Welcome to the world of FirstClass Management! We are really happy to launch our new website and introduce another way of keeping daily contact with Players, Clubs, Coaches, Scouts and members of the Press. In our homepage you will find all the necessary information about us, our offices, our services, the players that FCM represents and our history. Keep coming back to check our news and much more!
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12/5/2008
LILOV BREAKS 19-YEAR OLD TRADITION
I van Lilov completed his miracle for Balkan, leading his team into the Bulgarian play-off finals after 19 years! The 20-year old guard was sensational in the series against Levski, where Balkan won by 3-0, winning two times on the road! Lilov finished the series with impressive figures (18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals in 38,2 minutes) and was rewarded for his presence, since in the last play-off match the new Bulgaria NT coach Pini Gerson was present to watch him.
Balkan will now play against eternal champions Lukoil, but their season in more than successful, nevertheless Lilov's talent will have one more chance to display his talent at the highest level.
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6/5/2008
KALABOKIS SENDS PANIONIOS TO THE SEMI-FINALS
 Giannis Kalabokis has been on fire all year long and now that the play-offs have started, he is absolutely sensational. The 29-year old shooting guard lead Panionios to a comfortable sweep against Panellinios, after yesterday's away win (80-95). Kalabokis not only scored 20 points (8/8 FT, 3/7 2pts, 2/4 3pts, plus 5 rebounds, 1 block in 32 minutes), but also played amazing defence against Greek league's top scorer Anthony Grundy, limiting his impact to kust 16 points. Panionios is now going to face champions Panathinaikos, without home advantage.
Another sweep took place in OAKA, where Olympiacos suffered but won at the end against AEK (68-70), behind Panos Vasilopoulos 14 points. The Greek international along with Greer were the only players with double figures in points and Vasilopoulos showed his consistency since he scored 15 points in the first match of the series, one that Olympiacos won easily. Giannis Bourousis had a season high of 14 rebounds in just 27 minutes, dominating the paint for the Euroleague club.
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5/5/2008
JAHOVICS SHINES
 The play-offs in Latvia are well under way and the semi-final game 1 was held yesterday. Gatis Jahovics (left) continued a good season with ASK Riga, leading the capital club to an away win against Ventspils (77-91). The 24-year old forward scored 18 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, gave 6 assists in 27 minutes and lead his teammates to an easy win.
In the other semi-final, Kaspars Berzins and Barons were the convincing winners against VEF Riga (92-70). The 23-year old center was again positive, scoring 11 points, downing 5 rebounds and making 1 block shot in just 19 minutes play time.
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29/4/2008
GREAT BERZINS PERFORMANCE
 In Greece, due to the Easter holidays there was no sporting activity, but in other countries this was not the case. The Baltic League final four was held last weekend and Kaspars Berzins played exceptionally, just one week after winning the FIBA Eurocup trophy with Barons. Berzins scored 16 points and grabbed 4 rebounds against Lietuvos Rytas, but this time Barons didn't make it to the final. Nevertheless Kaspars Berzins is rightfully Player of the Week, so click HERE to read more...
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24/4/2008
AMAZING TSIAKOS
 It was an amazing night for Giorgos Tsiakos, who scored a career high 23 points against Aris, for the last regular season match of the Greek A1. The 26-year old power forward was again in great shape (7/8 2pts, 1/2 3pts), adding 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 8 fouls won in 36 minutes, against one of the best players in Europe inside the paint, Aris' star Jeremiah Massey and in a no-tomorrow match for PAOK. Eventually the home side lost, but the other results kept PAOK in the Greek A1, much of it because of Tsiakos performances in the last month.
Elsewhere, Giannis Kalabokis and Panionios celebrated their success to finish inside the top 4 teams, despite their loss in Larisa. Kalabokis had another good match with 13 points, 2 assists, 2 steals in 31 minutes and they are now preparing for a tough play offs series against Panellinios, where they will have the home advantage. Spiros Magkounis also finished the season in style, although Egaleo didn't manage to enter the play-offs. The 23-year old forward scored 11 points in just 20 minutes against Olympiada, in a match where Egaleo won easily.
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21/4/2008
KALABOKIS LEADS PANIONIOS
Before the start of the match against Marousi, Giannis Kalabokis was an injury doubt for Panionios coach. But the Greek shooting guard showed that when the going gets tough, he is always present. A few days after leading Panionios against Olympiacos, Kalabokis scored 23 points to sink Marousi and keep Panionios' hopes for a top 4 finish in the regular season alive. The 29-year old player had also 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 33 minutes and was elected 2nd MVP of the matchday for the Greek league. In the same game, Vassilis Xanthopoulos had a season-high of 7 assists, organizing the game for Panionios and making his teammates happy.
