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Peristeri B.C.

Peristeri B.C. (Greek: K.A.E. Περιστέρι) is a Greek professional basketball club that is located in Peristeri, Greece, which is both a city and a suburb in the western part of the Athens agglomeration. The club's full name is Gymnastikos Syllogos Peristeriou K.A.E. (Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Περιστερίου K.A.E.). It is a part of the G.S. Peristeri (Γ.Σ. Περιστερίου) multi-sports club. The club was founded on October 22, 1971.

The club's emblem is the dove symbol, and the club's team colors are yellow and blue. For the 2025–26 season, the team competes in the Greek Basketball League, which is the top-tier level league in Greece, as well as in the European-wide tertiary level competition, the FIBA Europe Cup.

History

Early years and rise of the club

The club began play in the 1971–72 season. In the 1977–78 season, Peristeri won the third level championship of Greek pro basketball, under head coach Faidon Matthaiou. In the 1982–83 season, under head coach Thanasis Christoforou, Peristeri won the second level championship of Greek pro basketball, which was at that time, the Greek B League. In the following 1983–84 season, Peristeri played games for the first time, in the top-tier level Greek Basket League. Peristeri won the Greek 2nd Division championship again, in the 1988–89 season.

In the subsequent years, the team was very successful, and many well-known basketball players played for the club. During this era, Peristeri competed in the European 3rd-tier level FIBA Korać Cup seven times (in the seasons 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, and 1999–00). Well-known players such as: Audie Norris, Marko Jarić, Milan Gurović, Angelos Koronios, Michalis Pelekanos, Kostas Tsartsaris, Alphonso Ford, Benoit Benjamin, Gary Leonard, Randy White, Marlon Maxey, and Conner Henry played for the club in that era.

In the 2000–01 season, led by the great scorer Ford, Peristeri finished in second place in the top-tier Greek League, in the regular season. The club also competed in the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague competition, during the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons. In the 2002–03 season, Peristeri competed in the European third-tier level FIBA Europe Champions Cup. In the 2003–04 season, the club played in the European 3rd-tier level FIBA Europe League.

Decline of the club

Following the 2003–04 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri was downgraded to the second division Greek A2 League for the 2004–05 season, due to great financial troubles within the Peristeri Sports Club. The club also competed in the Greek 2nd Division in the 2005–06 season. The club was then relegated down to the Greek 3rd Division, for the 2006–07 season. After winning the Greek 3rd Division championship, in the 2006–07 season, Peristeri returned to the Greek 2nd Division, for the 2007–08 season. Peristeri then won the Greek 2nd Division championship, in the 2008–09 season.

Peristeri then competed in the top-tier level Greek 1st Division, in the 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13 seasons. After the 2012–13 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri was again relegated down to the second-tier level Greek A2 League. However, due to economic issues, the club did not take part in the A2 League in the following season, and instead competed in the third-tier level Greek B League, during the 2013–14 season.

Peristeri managed to win the 2014–15 edition of the Greek 2nd-tier level ESKA Cup competition. While in that same 2014–15 season, Peristeri finished in fourth place, in the First Group of the third-tier level Greek B League, and thus did not earn a direct league promotion. Nevertheless, due to the withdrawal of Panionios Athens from the second-tier level Greek A2 League, Peristeri was then promoted back up to the A2 League, as they replaced Panionios in the competition, for the 2015–16 season. However, following that season, the club was relegated back down to the Greek 3rd Division, for the 2016–17 season.

Return to European-wide competitions

Peristeri won the Greek 3rd Division in the 2016–17 season. Then, in the following 2017–18 season, Peristeri won its third Greek 2nd Division championship. The team broke the league's win–loss record during that season, and finished with an overall record of 29 wins and just 1 loss. Thus, the club was promoted up to the top-tier level Greek Basket League, for the 2018–19 season. The return arrival of head coach Argyris Pedoulakis proved to be a key factor for the team. With Pedoulakis coaching, and with a core of quality players, Peristeri finished second in the regular season, and in fourth place overall at the end of the league's playoffs, which thus secured the team's return to European-wide competitions.

The club then joined one of the two European-wide secondary leagues, the FIBA Basketball Champions League (BCL), for the 2019–20 season. The team had a successful BCL season, as they managed to progress to the round of 16 of the FIBA Champions League, where they were ultimately eliminated by the Israeli Super League club Hapoel Jerusalem. Peristeri finished in the third position of the 2019–20 Greek Basket League season, although the Greek League season ended prematurely, in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.

