Panagiotis Fasoulas

Panagiotis Fasoulas
Mayor of Piraeus
In office January 1, 2007 – January 1, 2011
Deputy	Vicky Leandros
Preceded by	Christos Agrapidis
Succeeded by	Vasileios Michaloliakos
MP of 1st Piraeus periphery
In office 2000–2006
1st City councilman, Thessaloniki
In office 1990–1993
Personal details
Born	(1963-05-12) May 12, 1963 (age 61) Thessaloniki, Greece
Political party	PASOK
Spouse	Masa Zacharia
Children	Mariella Fasoula, John
Residence(s)	Piraeus, Greece
Occupation	Basketball player
Basketball career
Personal information
Nationality	Greek
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Hellenic College (1980–1982) NC State (1985–1986)
NBA draft	1986: 2nd round, 37th overall pick
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career	1981–1999
Position	Center
Number	13, 10
Career history
1981–1993	PAOK
1993–1999	Olympiacos
Career highlights and awards
EuroLeague champion (1997) 4× FIBA European Selection (1990, 1991 2×, 1995) FIBA EuroStar (1996) FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1991) 5× Greek League champion (1992, 1994–1997) 3× Greek Cup winner (1984, 1994, 1997) 2× Greek League MVP (1994, 1995) Greek League Finals MVP (1992) 3× Greek All-Star (1991, 1994 II, 1996 II) Greek League Hall of Fame (2022) Greek League rebounding leader (1987) Greek League career stats leaders Greek League all-time leader in blocks
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals Event 1st 2nd 3rd FIBA EuroBasket 1 1 0 Balkan Championship 1 1 2 Total 2 2 2 Men's Basketball Representing  Greece FIBA EuroBasket 1987 Greece 1989 Yugoslavia Balkan Championship 1986 Bulgaria 1983 Yugoslavia 1984 Greece 1981 Romania

Panagiotis "Panos" Fasoulas (alternate spelling: Fassoulas; Greek: Παναγιώτης Φασούλας; born May 12, 1963, in Thessaloniki) is a Greek politician and former professional basketball player. He was selected in the second round by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1986 NBA draft, but never decided to play in the NBA. Considered to be one of the best big men ever in European basketball, Fasoulas became a FIBA Hall of Fame player in 2016.^[1] In 2022, he was inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame.

As a youth, Fasoulas moved from Greece, to play college basketball in the United States. He first played college ball at the Hellenic College. He was recruited to the school by its head coach at the time, Dick Dukeshire, who had previously worked as a coach in Greece. Fasoulas played two seasons with the school's men's basketball team, the Hellenic College Owls.^[2]

Fasoulas then played college ball at North Carolina State University, with the N.C. State Wolfpack. At NC State, he played under legendary head coach Jim Valvano. In his sole season with the Wolfpack (1985–86), Fasoulas averaged 2.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and he also led the team with 1.8 blocks per game, in 29 games played.^[3]

During his professional career, Fasoulas played for PAOK and Olympiacos. With PAOK, he won the FIBA Cup Winners' Cup championship in the 1990–91 season. With Olympiacos, he won the EuroLeague championship and the Triple Crown in the 1996–97 season.

In total, he won 5 Greek League championships and 3 Greek Cups. He was also named to the FIBA European Selection four times, in the years 1990, 1991 (twice), and 1995. He was also named the Greek League MVP in 1994 and 1995, and a FIBA EuroStar in 1996.

Fasoulas was also a member of the Greece men's national basketball team, where he was the starting center during Greece's 1987 EuroBasket gold medal victory, being also named to the All-Tournament Team. He also won the silver medal with Greece at the 1989 EuroBasket. In Toronto, Canada, at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, where Greece finished in fourth place, Fasoulas played the best basketball of his career. Fasoulas appeared in 244 games for Greece, averaging 9.77 points per game.^[4] He is second all-time in games played and third all-time in points scored for Greece.^[5][6]

After his basketball playing career ended, Fasoulas became a basketball executive. He became the sports director of Olympiacos Women, of the Greek Women's League and the EuroLeague Women.

• EuroLeague Champion: 1 (with Olympiacos: 1997)
• FIBA Cup Winners' Cup Winner: 1 (with PAOK: 1991)
• Greek League Champion: 5 (with PAOK: 1992 and Olympiacos: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)
• Greek Cup Winner: 3 (with PAOK: 1984 and Olympiacos: 1994, 1997)

• EuroLeague Finals Finalist: 2 (with Olympiacos: 1994, 1995)
• EuroLeague Final Four Participation: 5 (with PAOK 1993 and Olympiacos: 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999)

• 1981 Balkan Championship:  Bronze
• 1983 Balkan Championship:  Silver
• 1984 Balkan Championship:  Bronze
• 1986 Balkan Championship:  Gold
• 1987 EuroBasket:  Gold
• 1989 EuroBasket:  Silver

• EuroBasket All-Tournament Team: (1987)
• FIBA European Selection: 4 (1990, 1991 2×, 1995)
• FIBA EuroStar: 1 (1996)
• Greek League Finals MVP: (1992)
• Greek League MVP: 2 (1994, 1995)
• Greek League All-Star: 3 (1991, 1994 II, 1996 II)
• Greek League Rebounding Leader: (1987)
• FIBA Hall of Fame: (2016)
• Greek League Hall of Fame: (2022)
• Professional Greek League all-time leader in blocks

A charismatic personality, Fasoulas entered politics after retiring from sport, joining the political party of PASOK. He contributed in the organization of the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, in 2004. He was elected Mayor of Piraeus on October 15, 2006, and served as Mayor through 2010.

• PASOK
• PAOK
• Olympiacos
• 1987 EuroBasket

• Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived October 20, 2006)
• Panagiotis Fassoulas at FIBA
• FIBA Euroleague profile
• Basketball-Reference.com profile
• RealGM.com profile
• Hellenic Basketball Federation profile (in Greek)

This page was last edited on 29 April 2024, at 11:13