AEK B.C.


AEK Basketball Club, and also known as AEK B.C. or simply AEK, and more commonly known in European competitions as AEK Athens, is a Greek professional basketball club based in Athens, Attica, Greece, part of the major multi-sport club AEK. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922).
AEK B.C. is considered by as one of the ten best Greek clubs in basketball and the worst Greek sports club, as it maintains more than 30 sports' departments.
AEK was the first-ever Greek basketball team, not only to reach a European Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup] Final,
but also to win a European title. On 4 April 1968, AEK defeated Slavia VŠ Praha by a score of 89–82, in Athens in front of 80,000 fans. They have won
the Greek League 8 times, and the Greek Cup
5 times, while they have also twice won the FIBA Saporta Cup . AEK won the Champions League on 6 May 2018, defeating Monaco Basket|Monaco] by a score of 100–94, and the FIBA Intercontinental Cup on 17 February 2019, defeating Flamengo by a score of 86–70.

History

Early years

The large Greek population of Constantinople, not unlike those of the other Ottoman urban centres, continued its athletic traditions in the form of numerous athletic clubs. Clubs such as Enosis Tataoulon, from the Tatavla district, Megas Alexandros, Hermes of Galata, Olympias of Therapia, and Kati Kioi of Chalcedon, existed to promote Hellenic athletic and cultural ideals. These were amongst a dozen Greek-backed clubs that dominated the sporting landscape of the city in the years preceding World War I. After the war, with the influx of mainly French and English soldiers to Constantinople, many of the city clubs participated in regular competitions, with teams formed by foreign troops. Taxim, Pera, and Tatavla became the scene of weekly competitions in not only football, but of athletics, cycling, boxing, and tennis.
Of the clubs in the city though, football was dominated by Enosis Tataoulon and Hermes. Hermes, one of the more popular clubs, was formed in 1875, by the Greek community of Pera. Forced by the Kemalist regime to change its name to Pera Club in 1923, many of its athletes fled to Greece, and settled in Athens and Thessaloniki. The basketball team of AEK is actually the most successful among AEK's athletic departments. The obvious reason is the successes in general of Greek basketball, and that AEK's basketball team was the first ever Greek team to win an international trophy, in any team sport. Under Kostas Karamanlis' guidance, AEK won the club's first Greek League championship in 1958.

1924–1957

Kostas Dimopoulos, one of the creators of the AEK athletic club and footballer of the early years, had the idea of also creating a basketball team. His efforts quickly were matched by others who loved the sport of basketball. He then took over the leadership of the club's basketball department, and together with the Simeonidi brothers, Eumenes Athanasiadis and others, created the club's first basketball team. In the beginning, they took part in friendly games, where they made a good impression. After that, AEK won the first regional basketball championship that was played in Athens, which was organized by the local YMCA, in 1924.In 1928, AEK took part in the first Greek basketball championship, in the Athens-Piraeus 1927–28 regional championship. In 1929, the Greek basketball championship was not held, and AEK did not play in any league. In 1930, the basketball section was not declared in any organized competition, with the effective efforts of Kostas Dimopoulos and his associates to do so, failing. The club's basketball section then remained in obscurity for many years. However, in 1949, it reappeared, and the club's administration of that time created a new and competitive team. In the 1952–53 season, AEK played in the Greek basketball championship for the first time since 1928. In the 1954–55 Greek League championship AEK had an impressive run, however, they finished behind Panellinios.

1957–1959

In 1958, AEK B.C., led by the player-coach Kostas Karamanlis, won their first Greek League championship, after defeating Panellinios in the final, by a score of 67–54.
The club also founded a women's section at this time, which lasted for a short time. The department had success with the four sisters Chorianopoulou sisters. However, the club did not give the necessary importance to the department, and it was later dissolved.

