Back فاسيليس سبانوليس Arabic فاسيليس سبانوليس ARZ Vassílios Spanulis Catalan Vasilios Spanoulis German Βασίλης Σπανούλης Greek Vasileios Spanoulis Spanish واسیلیس اسپانولیس Persian Vasíleios Spanoúlis Finnish Vasílios Spanoúlis French Vassilis Spanoulis Galician
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Vassilis Spanoulis (Greek: Βασίλης Σπανούλης), also commonly known as Bill Spanoulis (Greek: Μπιλ Σπανούλης), or Billy Spanoulis (Greek: Μπίλι Σπανούλης;[3][4][5][6][7] born 7 August 1982) is a Greek former professional basketball player and coach, who was most recently the head coach of the pro club Peristeri Athens of the Greek Basket League, as well as the head coach of the senior men's Greek national team. In the sport of basketball, Spanoulis is known worldwide for his signature move as a player,[8] which is commonly known as "Spanoulis Action",[9][10] or simply "Spanoulis".[11] Use of the Spanoulis play has become popular in the NBA,[12][13][14] and in other basketball leagues and competitions around the world. During his pro playing career, at a height of 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) tall, and a weight of 212 lb (96 kg),[15] Spanoulis played as a point guard-shooting guard, and was nicknamed Kill Bill, V-Span, Greek Thunder, and MVP ("Most Vassilis Player").[16][17] Spanoulis was named the Balkan Athlete of the Year in 2009,[18][19] the Eurobasket Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013,[20] the International Sports Prize's World Athlete of the Year in 2013, and the EuroLeague MVP the same year. He earned a record eight All-EuroLeague Team selections and was voted the EuroLeague's 2010–2020 Player of the Decade.[2] Spanoulis retired as the EuroLeague's all-time career leader in assists and total points scored.[21]
During his professional club playing career, on the international level, Spanoulis was a FIBA World Club Championship champion, a European Triple Crown winner, a three-time EuroLeague champion and five-time EuroLeague finalist, and a FIBA Europe League finalist. While on the national domestic level, Spanoulis was a seven-time Greek Basket League champion and thirteen-time Greek Basket League finalist, and a four-time Greek Cup winner and nine-time Greek Cup finalist. He spent most of his playing career in the Greek Basket League, winning four Greek League titles as a member of Panathinaikos Athens, and three Greek League titles as a member of Olympiacos Piraeus. With those same two Greek clubs, he also won three EuroLeague titles, one with the former club (2009), and two consecutively (2012 and 2013) with the latter. In total, in four seasons with Panathinaikos, Spanoulis won eight club championship titles, and in eleven seasons with Olympiacos, he won seven club championship titles.
In international national team competition, Spanoulis played an instrumental role in the gold medal win of the senior men's Greek national team, at the 2005 FIBA EuroBasket. He was also one of the main stars of Greece's 2006 FIBA World Cup silver medal team, as he led Greece with 22 points scored in their memorable victory over Team USA, by a score of 101–95, in the tournament's semifinals. It was however, Greece's bronze medal win at the 2009 FIBA EuroBasket, that emphasized Spanoulis' leadership within an injury-plagued Greek national team, and consequently earned him an EuroBasket All-Star Five honor.[22] In 2020, Spanoulis was named to the FIBA Summer Olympics 1992–2020 Dream Team, which consisted of the 25 best players in FIBA Summer Olympics history, since the inclusion of NBA players, in 1992,[23] and to the FIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team, which consisted of the five best players of the FIBA EuroBasket, since the year 2000.[24]
Spanoulis, who during his playing days was given the nickname "Kill Bill",[25] due to his clutch play at the end of games, is widely regarded as one of the best European basketball players of all time. He is also widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball legends that ever played the sport in Europe, and at the peak of his playing career, he took the public's interest in European professional club basketball to a higher level. In 2017, the European basketball expert and historian, Vladimir Stanković, and the EuroLeague's expert basketball panel, named Spanoulis "The Most Clutch Player in EuroLeague History".[26] In 2018, he was named to the 101 Greats of European Basketball selection. Along with the Spanish player Juan Carlos Navarro, Spanoulis was one of just two players, that were still active players at the time, that were specially selected for the honor. In 2020, Spanoulis was named the "Best EuroLeague Player of The 2010s Decade" by the readers of the website Eurohoops.net.[27] HoopsHype.com named Spanoulis one of the 75 Greatest International Players Ever in 2021.[28] In 2022, Spanoulis was named a EuroLeague Legend, which is the EuroLeague's Hall of Fame award.[29][30][31] Spanoulis was also inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame, in 2022.[32] Spanoulis' number 7 jersey was retired by the Greek EuroLeague club Olympiacos Piraeus, on 17 September 2023.[33][34] In October 2023, Spanoulis was voted the EuroLeague's "GOAT" ("Greatest of All Time") player, in a BasketNews.com poll of EuroLeague players. Spanoulis received 40% of the vote total, while the second placed vote getter, Nando de Colo, received a total of 14% of the vote.[35]
- ^ Spanoulis returns to basketball courts as Adidas Next Generation Tournament head coach.