Peristeri were the finalists of the 2020 edition of the Greek Super Cup competition, after they defeated the Greek EuroLeague giants Panathinaikos Athens, by a score of 90–82 in the semifinals. They lost to Promitheas Patras, by a score of 82–74 in the finals. Peristeri's 2020–21 Greek Basket League season wasn't as successful as the previous one, as they finished in sixth place in the league. In European-wide play, they also competed in the 2020–21 FIBA Champions League season. During that season, the team used three different head coaches. The team also struggled to develop proper player chemistry throughout the duration of the season. Ultimately, Peristeri was unable to match their high points of the previous two seasons.

Under head coach Milan Tomić, Peristeri finished the 2021–22 Greek Basket League season in 8th place. While in Pan-European competition, they competed in the European-wide fourth-tier level FIBA Europe Cup competition's 2021–22 season. In August 2022, the team was given the new sponsorship name of Peristeri B.C. Athens Bwin, after the club secured a naming rights deal with Bwin, for the purposes of increasing the team's budget, as part of an overall effort by the club to position itself in a higher echelon within the Greek Basket League.

An international legend becomes the head coach

Peristeri hired international basketball legend Vassilis Spanoulis to its head coaching position, for the 2022–23 season. Spanoulis guided the team to its first ever appearance in the Final of the Greek Cup competition. However, they were defeated in the 2022–23 Greek Cup final by the EuroLeague giants Olympiacos Piraeus. In the 2022–23 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri finished in third place in the league, after they beat the Greek Fiba Champions League club PAOK Thessaloniki, in the league's third-place series. During the season, Peristeri managed to beat the EuroLeague giants Panathinaikos Athens, three different times during the overall season. In European-wide play, Peristeri also competed in the 2022–23 FIBA Champions League season, where they were eliminated in the play-ins by the French Pro A League club JDA Dijon, 2–1 in a three game series.

In the 2023–24 FIBA Champions League season, Peristeri had an astonishing year and for the first time in team's history,the team reached the 2024 FIBA Champions League Final Four. In the semifinals, Peristeri was knocked out of the Final Four tournament, after a 97–94 defeat to the Spanish ACB League club Tenerife. Ultimately, Peristeri finished in fourth place in the FIBA Champions League season, after they lost the bronze medal game against the Spanish ACB League club UCAM Murcia, by a score of 87–84. Spanoulis was ultimately named the FIBA Champions League's Best Coach of the Season.

In Greek national domestic competitions, Peristeri made it to the semifinals of the 2023 Greek Super Cup competition, where they lost to Olympiacos Piraeus. They took the 3rd place by beating PAOK. Peristeri also made it to the quarterfinals of the 2023–24 Greek Cup competition, where they again lost to Olympiacos. In the 2023–24 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri once again finished in third place in the league, after they beat the Greek EuroCup club Aris Thessaloniki, in the league's single third-place match.

Logos

In international competitions

From the 1991–92 season, to the 2003–04 season, Peristeri Athens had an overall win/loss record of: 67 wins and 58 losses, plus 1 tie, in a total of 126 games played in all of their European-wide professional club basketball competitions.

Arenas

Peristeri plays its home games at the Peristeri Indoor Hall Andreas Papandreou, which has a seating capacity of 4,000 people. The club played his home games at the Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hallduring the 2014-2015 season,,as a result of the significant damages that the Peristeri Indoor Hall Andreas Papandreou suffered due to flooding.

Roster

Depth chart

Titles and honours

European competitions

Domestic competitions

  • Greek Cup:
  • Finalists (1): 2022–23
  • Greek Super Cup:
  • Finalists (1): 2020
  • Greek A2 League (2nd Division):
  • Champions (3): 1988–89, 2008–09, 2017–18
  • Greek B League (2nd Division / 3rd Division):
  • Champions (3): 1982–83 (2nd Division), 2006–07 (3rd Division), 2016–17 (3rd Division)
  • Greek 3rd Division:
  • Champions (1): 1977–78 (ESKA)
  • Greek 2nd Tier ESKA Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2014–15

Seasons

Notable players

Greece:

Europe:

USA:

Africa:

Retired numbers

Head coaches

References

External links