Elsewhere, Panagiotis Vasilopoulos showed one more time his consistency and versatility as a player, contributing in every part of the game for Olympiacos. The reds had to play overtime to win against Panellinios and much of it they owe to the 24-year old forward. Vasilopoulos scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds (season high), and also had 2 assists, 2 steals and 4(!) blocks, plus great defence against Panellinios' top scorer. Giannis Bourousis was also positive (11 points, 8 rebounds in 28 minutes).
It was a great weekend for Kaspars Berzins, since he won the FIBA Eurocup trophy in Cyprus with Barons. It was the first European cup after decades for a latvian club and Barons were the worthy winners, beating Tartu Rock from Estonia in the semi-final (88-82) and favorites Dexia Mons-Hainult from Belgium in a thrilling final (63-62).
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17/11/2008
TSIAKOS SENDS PAOK TO SAFETY
It was the most crucial game of the season for PAOK, since only a victory would keep them to the A1 league. And it was Giorgos Tsiakos (left) who stepped up at this delicate point to lead his team to a vital win against high-flying Panellinios (62-58). The 26-year old power forward scored 14 points (plus 3 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 steal, 1 block) in just 20 minutes, scoring half of them in the last period and leading PAOK to safety.
Panos Vasilopoulos had also an excellent match yesterday. The Greek international scored 14 points (plus 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals in 27 minutes), leading the scoreboard for Olympiacos' easy victory against Larisa. Giannis Bouroussis was also positive (11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block), dominating the paint on both sides.
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14/4/2008
SIGKOUNAS SHINES IN ALL-STAR GAME
 It was a festive weekend for the Greek basketball, as the annual All-Star game was held in Amaliada and of course FCM was well represented. 6 of our players featured in both the junior and the men's games and Alexandros Sigkounas was the one to stand out. The 20-year old forward was the real MVP (and FCM's Player of the Week) of the Junior's game, scoring 20 points in 25 minutes and leading his team to a bog win (93-69), nevertheless the award went to a player from the losing side... In this match there were also good performances by Nikos Pappas (14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals in 19 minutes), Giannis Vassiliou (7 points, 3 assists, 1 steal in 25 mins) and Carolos Galazoulas (4 points and 4 assists in 15 mins).
In the men's match, Giannis Bouroussis and Panos Vasilopoulos did their best to lead the Greeks, but the Foreigners won 111-101. Bourousis scored 18 points in 18 minutes (plus 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals) and Vasilopoulos contributed 10 points, 3 assists and 1 steal in 15 minutes. Congratulations to everybody for the great show!
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10/04/2008
VASILOPOULOS WAS NOT ENOUGH
 Panos Vasilopoulos great performance in Moscow was not enough to send Olympiacos to the Euroleague Final Four in Madrid. The Greek club lost the 3rd play-off match against CSKA and it couldn't be otherwise as only Vasilopoulos tried to keep Olympiacos in the match. The 24-year old forward scored 17 points with excellent percentages (3/5 3pts), also adding 3 rebounds, 1 assists and 1 steal in 27 minutes, but he was the only one with double digit in points, as Olympiacos struggled with CSKA's tough defence.
The final four dream ended for Olympiacos, nevertheless Vasilopoulos finished the play-off series against CSKA with 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists in just 23.2 minutes average playtime, leaving promised for an even better future.
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07/04/2008
KALABOKIS SINKS OLYMPIACOS
Giannis Kalabokis punished his old club Olympiacos, leading Panionios to a big win against the Euroleague club with 84-72 yesterday. The Greek shooting guard scored 19 points with excellent percentages (4/6 2pts, 2/2 3pts, 5/5/ FT), also contributing 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 28 minutes. But it wasn't only the points he offered, but also the great defence he played against Lynn Greer. Kalabokis practically ended Olympiacos hopes in the beginning of the 3rd period, after scoring 10 consecutive points and opening the difference between the two teams more than 20 points.
In Bulgaria, the regular season ended and Ivan Lilov found himself at the 3rd place of the best scorers, although he is only 19 years old! The young shooting guard averages 18,1 points per game (plus 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 steals in 35.7 minutes), leading Balkan to a very good season, finishing in 3rd place.