- ^ a b "Spanoulis: He had twice as many votes as the second for the 10-year-old team of the EuroLeague!". Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ "Raznatovic talks about everything!". Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Bobby Brown inks with Olympiacos". 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Career advice for Billy, and a hero's tribute for Dikembe". 24 January 2007. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Rockets crush Spurs 93-72". Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Blatt hailed Spanoulis after first EuroLeague win together.
- ^ What is 'The Spanoulis' play and why the Utah Jazz use it in the NBA?
- ^ Draymond Green reveals Nuggets' secret weapon: The Spanoulis action.
- ^ Draymond Green salutes Nuggets using “Spanoulis action”.
- ^ “Spanoulis”.
- ^ This PLAY made the NUGGETS NBA Champions | JJ Redick Explains Spanoulis Action | MTG Pod.
- ^ JJ Redick and LeBron James break down Spanoulis action and why it’s so valuable in the NBA playoffs.
- ^ Spanoulis Action.
- ^ "Vassilis Spanoulis Position: SG, PG Height: 193 cm Weight: 96 kg". Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Nicknames "Kill Bill" "V-Span"". Interbasket.net. 8 July 1982. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "MVP: Most Vassilis Player". YouTube. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ "Reuters.com Spanoulis named Balkan athlete of the year". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
- ^ olympiacosbc.gr (12 October 2012). "The 2013 World Sporting Award Giuseppe Sciacca(Vatican) goes to Vassilis Spanoulis!". olympiacosbc.gr. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Eurobasket.com European Awards 2012 – Men Basketball". Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Euroleague.net, 2017-18 All-EuroLeague Second Team presented by 7DAYS". Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ "FIBA.com profile". Archive.fiba.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "Mεγάλη τιμή για Σπανούλη: Δίπλα στους Τζόρνταν και Μπράιαντ (pic) " (in Greek). 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ "Διαμαντίδης και Σπανούλης στην κορυφαία πεντάδα της 20ετιας των EuroBasket " (in Greek). Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ Vassilis Spanoulis is nicknamed "Kill Bill".
- ^ "Vladimir Stankovic's list: Top 10 clutch players". Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
- ^ "The best of the decade according to Eurohoops readers BEST EUROLEAGUE PLAYER – VASSILIS SPANOULIS". 2 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "75 greatest international players ever: The HoopsHype list". 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Tribute to Vassilis Spanoulis, newest Euroleague Basketball Legend". 20 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Vassilis Spanoulis formally named EuroLeague legend". 20 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Vassilis Spanoulis to be honored as the newest EuroLeague Legend". Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Greek League Hall of Fame welcomes Ford, Bodiroga, Radja, Wilkins, Tarpley". 18 December 2022. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "Vassilis Spanoulis jersey gets retired by Olympiacos". BasketNews.com. BasketNews.com. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Johnny Askounis (17 September 2023). "Vassilis Spanoulis celebrated in jersey retirement ceremony". EuroHoops.net. EuroHoops.net. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Donatas Urbonas (20 October 2023). "BasketNews Players Survey: EuroLeague GOAT, new rule, and best offseason signing". BasketNews.com. BasketNews.com. Retrieved 10 January 2024.