Greek basketball clubs in international competitions

Greek professional basketball clubs have played in European-wide competitions since the 1957–58 season, when Panellinios took part in the European top-tier level FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague). Basketball was the first team sport in which Greek teams won a European-wide competition. AEK won the second-tier level FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup in the 1967–68 season, when they beat Slavia VŠ Praha in the final that took place in Athens.^[1]

Nevertheless, Greek basketball was actually mainly boosted following the gold medal-winning triumph at the 1987 EuroBasket and runners-up 1989 EuroBasket, by the senior men's Greek National Team. In the following decades, Greek teams have dominated in European-wide professional club basketball, winning many trophies in continental competitions. The Greek clubs have won nineteen European basketball competition titles.^[2][3]

The Greek teams have won the European first-tier level competitions, the EuroLeague and Basketball Champions League, a total of eleven times, with seven EuroLeague championships being won by Panathinaikos, three EuroLeague championships being won by Olympiacos, and one BCL championship being won by AEK Athens.^[4] Also, the Greek basketball clubs have been runners-up in European competitions sixteen times.

Four times the Greek teams have won the Cup Winners' Cup/Saporta Cup, a European second-tier level competition. These clubs are AEK (two times), PAOK, Aris, and Maroussi.^[5] Two Greek teams have won the FIBA Korać Cup, a European third-tier level cup. These clubs are Aris, and PAOK.^[6] Aris has also won a fourth-tier level European competition once, as they won the FIBA EuroCup Challenge.

Overall, twenty-two Greek basketball clubs have participated in European-wide competitions. AEK, Aris, Iraklis Thessaloniki, Maroussi, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Panellinios, Panionios and PAOK have each played in all of the main top three different level tiers. Peristeri has played in competitions of the first and third level tiers. Apollon Patras and Ionikos Neas Filadelfeias have played in competitions of the second and third level tiers. Makedonikos has only played in competitions of the second tier level, and YMCA Thessaloniki, Sporting, Near East, Ionikos Nikaias, Papagou, Irakleio, Olympia Larissa, Olympias Patras and Promitheas Patras BC have only played in competitions of the third level tier. Aris, Lavrio and Iraklis are the only clubs so far to participate at the fourth level tier FIBA Europe Cup.