In Greek A2, Pantelis Kakavas and Christoforos Choumas scored 20 points each to lead Sporting in a big win (89-70) against Apollon Patras. Especially Kakavas was amazing, he didn't miss a single shot (5/5 2pts, 2/2 3pts, 4/4 FT), plus he had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 35 minutes. Choumas also grabbed 7 rebounds (plus 1 assist and 1 steal) in 36 minutes.
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03/04/2008
SAKELLARIOU SIGNS FOR 3 YEARS WITH AVELLINO
 Vaggelis Sakellariou is moving to Italy and for the next 3 years he will play for Air Avellino! The talented 19-year old point guard signed today a three-year closed contract with the 2008 winners of the Italian Cup, after spending a week on trial there and impressing coach Matteo Boniciolli, who said on the Lega basket website: "He is not known, but he has all the characteristics we are looking for. He can definitely help us by doing things for the team".
Sakellariou, who surprisingly didn't find any playing time in Egaleo, will stay in Italy (he has been there since March 26th) and help Avellino immediately. The team is enjoying an excellent season, they won the Italian Cup at the end of February and currently lie 3rd on the italian league table, having obviously high ambitions for the italian play-offs.
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03/04/2008
DRAFTEXPRESS.NET HAILS NIKOS PAPPAS
 Draftexpress.net is one of the most prolific websites when it comes to youth basketball all over the world and yesterday dedicated an article for Nikos Pappas, the MVP of the Albert Schweitzer tournament, predicting a great future for the Greek guard. Read below the story:
"Nikos Pappas in particular was unstoppable for many stretches. The well-deserved MVP, he showed a ridiculous ability to score at will. Playing combo-guard, he would throw his strong 6-4 body at any rival and make room for a relatively easy basket. Although his strange frame -which looks pretty thick for a guard, not particularly attractive in terms of basketball potential- and body language might result misleading, he doesn’t enjoy anything more than decent athleticism to work with, and particularly he’s not very quick. But he’s incredibly smart and poised, showing an uncommon maturity that helps him to overcome his athletic shortcomings.
Showing very solid ball-handling skills, a decent first step and great footwork, Pappas could attack both ways, being especially prolific from the left side, while his rivals rarely figured out how to stop him. Primarily looking for the basket, he loves to create contact with his opponents and hang in the air until he enjoys enough room to release a layup or a short-range shot (a la Papaloukas). If he didn’t find the scoring option, he would never panic, and instead would look for his teammates. Pappas showed nice court vision to feed his mates, not only off the drive, but also from the perimeter. He also punished the defense with his long-range shot whenever his match-up –or the pair defending the pick and roll- didn’t stay honest, showcasing a nice touch, still accurate off the dribble.
But it wasn’t everything a matter of ball domination. Pappas often stayed away from the ball, letting his teammates take over the offense, almost as if he didn’t care, but would unexpectedly appear in the right moment with a cut, or offensive rebound, showing a terrific sense of timing moving without the ball. He showed a bit of the same stuff on defense, where he sometimes showed some apathy (his limited lateral quickness also backs this impression) but could come up with some steals".
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31/03/2008
PAPPAS IS THE MVP!
Nikos Pappas was crowned Most Valuable Player of the Albert Schweitzer tournament in Germany, after leading Greece to the title. The 18-year old point guard produced an amazing tournament for Greece and apart from being named as MVP he was part of the best line-up, averaging 21.3 points per game, but also having great contribution in the other aspects of the game (6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 steals in 27.1 minutes playing time). Click on PLAYER OF THE WEEK and PLAYER OF THE MONTH to read more...
In Greece, Giannis Kalabokis continued his excellent season, leading Panionios to a big away win against PAOK in Salonica. The 29-year old guard scored 16 points, but also grabbed 9(!) rebounds (career high), to allow his club to win and maintain their hopes to reach the 4th place on the table.
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29/3/2008
PAPPAS SCORES 39 AND LEADS GREECE TO THE FINAL
 Nikos Pappas took Greece by the hand and lead the U-18 NT to the final of the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany. The 18-year old point guard scored 39 points with excellent percentages (11/15 2pts, 3/6 3pts, 8/11 FT, plus 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, in 35 minutes), allowing the Greek team to beat Australia 84-79 in overtime and book a place in today's final.
Pappas has been exceptional throughout the tournament. He is currently 2nd scorer overall, averaging 22 pts/game, but also has significant contribution in other categories (6.3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.3 steals), proving again that he is among the top European players of his age.
