AEK B.C.

AEK Athens
2024–25 AEK B.C. season
Nickname
  • Vasilissa (Queen)
  • Énosis (Union)
  • Kitrinómavri (The Yellow-Blacks)
  • Dikéfalos Aetós (Two-Headed Eagle)
LeaguesGreek League
Champions League
Founded1924
HistoryAEK B.C.
(1924–present)
ArenaSUNEL Arena
Capacity8,327[1][2]
LocationAthens, Greece
Team colorsYellow, black
   
Main sponsorBetsson
PresidentEvangelos Angelopoulos
Head coachDragan Šakota
OwnershipMakis Angelopoulos (76%)[3]
Vertical Solutions (24%)[4]
Championships1 Triple Crown
1 FIBA Intercontinental Cup
1 FIBA Champions League
2 FIBA Saporta Cups
8 Greek Championships
5 Greek Cups
Retired numbers3 (6, 10, 13)
Websiteaekbc.gr

AEK Basketball Club (Greek: ΚΑΕ ΑΕΚ Greek pronunciation: [ˈaek]; Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupóleos, "Athletic Union of Constantinople"), also known as AEK B.C. or AEK, and more commonly known in European competitions as AEK Athens,[5] is a Greek professional basketball club based in Athens, 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 is one of the three most popular and successful teams in Greece along with Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. AEK was the first-ever Greek basketball team, not only to reach a 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 (1957–58, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1969–70, 2001–02), and the Greek Cup 5 times (1980–81, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2017–18, 2019–20), while they have also twice won the FIBA Saporta Cup (former European Cup Winners' Cup) (1967–68 and 1999–00). AEK won the Champions League on 6 May 2018, defeating Monaco by a score of 100–94, and the FIBA Intercontinental Cup on 17 February 2019, defeating Flamengo by a score of 86–70.[6] Well-known players that have played with the club over the years have included: Rolando Blackman, Ricky Pierce, Danny Vranes, Ruben Patterson, Kurt Rambis, J.R. Holden, Willie Anderson, Joe Arlauckas, Anthony Bowie, Arijan Komazec, Martin Müürsepp, Josh Owens, Clint Richardson, Bill Edwards, Victor Alexander, Claudio Coldebella, İbrahim Kutluay, Pero Antić, Carl English, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Bane Prelević, Georgios Amerikanos, Georgios Trontzos, Vassilis Goumas, Minas Gekos, Pavlos Stamelos, Kostas Patavoukas, Angelos Koronios, Michalis Kakiouzis, Nikos Chatzis, Jake Tsakalidis, Nikos Zisis, Nasos Galakteros, Vassilis Lanes, Dimos Dikoudis, Dimitris Papanikolaou, Ioannis Bourousis, Mario Chalmers, Jonas Mačiulis and Keith Langford.

AEK B.C. has been considered as one of the best Greek teams in all sports, at either the sports club or national team level, in 1965, 1966, and 1968, by SJA of Greece (the Sports Journalists' Association of Greece, Greek: ΠΣΑΤ).

  1. ^ AEK BC Official Website (in Greek)
  2. ^ ESAKE Official Website (in Greek)
  3. ^ "Makis Angelopoulos". news.gr. 24 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Vertical Solutions". news.gr. 24 November 2014.
  5. ^ euroleaguebasketball.net AEK Athens
  6. ^ "AEK – Basketball Champions League". championsleague.basketball. Online. Retrieved 2 October 2020.