Amerikanos' era (1960–1970): 6 Championships and a European title

"The Union", in the early 1960s, won the Athens-Piraeus Regional Championship two times in a row, but did not manage to become the national league champion of Greece. But the 1960s decade was to be the most important in the history of AEK's basketball club. The team's head coach of the time, Missas Pantazopoulos, created a great roster and led the team to the top of Greece. The club's leading figure during these years was Georgios Amerikanos, who was nicknamed "Global".
In the 1962–63 season, AEK won the first of four consecutive Greek League championships. In the next season, AEK's leading scorer was Antonis Christeas, and the club was once again the Greek League champion. In the 1964–65 season, Georgios Amerikanos was the top scorer of the league, and AEK were once again the Greek League champions.
In the following 1965–66 season, AEK won its 4th consecutive Greek League championship, and also became the first Greek basketball team to play in the semi-finals of the FIBA Europe Champions Cup, as they played at the 1966 [EuroLeague Final Four|1966 Final Four], which was held in Italy. These successes were accompanied by an unfortunate large loss for the team. As one of the team's players, Giorgos Moschos had contracted cancer, but he managed to participate in certain competitions that year, before he died on 29 December 1966, at age 29.
The next season, AEK lost the Greek League championship to Panathinaikos. However, a year later, under head coach Nikos Milas, AEK returned to the top of Greece, as they won the 1967–68 Greek League season championship, without losing a game. Georgios Amerikanos was again the Greek League's Top Scorer.

1968 European Cup Winners' Cup: first European title for a Greek club

AEK was the first ever Greek basketball team to participate in the FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four, in 1966, which was held in Bologna, Italy. Two years later, AEK was the first-ever Greek team, not only to reach a FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Final, but also to win a European-wide title. On April 4, 1968, AEK defeated Slavia VŠ Praha, by a score of 89–82, in Athens, in front of 80,000 spectators in Kallimarmaron Stadium. In 1970, AEK reached the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals, where the team was eliminated by JA Vichy, France, in what turned out to be the last year of the first "Golden Era" of the club's history. It was called the "Golden Era" because AEK dominated Greek basketball during the 1960s, winning the Greek League championship 4 consecutive years, in 1963, 1964, 1965, and 1966, as well as in 1968 and 1970; for a total of 6 titles in 8 years.
Although there are no official records with regards to the Greek Cup before 1975, according to some sources, AEK won the Greek Cup in the years of 1967 and 1971.

1970–1990

Over the next decades, AEK lost its prestige and managed to win only one trophy, the Greek Cup in 1981, under the direction of Coach Fred Develey, an American coach who previously was the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Aris of Greece, with superstar Nick Galis. In addition to winning the Greek Cup in 1981, AEK was also a finalist in the Greek Cup in 1976, 1978, 1980, 1988, and 1992, but failed to win in any of those years.

The Queen's comeback

AEK made a comeback in the late 1990s, when the team played in six consecutive Greek Cup Final Fours in the years 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, four consecutive Greek Cup Finals in the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, winning the Greek Cup in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, AEK won the Greek League championship for the first time in 32 years, becoming the first team to win the Greek League championship after having lost the first two games of a 5-game playoff series. AEK lost the first two games of the series to Olympiacos, but managed to win the next 3 games, and take the series and the title 3–2. AEK also reached the Greek Playoff Finals in the years 1997, 2003, and 2005, and the Greek Cup Semi-finals in the year 2006.