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26/3/2008
PAPPAS CONQUERS AMERICA
 Nikos Pappas took Greece by the hand and lead the U-18 National Team in a historic victory against U.S.A. in the famous "Albert Schweitzer" tournament that is held in Germany. In front of various NBA scouts, the 18-year old point guard scored 27 points and grabbed 11 (!) rebounds allowing Greece to overcome the U.S. team by 91-79. Pappas played for 38 minutes, contributing also 2 assists and 3 steals.
Greece is undefeated after 3 matches in the tournament and Pappas lies 3rd on the scorers table, averaging 19.3 points per game (plus 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.6 steals).
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24/3/2008
VASILOPOULOS FIRES OLYMPIACOS TO EUROLEAGUE PLAY-OFFS
 Panos Vasilopoulos sent Olympiacos to the Euroleague play-offs, with an impressive performance against Real Madrid last Thursday, scoring 16 points and leading his teammates to a great upset. Click on PLAYER OF THE WEEK to read more...
Vasilopoulos wasn't the only one to do great. His teammate in Olympiacos and Greece NT Giannis Bourousis (left) had a great match against Olympiada, scoring 18pts (plus 5 rebounds, 2 blocks in 24 minutes).
Elsewhere, Spiros Maggounis was a big problem for Panathinaikos. The 24-year old forward scored 13 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and made 2 steals in just 22 minutes, putting the reigning European champions in a difficult place, before beating Egaleo 85-76.
In Greek A2, great performance from Takis Ifantis. The talented power forward scored 25 points (plus 10 rebounds) in 30 minutes, leading Erithrea to an easy win against Halkida (79-70). Elsewhere, Pantelis Kakavas proved again that he is a point guard who does everything on court. The 20-year old player scored 16 points and grabbed 8 (!) rebounds, also contributing 4 assists and 1 steal in 30 minutes time, although Sporting didn't make it against Pagkrati.
Also, Vaggelis Sakellariou terminated his agreement with Egaleo and flew today to Italy for a try-out with Italian Cup winners Air Avellino.
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17/3/2008
FCM WEBSITE INTRODUCES 2 NEW COLUMNS
 FCM begins two new columns in our website, the Player of the Week and Player of the month (as of April 1st), where you can find summarized the achievements of our players. For this week, Giannis Kalabokis stands out (just click on the PLAYER OF THE WEEK banner), but not only him. Dimitris Verginis lead PAOK in a crucial victory against Olympiada, scoring 16 points, but also contributing 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 32 minutes. In Piraeus, Kostas Vassiliadis (left) had a great game for Olympiakos, scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in just 23 minutes against Egaleo. Tre Kelly had his first home game for Panellinios and the former Cibona player did great, scoring 12 points (plus 5 rebounds and 1 assist), in just 19 minutes.
In Greek A2, Nikos Liakopoulos continues to offer excellent performances. Although he just came back from injury, the 25-year old point guard had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, helping Pagkrati win at home. Elsewhere, Giorgos Sourlis scored 5 three pointers and a total of 20 points for Dafni, who also had center Chris Petrodimopoulos doing another great game (19 points, 5rebs in 27 minutes).
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27/2/2008
TRE KELLY SIGNS FOR PANELLINIOS
 FCM announces that Tre Kelly is now a player of Panellinios! The 23-year old American point guard had a good season so far for Cibona in Euroleague and Adriatic league, averaging 11,1 points and 2,5 assists and will help the "Olympians" for the remaining of the season. Kelly graduated from South Carolina State last summer and once he got released from the Croatian champions, Panellinios signed him immediately.
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15/2/2008
GOLDWIRE RETURNS TO GREECE
 NBA veteran Anthony Goldwire returns for the 4th time in Greece. The 36-year old point guard agreed terms with Egaleo and will replace Ibrahim Jaaber who left for Euroleague's Lottomatica Roma last week. Goldwire has also played for Olympiacos, Aris and Panellinios in Greece and he is already in Athens, meaning that he will be available for his debut this weekend against Larissa.
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5/2/2008
LIAKOPOULOS KEEPS IMPRESSING
Nikos Liakopoulos continues to have an amazing season for the Greek A2, last weekend he scored a season-high 30 points (12/15 FTs, 9/16 2pts) against ICBS but his team didn't manage to win away from home. Nevertheless, Pagkrati is currently in the middle of the table in his first season in the league as a newcomer and much of it owes it to Liakopoulos. After 16 matches, the25-year old point guard is 2nd scorer of the league, 3rd in assists, 1st in fouls won and 6th in steals, proving his quality that will allow him to return to A1 next season.
