Ioannis Spanoudakis (alternate spellings: Giannis, Yiannis, Yannis) () (1930 – 10 June 2010), was a Greek basketball player and coach. He represented the Greece men's national basketball team. Along with his brother, Alekos,Jean Spanoudakis Related Olympians: Brother of Alexandros Spanoudakis. he is considered to be one of the early leading pioneers of the sport of modern basketball in the country of Greece. He was the long-time player / head coach of the Greek Basket League club Olympiacos, acting simultaneously in both roles, while with the club.
Club career Spanoudakis played basketball at the club level with the Greek Basket League team Olympiacos. While with Olympiacos in the 1950s, Spanoudakis trained with Bob Cousy1938–1960: The birth and the first championships. and Greek-American Lou Tsioropoulos, of the NBA's Boston Celtics, in Greece. Spanoudakis, and his brother, Alekos, learned the American style of basketball from the two Celtics players, and they were the first two athletes to bring American basketball techniques to Greece.
He also played in the Italian LBA League, with Virtus Bologna and Motomorini Bologna.
National team career Spanoudakis was a member of the Greek men's national basketball team. With Greece, he played at the 1951 EuroBasket,Yiannis SPANOUDAKIS (GRE). and at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games.Giannis SPANOUDAKIS (GRE). He also played at the 1960 Pre-Olympic Tournament.
Coaching career Spanoudakis was the head coach of the Greek Basket League club Olympiacos.
References
External links Ioannis Spanoudakis at fiba.com (EuroBasket Profile) Ioannis Spanoudakis at fiba.com (Olympics Profile) Ioannis Spanoudakis at Sports-reference.com Ioannis Spanoudakis at basket.gr