PAOK unveiled Nick Calathes in black and white through a creative video, officially confirming a transfer that had been agreed for quite some time.
Set in a well-known cinema near the historic offices of PAOK BC, the video shows Calathes entering the screening room. After watching footage of the fans, he sees… himself on the screen, along with a message reading: “Every story needs a new character…”
The message bore the signature of coach Trinchieri, and when the lights came back on, Calathes was presented with the No. 33 jersey.
Shortly afterwards, PAOK released the following statement:
“PAOK BC announces its agreement with Nick Calathes for the next two years. One of the finest guards of the modern era, an athlete with an outstanding career at the highest level of European and world basketball, joins the PAOK family and will wear the black-and-white jersey until the summer of 2028.
Having competed in the world’s leading leagues, appeared in EuroLeague Final Fours, played in the NBA and earned countless distinctions at both club and international level, Nick Calathes is one of the most significant personalities ever to have represented PAOK.
Born on 7 February 1989 in Florida, United States, the Greek-American guard played college basketball at the University of Florida. He graduated from the Gators in 2009 and was selected with the 45th pick in the NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He began his professional career in Europe, initially playing for Panathinaikos and later Lokomotiv Kuban, before returning to the United States and spending two seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. In 2015, he returned to Europe once again and went on to play for Panathinaikos, Barcelona, Fenerbahce, AS Monaco and Partizan, leaving his mark everywhere as one of the greatest playmakers in the history of European basketball.
Calathes is the all-time leading assist provider in EuroLeague history and one of the most complete point guards the competition has ever produced. He also holds the record for the most steals in EuroLeague history.
During his illustrious career, he has won:
- The EuroLeague in 2011 with Panathinaikos.
- The EuroCup in 2013 with Lokomotiv Kuban, where he was also named MVP.
- Six (6) Greek Championships and four (4) Greek Cups with Panathinaikos.
- One (1) Turkish Championship and one (1) Turkish Cup with Fenerbahce.
- One (1) Spanish Championship and two (2) Spanish Cups with Barcelona.
He is a member of the Greece men’s national basketball team and won the bronze medal at EuroBasket 2009. He has competed in three (3) FIBA World Cups, five (5) EuroBasket tournaments and the 2024 Olympic Games.”
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