Elsewhere, Pantelis Kakavas played a miracle match for Sporting, beating league high-flyers Peristeri by 74-72 and giving his club hope of staying up. The 20-year old point guard had 11 points, 6 assists and 2 steals.
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9/1/2008
A GREAT SEASON SO FAR
It has been an excellent season for the majority of FCM players so far, proving their skills both in national and european level. Let's take a look at their performances:
GUARDS: Giannis Kalabokis (left) is one of the hottest players in ULEB Cup, averaging 15,8 points per game for Panionios. The 29-year old shooting guard has made some excellent matches (26 and 20 points against ASVEL, 22 points at Ludwigsburg, 20 point at Slask) leading a young side to qualification, with two matches left to play. Last weekend he scored 22 points against Panathinaikos, bringing the European Champions in a very difficult situation. It was the fourth time in the last 3 seasons that Kalabokis scored over 20 points against Panathinaikos, no surprise he was the top Greek scorer last season (and 7th overall).
Dimitris Verginis is among the best newcomers in the Greek league. The young captain of PAOK is having a great season, averaging 12 points, 1.5 assists in 25 minutes, putting his name as a candidate for the national team. He was also voted as Player of the Month for December in the Greek A1. His appearances follow an excellent tournament for the Greek U-20 team in European Championship last summer, where Verginis averaged 15,7 poinys, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Vassilis Xanthopoulos finally finds playing time for Panionios and although he is the back-up of the American point guard, the 23-year old player averages 4,4 asists in ULEB Cup in just 23 minutes per game. He is also doing great in the Greek league, currently being 4th in the assists table. An excellent PG, who plays for the team and is also a top defender.
 Kostas Vassiliadis (left) is also finding his place in Olympiacos and despite a minor injury he had, he is averaging 8,1 points in Euroleague, shooting with 50% from the 3 point line. He recently scored 21 points against Olimpia Ljubliana in Euroleague in just 19 minutes with 4/5 3pts.
Brad Newley also impresses in his rookie year in Greek A1. The Australian guard averages 13.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists for Panionios and he recently broke the all-time record in Greece, by scoring an unbelievable 8/8 3pts.
Panionios is also seeing a good season from Ivan Zoroski, who is averaging 9,3 points and 2,3 assists in 21 minutes play per game. Zoroski is getting more play time lately and is doing a great job under new coach Nenad Markovic.
In Hungary, Kristian Wittmann is doing a great year for Pecs. The 23-year old point guard is averaging 11.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists, getting almost 29 minutes per match and proving he ready to play at higher level.
Ivan Lilov continues to amaze everyone in Bulgaria, leading Balkan to a great season. The 19-year old shooting guard is the 3rd scorer of the league, averaging 19,3 points per game (plus 3.2 assists, 2.5 steals, in 14 games) and is the main reason behind Balkan's third place in the league. Lilov was also voted among the best 12 players in the bulgarian A1, despite his young age. Last summer, Lilov lead the Bulgarian U-20 NT in the European Championships in Slovenia, where he averaged 16,1 points and 4,9 rebounds per game against the elite of the european youth basketball.
Krists Piternieks returned to action recently after an injury that kept him out until now and is performing well for Bumerangs in Latvia. The 2.02 point guard is close to full fitness and will soon be able to compete at the highest level.
In Greek A2, Nikos Liakopoulos is by far the best point guard in the league. Liakopoulos averages 14,2 pts, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 30 minutes, shooting with 62%. He leads Pagkrati in their effort to return to A1, having excellent games as against Panorama (31 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Iraklis (27 points, 5 rebs, 4 ass, 2 stl). Giorgos Sourlis is also having a great season for Dafni, averaging 9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 14 games so far.
 FORWARDS: Panagiotis Vassilopoulos (left) has had a few injury problems so far, but he is still essential for Olympiacos. The Greek international averages 11.4 points in just 19 minutes, shooting with 47% from the 3-point line and he is always among the best defenders in Europe.
Giorgos Tsiakos is enjoying another solid season with PAOK, adding quality to the paint. The 25-year old power forward averages 8.5 points and 7 rebounds per game in 22 minutes, helping his side both in Greek A1 and in Fiba EuroCup.
Gatis Jahovics returned to Latvia, after spending 3 years in Poland for Anwil and is a key player for ASK Riga, who are doing great in Baltic league and in ULEB Cup.The 24-year old forward is always a defensive weapon for coach Butautas and also contributes 5,7 points and 4 rebounds in 19 minutes of average play.