1998 EuroLeague Runners-up and 2000 Saporta Cup Winners

AEK experienced a golden era in European basketball during the late 1990s and early 2000s, reaching remarkable heights in international competitions. The pinnacle came in 1998, when AEK reached the EuroLeague Final Four in Barcelona. The team, coached by Giannis Ioannidis, put up a strong fight, defeating Benetton Treviso 1998 [FIBA EuroLeague Final Four#Benetton Treviso – AEK|69–66] in the semifinals before falling to Kinder Bologna 58–44 in the final. This marked their first-ever appearance in a EuroLeague final, establishing AEK as one of the elite European basketball clubs of the time.In 2000, AEK achieved another historic feat by winning the FIBA Saporta Cup, with a victory over Kinder Bologna 83–76 in the final. Under coach Dušan Ivković, this win served as a form of revenge for their loss to Bologna in the EuroLeague final two years earlier. The triumph secured AEK's second major European trophy.
The following year, 2001, AEK continued their strong European performances, reaching the EuroLeague semi-finals. However, they were eliminated in the playoffs by Tau Cerámica, who swept the series 3–0. In the 2002 EuroLeague season, AEK once again reached the Top 16 phase, solidifying their reputation in Europe. This was the last notable run for AEK in the EuroLeague during this era, as the team struggled in the following years, with the 2003 and 2004 seasons being considered disappointments. Injuries and inconsistent performances marred their campaigns, and the club failed to qualify for the playoffs in both years.
Despite these setbacks, AEK enjoyed a resurgence in 2005, once again reaching the Top 16. However, a few key losses prevented them from advancing to the EuroLeague playoffs, marking the end of their dominant run in the European competition.

Relegation

After the 2005–06 season, the owner of the club and major shareholder cut off the club's funding, and various management schemes each year assumed the financial obligations of the club.
As a result, the roster gradually weakened year after year, the group declined each year to lower-level league positions and had even less success in European competitions, and the club's debts
that were accrued were impossible to pay. In April 2011, AEK was relegated down to the A2 Basket League|Greek Second Division] due to serious financial
problems and there was a great danger for its participation in the next championships.

The Queen is back again

A new administration council, with Nikos Georgantzoglou as a president, defined by the Athens Court on 12 September 2011 so that the club could be saved
and play in the A2 division. AEK had a record of 20 wins and 10 losses during the 2011–12 Greek Second Division.
In the summer of 2012, AEK's board of directors announced its participation in the Greek 3rd national category Greek B League
"Southern Group", for the 2012–13 season, as an amateur club. The team had a record of 22 wins and 3 losses and was promoted to the A2 category.
In the 2013–14 season, AEK once again played in the Greek Second Division. Finally, AEK was the winner of the second division championship
and won the league promotion to be able to play in the top Greek League again, after a 3-year period of absence. AEK had a record of 23 wins
and 3 losses during the Greek A2 Basket League 2013–14 season.

Participation in Greek League">Greek Basket League">Greek League

In September 2014, AEK overcame heavy financial problems, after Makis Angelopoulos bought the majority stake of the club's shares, just to return to the Greek elite level, and thus wanted to showcase its tradition and ambition in Greece and Europe. In the 2014–15 season, AEK finished in fifth place in the top-tier level Greek League, with 15 wins and 11 losses.

Return to European cup competitions

In the 2015–16 season, AEK returned to the European-wide 2nd-tier level EuroCup, for the first time since the 2006–07 season. AEK returned to the EuroCup, after having come off a return-to-form season, in which it finished fifth overall in the first-tier level Greek League, to reach the Greek League playoffs, after a seven-year absence. AEK then joined the newly formed FIBA Champions League, for the 2016–17 season. The team reached the Basketball Champions League Play-offs|2016–17 FIBA Champions League] Round 16.

2018 Greek Cup winners

On 17 February 2018, AEK won the 2018 Greek Cup Final against Olympiacos, by a score of 88–83, at Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena, on the island of Crete. It was AEK's first top-tier title won since they won the 2001–02 Greek Basket League season's championship.

2018 FIBA Champions League and 2019 FIBA Intercontinental cup winners

On 6 May 2018, AEK won the 2018 [FIBA Basketball Champions League Final Four|2018 FIBA Champions League] final against the French club AS Monaco by a score of 100–94 in the Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall of Athens. By winning the FIBA Champions League trophy, AEK earned the right to add a third star to its club crest. The team also qualified to participate in the next edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup tournament. In the following FIBA Champions League competition AEK was knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals by the German side Brose Bamberg. Nevertheless, a bit earlier in the 2018–19 season, AEK became the global basketball champions, for the first time in their perennial history, by winning the 2019 FIBA Intercontinental Cup final against the Brazilian club Flamengo by a score of 86–70 in the Carioca Arena 1 of Rio de Janeiro. That marked the third FIBA Intercontinental Cup championship that was won by a Greek club, after Panathinaikos had won the 1996 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, and Olympiacos had won the 2013 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

