Ioannis Papapetrou


Ioannis Papapetrou is a Greek professional basketball player who plays for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. He is 2.06 m tall, and weighs 233 lbs. He mainly operates as a small forward.

Early career

Papapetrou, who is considered to be one of the most talented Greek players that was born in the 1994 age class, along with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lefteris Bochoridis, began his basketball playing career with the youth teams of the Ilysiakos club in Athens, Greece. He played for 5 seasons in Greek junior competitions with Ilysiakos. He then spent his junior and senior years of high school, playing basketball at the Florida Air Academy, in Melbourne, Florida.

College career

In 2012, Papapetrou joined the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team of the University of Texas. He played one season of college basketball with the Longhorns and averaged 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, in 24.3 minutes per game. He played in a total of 34 games in the NCAA.

Professional career

Olympiacos

Papapetrou's professional career began with the Greek League team Olympiacos in 2013, when he signed a 5-year deal with Olympiacos, in late August 2013, which was his first pro deal. The contract was said to be worth $2 million net income. The contract included an NBA buyout option after the contract's third season.
With Olympiacos, he won the Greek League championship in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he was named the Greek League Best Young Player.

Panathinaikos

On July 8, 2018, Papapetrou declined Olympiacos's renewal proposal, and became a free agent. Two days later, he signed with Olympiacos' arch-rivals, Panathinaikos, on a three-year deal.. On February 17, 2019, he won his first title with Panathinaikos, after beating PAOK in the 2019 Greek Cup Final, which was held at Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena. Papapetrou had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in that game. Four months later, Papapetrou was crowned Greek Basket League champion, after Panathinaikos swept Promitheas Patras in the league's finals.
In the eve of the 2020-21 season, Papapetrou became the team's captain after the departure of Nick Calathes.

National team career

Greek junior national team

As a member of the Greek junior national teams, Papapetrou played at the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. He also played at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, where he averaged 11.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, in 32.1 minutes per game. He also played at the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he averaged 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, in 33.0 minutes per game.

Greek senior national team

Papapetrou is also a member of the senior men's Greek national basketball team. He was selected to Greece's 12 man roster for the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He also played at the EuroBasket 2017, and the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification.

Personal

Papapetrou's nickname is Papi. His father, Argiris Papapetrou, was also a professional basketball player, who played a decade for Panathinaikos and the Greece national basketball team. His mother, Anastasia, played football in Greece. While his older brother, Georgios Papapetrou, is also a professional basketball player.

Career statistics

EuroLeague

College