The 2018–19 Greek betshop.gr Basket League was the 79th season of the Greek Basket League, the top-tier level professional club basketball league in Greece. The season started on 7 October 2018, and ended on 15 June 2019. Panathinaikos OPAP won the Greek Basket League championship for a record 37th time, after beating Promitheas Patras 3–0 in the Finals.
The season featured a major feud between traditional rivals Panathinaikos and Olympiacos over refereeing decisions in the 2019 Greek Cup semifinals game between the two teams,Olympiacos decided to forfeit the semifinal Greek Cup game against Panathinaikos in protest for the refs. which eventually culminated in Olympiacos also forfeiting their playoffs. Finally, Olympiacos withdrew from the championship.Olympiacos officially relegated to Second Division.
Teams
Promotion and relegation Relegated from the Greek betshop.gr Basket League 2017–18 season Koroivos and Trikala Aries were relegated, after finishing in the last two places in the 2017–18 season.
Promoted from the A2 Basket League 2017–18 season The first club that was promoted was Peristeri, which won its third A2 Basket League championship, after finishing with a 29–1 record, in the 2017–18 season. The second team to be promoted was Holargos, as the winners of the promotion play-offs. Holargos defeated Apollon Patras 3–0, in the finals of the play-offs.
Locations and arenas
Club Location Arena Capacity AEK Athens (Marousi) OAKA Indoor Hall62 Aris Thessaloniki Alexandrio Melathron 65 Holargos Athens (Cholargos) Antonis Tritsis Indoor Hall1 Ifaistos Lemnos Myrina Nikos Samaras Indoor Hall 1 Kolossos H Hotels Rhodes Venetoklio Indoor Hall13 Kymi Chalkida Tasos Kampouris Kanithou Indoor Hall3 Lavrio Aegean Cargo Lavrio Lavrio Indoor Hall4 Olympiacos Piraeus Peace and Friendship Stadium66 Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (Marousi) OAKA Indoor Hall69 Panionios Athens (Nea Smyrni) Sofia Befon Indoor HallΑυτό είναι το νέο Κλειστό Γήπεδο του Παλαιού Φαλήρου .50 PAOK Thessaloniki (Pylaia) PAOK Sports Arena62 Peristeri Vikos Cola Athens (Peristeri) Peristeri Arena23 Promitheas Patras Patras Dimitris Tofalos Arena3 Rethymno Cretan Kings Rethymno Melina Merkouri Sports Arena9
Personnel and sponsorship
Club Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor AEK Luca Banchi Dušan Šakota Fila Betshop.gr Aris Ioannis Kastritis Lefteris Bochoridis Spalding - Holargos Aris Lykogiannis Toarlyn Fitzpatrick BillyBro BoConcept Ifaistos Limnou Sotiris Manolopoulos Sotirios Manolopoulos GSA Sport - Kolossos H Hotels Stergios Koufos Ioannis Georgallis Fila Aegean Airlines Kymi Isidoros Koutsos Stavros Toutziarakis Nickan - Lavrio Aegean Cargo Christos Serelis Michalis Perrakis Athios Advanced Hair Clinics Olympiacos David Blatt Vassilis Spanoulis Nike bwin Panathinaikos OPAP Rick Pitino Nick Calathes Adidas Pame Stoixima Panionios Vassilis Fragkias Nikos Diplaros Nickan - PAOK Ilias Papatheodorou Vangelis Margaritis Erreà Watt+Volt Peristeri Vikos Cola Argyris Pedoulakis Panagiotis Vasilopoulos Flex One Vikos Cola Promitheas Patras Makis Giatras Nikos Gkikas Athios Medfrigo Rethymno Cretan Kings Vangelis Ziagkos Antreas Christodoulou Nickan -
Head coaching changes Team Outgoing Head Coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced with Date of appointment Panionios Vangelis Alexandris End of contract Preseason Thanasis Skourtopoulos / Ifaistos Limnou Thanasis Skourtopoulos End of contract Preseason Sotiris Manolopoulos / AEK Dragan Šakota Promoted to General Manager Preseason Luca Banchi Olympiacos Ioannis Sfairopoulos End of contract Preseason / David Blatt Panionios Thanasis Skourtopoulos Re-signed Preseason Chris Chougkaz / Panionios Chris Chougkaz Re-signed 11th (1-3) Vassilis Fragkias Panionios Vassilis Fragkias Re-signed 9th (2-4) Nikos Oikonomou / Kolossos H Hotels Nikos Vetoulas Sacked 12th (1–5) Kostas Flevarakis Kymi Ioannis Kastritis Sacked 13th (1–6) Isidoros Koutsos
Regular season
League table
Results
Playoffs The eight highest ranked teams in the regular season qualified for the playoffs. All series will be played with a 2–2–1 format.