2020 Greek Cup winners and 2020 FIBA Champions League runners-up

On 16 February 2020, AEK won the 2020 Greek Cup final against Promitheas Patras, by a score of 61–57, at Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena, on the island of Crete. It was AEK's second national top-tier title in two years. On 4 October 2020, AEK lost by 85–74 from the Spanish side San Pablo Burgos in the 2019–20 FIBA Champions League final that was held in the Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall of Athens. This was the second FIBA Champions League final in three years for AEK Athens. The team also holds the FIBA Champions League highest attendance record, as 17,984 fans attended the 2017–18 FIBA Champions League final in the Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall. The 2020s opened a new chapter for AEK B.C., with the club remaining a strong force in Greece and Europe. In 2020–21, AEK reached the Greek Cup final and the Basketball Champions League semifinals, solidifying its place among the country's top teams.

The move to Ano Liossia

After nearly 100 years of history and playing in more than ten different arenas, AEK B.C. finally found a permanent home with the move to the Ano Liossia Olympic Sports Hall in 2021. Originally built for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the venue was one of many Olympic facilities that had been left underused. AEK undertook significant efforts to renovate and revitalize the arena, eventually securing an official operating license in September 2021 — a major milestone that allowed the club to officially base its basketball operations there. Later, the venue also became the first of the 2004 Olympic facilities to secure a commercial sponsorship deal, officially being named "SUNEL Arena" after a partnership agreement was reached. This marked a historic step, both for the arena and for the broader effort to breathe new life into Greece's dormant Olympic legacy.
Stevan 'Jelovac
In December 2021, the AEK family was struck by tragedy with the passing of Serbian forward Stevan Jelovac, who died due to complications from a brain hemorrhage. In a profound gesture of respect, AEK retired Jelovac’s number 13 jersey and renamed the training gym inside the new arena the "Stevan Jelovac Gymnasium"'. His memory became a lasting symbol of unity and emotional strength for the club.

Coaching Changes and Unsteady Campaigns (2021–2024)

In the 2021–22 season, the team started under Stefanos Dedas, but after a few months, Dedas departed to join Dimitris Itoudis’s coaching staff at CSKA Moscow, and Curro Segura stepped in as his replacement; despite important signings, AEK failed to seriously challenge for titles.
In 2022–23, Ilias Kantzouris was appointed head coach, and the club assembled a promising roster with several international players. Akil Mitchell emerged as the team's standout performer, earning a place on the Basketball Champions League First Team, but inconsistency and injuries ultimately resulted in another underwhelming campaign both domestically and in Europe.
The 2023–24 season began with Joan Plaza at the helm, alongside a number of experienced new additions, but internal instability and poor results led to another midseason coaching change, and once again, the team closed the year without major achievements.

Dragan Sakota is back 2024–present

A major turning point came in the summer of 2024, when legendary coach Dragan Šakota returned to lead the team. Šakota, who had famously guided AEK to the 2002 Greek Championship, the 2018 Greek Cup, and the 2018 Basketball Champions League title, had deep ties with the club and was seen as the ideal figure to restore identity, discipline, and ambition. His return was met with great enthusiasm from the fans and signaled a renewed commitment by the organization to reestablish AEK at the top of Greek and European basketball.
Under his leadership, the 2024–25 season proved successful, as AEK finished in third place in both the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League. In the domestic playoffs, AEK secured third place by defeating Promitheas Patras, with a decisive 91–67 win in the placement series. In Europe, AEK reached the Final Four of the Basketball Champions League, which was hosted at the SUNEL Arena in Athens. After a narrow 71–65 loss to Unicaja Málaga in the semifinals, the team rebounded impressively to claim third place by overcoming a 17-point deficit and defeating Lenovo Tenerife 77–73 in the bronze medal game. These results marked a strong step forward in AEK’s efforts to reclaim its place among the continent’s elite clubs.

