, 1.000 rebounds, 400 assists, 300 three-pointers made, 200 steals and 100 blocks.[4] Since very early in his career, he has been a regular member of the senior Hellenic national team.