 CENTER: Andrija Zizic (left) joined Panathinaikos last summer and he is already a valuable asset for the European champions. The Croatian averages 10,1 points and 2.2 rebounds, shooting with the impressive 77%. He recently had two exeptional games for the Euroleague on the road (26 points at Roanne, 14 points at Fenerbahce), helping his side qualify for the Top16 with 4 matches left to play.
Giannis Bouroussis is a solid power for Olympiacos. The Greek international averages 8.8 points and 8.7 rebounds in just 21.7 minutes in the Greek A1, sharing the time at a very crowded front line.
Mamadou N'Diaye continues to be among the top centres in the Greek league, helping Panellinios challenge for a top four spot. The Nigerian center averages 10 points, 6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23 minutes per game, providing a towering figure for Elias Zouro's team.
Kaspars Berzins is a key player for Latvian clubBarons, helping them survive in the tough Baltic league. The 2.12 center averages 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds and he recently had an impressive double-double against Euroleague's Zalgiris (14 points and 13 rebounds).
 In A2, Chris Petrodimopoulos (left) is among the top centers of the league, averaging 10.5 points and 8.1 rebounds for Dafni, recently having exceptional games (20pts-9reb against Iraklis, 15pts-10 reb against Panorama). Fragkiskos Amato is also very good for Peristeri, averaging 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds with great performances (20pts-3 reb against Trikala, 16pts-5 reb against Panorama). Hrvoje Heniak is helping Panorama stay on top on their first season in A2, the Croatian center averages 10 points and 3.2 rebounds.
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21/11/2007
GREAT PERFORMANCES
Giannis Kalabokis and Giorgos Tsiakos (photo left) impressed with their performances in this week's European matches. Kalabokis scored 26 points, but Panionios didn't avoid a home loss against Villeurbane for the Uleb Cup. On the other hand, Tsiakos scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for PAOK, leading his team to victory against Mobitelco for FIBA EuroCup. It was the second double-double in a row for the 25-year old power forward, who has done an excellent start this season as well.
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13/11/2007
NEWLEY IS THE MVP
 Brad Newley was the MVP of the 4th matchday in Greek A1, as the Australian guard scored an amazing 8/8 3pts and 32 points in total to lead Panionios in an easy win against AEK. Newley now holds the record for the Greek league, but he wasn't the only Panionios player to shine. Vassilis Xanthopoulos helped him out, as he distributed 9 assists to his teammates in just 26 minutes, controlling the game in an excellent way.
Elsewhere, Olympiakos had Panos Vasilopoulos and Kostas Vasiliadis in great shape, scoring 16 and 10 points respectively in the victory against Marousi. Giorgos Tsiakos was also crucial for PAOK, since he scored 14 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and offered 3 assists, helping his team get a late win against Olympia (79-77) in Thessaloniki.
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23/10/2007
KALABOKIS, BOUROUSSIS SHINE
The Greek A1 started off this weekend and the FCM players already showed their quality. Giannis Kalabokis lead Panionios to an away win in Rhodes, scoring 22 points, but also having 6 rebounds and 4 assists. In Piraeus, Giannis Bouroussis (left) was a towering figure for Olympiakos. The Greek international scored 12 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and made 6 blocks against PAOK, proving to be an unsolvable problem for his opponents. Despite the fact that Giorgos Tsiakos had another good game for the Salonica club, finishing with 12 points and 4 rebounds in just 20 minutes.
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13/8/2007
PAPPAS, GIANNOPOULOS, ARAPIS WIN SILVER MEDAL
 Many congratulations to the three FCM players that won the silver medal in the U-18 European Championship in Madrid, Spain. Nikos Pappas (photo left), Haris Giannopoulos and Dimitris Arapis reached to top of Europe, but lost the gold medal in a thrilling final against Serbia. Pappas (although a year younger than the rest) and Giannopoulos were key players for the Greek squad throughout the tournament, the former averaging 13,4 points, 3,5 rebounds, 1,1 assists and and the latter contributing 11,5 points, 6,4 rebounds and a great 39% in 3pts.
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30/7/2007
ZIZIC JOINS THE EUROLEAGUE CHAMPIONS
After an exceptional season with Olympiakos, Andrija Zizic signed a 3-year contract with Euroleague champion Panathinaikos. The Croatian center will reinforce the front court of the Greek club, that allowed Robertas Javtokas to move to Dynamo Moscow to make space for the 25-year old player. Zizic enjoyed a fine season with Panathinaikos rivals, scoring 12,2 points and grabbing 5,2 rebounds in 22 Euroleague matches, shooting with 58%, before Olympiakos set him free and gave Panathinaikos tha chance to sign him.
