Vassilis Spanoulis experienced a tremendous honor as Olympiacos raised his jersey with the number “7” to the rafters of the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
In honor of the legendary Greek player, Olympiacos retired his jersey during a ceremony held before a friendly match against Milan. Vassilis Spanoulis expressed his gratitude to everyone who had an impact on his illustrious career in front of a packed arena. Before his “number 7” was raised to the rafters, his wife Olympia and their six children joined him on the court.
One thing is for sure, when it comes to the Spanoulis family, if genetics hold any secrets, the descendants of the legendary “Billy” have a tough act to follow. Whatever they choose to do in life, if they possess even a fraction of what Vassilis Spanoulis displayed on the basketball court, they’ll be more than successful.
It’s a special honor to be present at the retirement ceremony of the jersey of a huge athlete that has left his indelible mark with Olympiacos, Greek and European basketball. That of Vassilis Spanoulis. I feel blessed to have worked with him. Congratulations Vassilis 👏🏻👏🏻#vspan pic.twitter.com/sEVymjRCco
— Giannis Sfairopoulos (@GSfairopoulos) September 17, 2023
“I will never forget this night. This is the greatest night of my career, alongside all the titles I’ve won,” said one of the greatest players in the history of Greek basketball. When it comes to the historical record books, it’s clear what kind of achievement we’re talking about.
The “cream of the crop” from the world of basketball was present at the ceremony in Piraeus. Names like Dejan Bodiroga, Nick Calathes, Dimitris Itoudis, Sasha Vezenkov, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Nikos Zisis, and many others were in attendance.
For those who couldn’t be there, the organizers found a way to make the ceremony even more special. They featured video messages from Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and the rest of the basketball community.
✨ Dirk Nowitzki, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Pau Gasol ve diğerleri…
— Eurohoops Türkiye (@EurohoopsTR) September 17, 2023
🫡 Yıldız isimlerden Vassilis Spanoulis'e saygı duruşu. #TheNightOfTheLegend7 pic.twitter.com/eQ6v2KYL8D
The trophies Vassilis Spanoulis has won in his career
- EuroLeague (3)
- Greek Championship (7)
- Greek Cup (4)
- European Championship (2005 – gold, 2009 – bronze)
- FIBA World Cup (2006 – silver)
He was once the MVP of the regular season of the EuroLeague. Additionally, he has been the Final Four MVP of the premier European competition three times. He was selected in the All-EuroLeague First Team in the last decade, made it to the starting five three times, and was included in the second team five times.