Bracket
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third-place series
Finals
1 Olympiacos refused to participate in their playoff series against Panathinaikos over refereeing disputes.
Final standings PosTeamOverall record Qualification or RelegationPldWL1.Panathinaikos33312 Qualification to the EuroLeague*Club qualified for EuroLeague by having a contract2.Promitheas Patras362115 Qualification to the EuroCup3.AEK Athens 382513 Qualification to the Champions League*AEK declined EuroCup participation4.Peristeri 362016 Qualification to the Champions League5.PAOK 281513 Qualification to the Champions League6.Ifaistos Limnou 2914157. Holargos291316 Relegation to the Greek A2 League8. Aris 268189.Rethymno2681810.Panionios2681811.Kymi26818 Relegation to the Greek A2 League12.Lavrio2671913.Kolossos Rodou2652114.OlympiacosOlympiacos did not play against Panathinaikos in playoffs and will be relegated to the second division, and all results were voided by league officials.27234 Qualification to the EuroLeague*Club qualified for EuroLeague by having a contract
NOTES: Holargos was faced financial problems. The club's registered place in the top-tier Greek Basket League was purchased by Kolossos Rodou, which thus avoided being relegated.
Kymi was faced financial problems. The club's registered place in the top-tier Greek Basket League was purchased by Lavrio, which thus avoided being relegated.
Olympiacos was relegated on 22 May 2019, following a meeting of the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association's Board of Directors. This was due to the club refusing to play in its playoff series against Panathinaikos, which marked its third forfeited game of the season, and which resulted in an automatic relegation, per league rules. The league also stripped the team of all of its season wins, as a further punishment.Η σημερινή (15/5) συνεδρίαση του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου .
Awards All official awards of the 2018–19 Greek Basket League.
Greek League MVP Player Team Nick Calathes Panathinaikos
Greek League Finals MVP Player Team Deshaun Thomas Panathinaikos
All-Greek League Team Player Team G Nick CalathesPanathinaikos G Davion Berry Panionios F Ioannis PapapetrouPanathinaikos F Panagiotis VasilopoulosPeristeri C Nikola Milutinov Olympiacos
Best Coach Player Team Makis Giatras Apollon Patras
Defensive Player of the Year Player Team Howard Sant-Roos AEK
Best Young Player Player Team Zois Karampelas Peristeri
Most Improved Player Player Team Dimitris Kaklamanakis Lavrio
Most Popular Player Player Team Nick Calathes Panathinaikos
Most Spectacular Player Player Team Thanasis Antetokounmpo Panathinaikos
Statistical leaders The Greek Basket League counts official stats leaders by stats totals, and not by per game averages. It also counts the total stats for both regular season combined.
Performance index rating
Points
Rebounds
Assists
Source:
Clubs in European-wide competitions Team Competition Progress Olympiacos EuroLeague Regular season Panathinaikos Playoffs AEK Champions League Quarterfinals PAOK Round of 16 Promitheas Round of 16Aris Second qualifying round Aris FIBA Europe Cup Regular season Lavrio First qualifying round
Clubs in World-wide competitions Team Competition Progress AEK FIBA Intercontinental Cup Final 4, 1st place
See also 2018–19 Greek Basketball Cup 2018–19 Greek A2 Basket League (2nd tier)
References
External links Official Basket League Site Official Basket League Site Official Hellenic Basketball Federation Site