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13/7/2007
KALABOKIS SIGNS FOR PANIONIOS
 Giannis Kalabokis, one of the hottest names in the transfer market this summer, signed for Panionios. The Athens club beat at the end offers from Germany, Italy, Spain and other Greek teams to sign the 29-year old guard, who was among the top scorers of the League last season. Kalabokis, who got married last week, was convinced by the administration of Panionios for their desire to do something important this season and agreed terms. "I am very happy that i will play to such a historic club like Panionios. Last year the Club missed the Euroleague in the last play off match, this season we are looking to have good results both in Greece and the Uleb Cup" said Kalabokis, who is about to leave for his honeymoon before starting preparation with his new club.
Blagota Sekulic, also agreed with Spanish champions Real Madrid and will remain in the spanish capital for another season. The 25-year old center joined the Uleb Cup winners in the middle of the season and helped them win both titles and of course conquer a Euroleague place for the upcoming season. Sekulic started the season with PAOK, before moving to Real.
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12/7/2007
OLYMPIAKOS INKS VASILIADIS
The jersey of Olympiakos will wear for the next three years Kostas Vasiliadis. The 23-year old guard signed with the Euroleague club and after Olympiakos agreed terms with Unicaja Malaga there was no other obstacle to prevent the highly rated player to join Pini Gerson's team. Vasiliadis spent one year in Malaga, where he won the championship in 2006 and participated in this season's Final Four in Athens, finishing at the 3rd place.
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28/6/2007
KARABOULAS JOINS PANELLINIOS
Vaggelis Karaboulas signed a 2-year contract with Panellinios. The 26-year old guard will add score to the backcourt of the "Olympians" and after a great season in A2 with MENT (14,3 points per game, 2nd league scorer), he returns to the top level. Elsewhere, A2 newcomers Pagrati signed 3 players in their quest to reinforce their club. Nikos Liakopoulos, Kostas Tziallas and Giorgos Koukas will try to help the Athens club to return to the A1 league after many years.
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25/6/2007
APOSTOLIDIS SIGNS WITH OLYMPIAKOS
FCM is pleased to announce that Giorgos Apostolidis signed a 3-year contract with Olympiakos. The 23-year old point guard agreed terms with the Euroleague club and will join forces again with Panos Vasilopoulos with whom they played together for the youth NT's. Apostolidis played this season for the surprise club of the Greek league, Olympia Larisa and his performances earned him the chance to play for one of the top clubs in Europe.
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10/6/2007
GREAT HONOUR FOR PAPPAS
Nikos Pappas, the Greek U-16 international is the youngest player that is invited to the famous Reebok EuroCamp that is held this weekend in Italy. The 3rd scorer of the last Juniors European Championship was invited by the organizing commitee to participate in the Europe's most prolific summer camp, as a result of his excellent performances, both with Greece's National Team and his school (Pappas lead them to win the World School Tournament, scoring 40 points in the final). The 17-year old combo guard will join Panellinios senior team for preparation in August.
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10/6/2007
N'DIAYE RENEWS WITH PANELLINIOS
FCM is pleased to announce that Mamadou N'Diaye will continue to play for Panellinios for the next season. The Senegal born center joined the Greek club in the middle of the previous season and despite an injury he proved to be a key feature for them, helping Panellinios to finish 5th in the regular season. N'Diaye will return to Athens in August, when the preparation of Panellinios for the new season in scheduled to begin.
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16/5/2007
KALABOKIS KEEPS SCORING FOR PAOK
Giannis Kalabokis proved once more that he is one of the best scorers in Greece, scoring 26 points and leading PAOK to a crucial victory over Olympiakos by 84-80, a win that balanced the play-off series to 1-1. The 28-year old guard was unstopable, with excellent statistics (12/12 FT, 4/5 2pts, 2/5 3pts, 5 rebounds) in 36 minutes and lead the series to a third and final match in Piraeus. PAOK had also young forward Sotiris Manolopoulos in a great day, with 11 points without missing a single shot in just 13 minutes. For Olympiakos, Greek international Giannis Bouroussis scored 12 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and made 3 steals but Pini Gerson's team will have to play a third game to proceed to the semi-finals.
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18/4/2007
ROMERO JOINS MURCIA
Hector Romero signed for Spanish club Polaris Murcia for the rest of the season. The Venezueala born power forward had a great spell in Larissa for the Greek A1, playing for 12 games there and offering them a great help in staying in top flight. The 27-year old player averaged 13,8 points and 7,2 rebounds in his short time in the Greek league and will know try to help Murcia in Lega ACB. Romero's teammate until recently, Giorgos Tsiakos joined First Class Management and will be represented from our agency from now on.
