George Papas
George Papas (Greek: Τζωρτζ Πάπας; born March 15, 1998) is a Greek–American professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. Standing at 1.96 m (6'5") tall, he plays at the shooting guard position.
| No. 9 – Olympiacos | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | Greek Basket League EuroLeague |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 15, 1998 Jersey City, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American / Greek |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 198 lb (90 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, New Jersey) |
| College | Monmouth (2017–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022–present | Olympiacos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
Papas was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Alexis Maloney and Greek-born Stefanos Papathanasiou. He has a brother 2+1⁄2 years his elder named Tommy, currently a player for Mykonos in the Greek B Basket League and formerly for William & Mary.[1]
College career
He reached the 1,000-point plateau for the Hawks in February against Marist. He also competed in the Dos Equis 3X3U 3-on-3 competition at the 2022 Final Four, the first Hawk ever selected to the event.[2]
Professional career
On August 14, 2022, he signed a two-year deal, his first professional contract, with Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague.[3]
In October 2022, he celebrated the first title of his professional career, which was the Greek Super Cup, in the Final 4 of Rhodes.[4]
On October 10, 2022, he made his debut in the Greek Basket League, in the away match against Apollon Patras. He contributed 6 points, one rebound and one assist in 10 minutes of action in his team's 61–87 victory.
In December 12, 2022, Papas made his EuroLeague debut in the home game win against Fenerbahçe, playing 2:51 minutes and scoring 2 points.
In February 2023, he won another title with Olympiakos, that of the Greek Cup in the Final 8 of Crete.[5][6]
International career
On November 7, 2022, Papas was called up for the first time by Greece for the 2023 World Cup qualifiers against Latvia and Belgium, without making an appearance. He was called up again for the last two qualifiers on February. He made his debut against Serbia on February 24, 2023, using his full surname on his jersey (Papathanasiou). Three days later against Latvia he scored his first points. A three-point shot.[7]
References
- "For Monmouth University's George Papas, family belief & hoop dreams powering storybook rise". Stephen Edelson Asbury Park Press. February 16, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- "monmouthhawks.com". Unknown. 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- "Olympiacos sign Greek-American George Papas". Orazio Cauchi. August 14, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- "Κυρίαρχος Ολυμπιακός, "έπνιξε" τον Παναθηναϊκό και κατέκτησε το Super Cup!". sport-fm.gr (in Greek). Online. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- "ΠΕΡΙΣΤΕΡΙ BWIN 57–85 ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΣ". eokbasket.sportstats.gr (in Greek). Online. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- Τσιριγώτης, Αλέξανδρος (2023). "Σάρωσε το Περιστέρι bwin και κατέκτησε back-to-back το Κύπελλο ο Ολυμπιακός!". sport-fm.gr (in Greek). Online. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
- "George Papas". proballers.com. March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.