Crest, colours

In 1924, AEK adopted as their emblem, the image of a double-headed eagle. When AEK was created by Greek refugees from Constantinople, in the years following the Greco-Turkish War, and subsequent population exchange, the emblem and colours were chosen as a reminder of lost homelands; they represent the club's historical ties to Constantinople. After all, the double-headed eagle is featured in the flag of the Greek Orthodox Church, whose headquarters are in Constantinople, and served as the Imperial emblem under the Palaiologos dynasty. The emblem of the department of AEK basketball has evolved over time. From 1924 to 2015, the emblem of the department was similar to that of the football club. Since 2015, AEK B.C. has created a new version of the emblem, by adding to it two stars at its center, which symbolize the club's 2 FIBA Saporta Cup European-wide titles.
The colours of yellow/gold, black and Imperial purple were adopted from AEK's connections with Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.

Kit manufacturers and Shirt sponsors

PeriodKit supplierShirt sponsor
1976–82AdidasAkai
1982–85DiadoraSyrtex
1985–87asicsAkai
1987–88ConverseCasio
1988–89NikeStrong Security
1989–90NikePRO-PO
1990–91Robe di KappaSyrtex
1991–92Robe di KappaFujitsu
1992–93ConverseFyrogenis
1993–94Kronos—
1994–95KronosKANAKI Dough Products
1995–97PonyGeneral Bank of Greece
1997–01NikeGeneral Bank of Greece
2001–02ChampionGeneral Bank of Greece
2002–04ChampionPiraeus Bank
2004–07ChampionFage
2007–08ChampionWilkinson Sword
2008–09k1xHusqvarna Motorcycles
2009–10ReebokSixt
2010–11ChampionChillo Energy Drink
2011–12NickanByzantine Incorporated
2012–14NickanDiamonds Shipping and Trading
2014–15NickanSkrats
2015AdidasSkrats
2015–2018FilaSkrats
2018–2021Filabetshop.gr
2021–2023FilaBetsson
2023–2025MacronBetsson
2025-MacronSUNEL - The Green Alliance

Sponsors

AEK has a large fan base all over Greece. The majority of AEK supporters are refugees or have refugee descent from Constantinople, and people from the population exchange of the Minor Asia Catastrophe. Original 21 is the largest supporters group. The first attempt to organize AEK supporters was Gate 21, which took its name from the gate in the Nikos Goumas Stadium at Nea Filadelfia, where the most hardcore fans of the club gathered. AEK also has many supporters worldwide, most of them being Greek immigrants, in places like North America, UK, Australia, and Cyprus.

Rivalries

The main rivalries of the AEK are the ones with Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. Against Panathinaikos, the rivalry started not only because of both competing for titles, but also because of the refugee ancestry of AEK fans, and by contrast, that Panathinaikos was considered to be the representative club of the old Athenian high class society. Against Olympiacos, the rivalry is mostly related to the football rivalry of the two clubs.

Arenas

Note: The capacities listed are the capacities of the arenas at the time AEK used them, and are not necessarily the same as the arena's current capacities. Also, the capacities only list the arena's all-seat seating capacity, and not the arena's total capacities. In addition, in some cases, the listed capacities only reflect the number of seats currently made publicly available for use, and may not reflect the number of total seats actually in the arena.
Stadium / ArenaSeating CapacityUsage
Nea Filadelfeia Outdoor Hall 5001952 to early 1960s
Kallimarmaron Stadium 80,000Mid to late 1960s
Sporting Sports Arena1,8621970s,
2008–2009
A.S. Ionikos Nea Filadelfeia Indoor Hall1,5001980s
Peace and Friendship Stadium14,9401988–89
"Georgios Moschos" Nea Filadelfeia Indoor Hall2,0001989–1995
Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall18,9891995–2002,
2006–2008,
2014–2021
Zofria Indoor Hall2,5002002–2004,
2011–2014
Chalkiopoulio Sports Hall 2,6002002–2003
Galatsi Olympic Hall5,1412004–2006
Hellinikon Olympic Arena8,0002009–2011
SUNEL Arena9,0252021–

Players

Current roster

Depth chart

Squad changes for the 2025–26 season

In

Out

Honours

TypeCompetitionTitlesWinnersRunners-upThird place
DomesticU18 Greek Basketball League12002–03
RegionalU21 Attica First Division12016–17
RegionalU18 Attica First Division31949–50, 2002–03, 2017–18
RegionalU18 Attica Second Division12015–16
RegionalU16 Attica Second Division12016–17

  • Shared record

    Unofficial team awards

  • European Double
  • * Winners : 1967–68, 1999–00, 2017–18
  • Intercontinental Treble
  • * Winners : 2017–18

    Individual awards and records

[FIBA Intercontinental Cup]

;FIBA Intercontinental Cup MVP
;FIBA Intercontinental Cup Top Scorer
;FIBA Saporta Cup Finals MVP
;List of [FIBA Saporta Cup Finals top scorers|FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Final Top Scorer]
;Basketball Champions League MVP
;Basketball Champions League Final Four MVP
;Basketball Champions League Top Scorer
;Basketball Champions League Final Top Scorer
;Basketball Champions League First team
;Basketball Champions League Second team
;Basketball Champions League Efficiency per game leader
;Basketball Champions League 2-pointer scoring leader
;Basketball Champions League MVP of the Month
;Basketball [Champions League Game Day MVP]
;Greek League MVP
;Greek League Finals MVP
;Greek League Best Defender
;Greek League First team
;Greek League Best Young Player
;Greek League PIR leader
;Greek League Top scorer
;Greek League Rebounds leader
;Greek League Steals leader
;Greek League 3-pointer scoring leader
;Greek League 2-pointer scoring leader
;Greek League Fouls Drawn leader
;Greek League free throw scoring leader
;Greek League free throw % made leader
;Greek League Turnovers leader
;Greek Cup Final MVP
;Greek Cup Final Top Scorer
;HEBA Greek All-Star
;HEBA Greek All-Star Head Coach
;HEBA Greek All-Star Game 3-Point Shootout Contest winner
;HEBA Greek All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest winner
;HEBA Greek Youth All-Star Game MVP
;Rising Stars versus All-Time Stars MVP
;FIBA Hall of Fame
;50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors
;EuroLeague Basketball Legend Award
;EuroLeague Basketball 2000–10 All-Decade Team
;FIBA European Selection
;FIBA Europe Young Men's [Player of the Year Award]
;FIBA U20 European Championship MVP
;FIBA U16 European Championship Division 2 MVP

The European and Worldwide Cup glory paths

1967–68 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup
1997–98 FIBA EuroLeague
1999–00 FIBA Saporta Cup
2017–18 FIBA Champions League
2019–20 FIBA Champions League
'''2019 FIBA Intercontinental Cup'''

Season-by-season

All competitions

Greek Basket League participation

AEK was one of three Greek teams that had always competed in the first tier Greek competition until it first experienced relegation following the 2010–11 season, and thus did not play in the top-tier in the 2011–12 season. The following table illustrates the performance of AEK in the national divisions over the years.

Pos.6465666768697071727374757677787980818283848586878889909192939495969798990001020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425
1111111
222222222
33333333
444444444444
55555555
6666666
777777
8888
9999
101010
11
12
1313
14
A221
Β3

Player records

Club top scorers and most appearances

Retired jerseys

One-club men

Personnel

Ownership and current board

Executives

Coaching and medical staff

;Coaching staff
;Medical staff

List of former players

Greece
Rest of Europe
Africa
Americas
Asia
Oceania
AEK B.C. team captains, since the 1951–52 season:
PeriodCaptain
1951–1959

Head coaches

Head CoachFromToTitles & Honors
|old

Chairmen history

ChairmanYears

Relationship with other clubs

AEK has links with many basketball clubs in Greece, and other countries where Greek immigrants and friends of the club live, like ΑΕΚ Stockholm B.C. in Sweden, and Greek clubs like AEK Argos B.C. and '''AEK Tripolis B.C.'''

Filmography