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12/4/2007
SEKULIC WINS ULEB CUP!
Another FCM player is celebrating a European Cup this season. Blagota Sekulic won the Uleb Cup with Real Madrid, after the Spanish giants beat Lietuvos Rytas in Charleroi 87-75. The Madrid club not only won the European cup, but also gained the right to play in the next edition of the Euroleague, returning to the european basketball elite. Sekulic played 24 minutes in the final, contributing 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and his usual defensive skills to help Real win the trophy.
It is the first European trophy in club level for the 25-year old center, who started the season with PAOK Salonica, before moving to Madrid. Sekulic ended his Uleb Cup adventure this year with fine statistics (11,2 points, 6,5 rebounds), playing in the competition with both clubs. Congratulations Blagota!
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30/3/3007
ZIZIC RENEWS WITH OLYMPIAKOS
 Andrija Zizic will remain an Olympiakos player until 2010. The Croatian international signed a new 3-year deal with the Greek club, which will keep him in Pireaus for a total of 5 years, since this is his second season in red and white. The 25-year old center enjoys a fine season both in Greece and the Euroleague and Olympiakos moved fast to avoid other clubs bidding for Zizic, who was out of contract this summer. "I am really happy to sign for another 3 years with Olympiakos. This has been my home for the last two seasons, i am very satisfied with the conditions and i am looking forward to win many trophies with my teammates" commented Zizic, who is facing a big challenge next week, when Olympiakos faces Tau for the Euroleague play-offs.
 Elsewhere, it was Giorgos Diamantopoulos who was the decisive factor for Samara in FIBA Eurocup Challenge final. The Greek guard scored 22 points in just 20 minutes with excellent statistics (4/7 2pts, 4/5 3pts, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and led his club to win the trophy against Keravnos by 101-81. Diamantopoulos, who arrived mid-season in Russia, helped Samara to win its first European title after losing only by one point in the first lef in Cyprus and thrashing them at home.
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27/3/2007
KALABOKIS IS MVP AGAIN
Once more Giannis Kalabokis was the star of the Greek A1. PAOK's shooting guard was again the MVP of the 20th matchday in Greece, after leading his club into victory against Marousi by 61-60. Kalabokis not only scored 18 points (plus 4 rebounds and 2 asists), but also was present when the ball has "hot" and scored the winning 3point shot that gave PAOK the win. The 28-year old player is the league's 9th scorer overall this season, leading them to the top four.
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9/3/2007
BERZINS SHINES IN LATVIA
Kaspars Berzins had a great night at the Baltic Basketball League, in an overtime thriller. Barons lost 80-76 to ASK Riga, despite the Latvian's center amazing performance. The 2.12 forward-center scored 15 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and also had 5 blocked shots, continuing a great season so far. In Hungary, Zoltan Bence dominated the paint, but Albacomp lost the derby from ZTE by 82-76. The 25-year old center had 16 points and 9 rebounds, nevertheless his club is still in the top four of the League.
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7/3/2007
BAD NEWS FOR N'DIAYE
The same day that Mamadou N'Diaye was elected Player of the Month for the Greek A1, he got a serious knee injury and he will be out for about one month! The Senegal center was the key figure for Panellinios' unbeaten run in February, but luck seems to have run out on him and now the Athens club will have to live without him for the upcoming games. In the MVP of the month elextion the second place belongs also to another FCM player. Giannis Bourousis is there, after improving his performances for Olympiakos and leading them to win the away derby against Panathinaikos.
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22/2/2007
BOUROUSIS LEADS OLYMPIAKOS
 Giannis Bouroussis' amazing performance in the classic derby between Panathinaikos-Olympiakos which allowed Pini Gerson's team to win away from home with 89-84 gave him the well-worth MVP of the matchday for the Greek A1. The 24-year old center was a towering figure in the paint with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks and of course made the difference between the two teams. Andrija Zizic was also great with 18 points and 5 rebounds, whereas Panos Vasilopoulos scored 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and great defence against Diamantidis.
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8/2/2007
N'DIAYE SIGNIS FOR PANELLINIOS
FCM announces the signing of Mamadou N'Diaye for Panellinios. The 32-year old center will help the Athens club until the end of the season. The 2.12 center was playing with Los Angeles Lakers until last November and is know to the Greek fans from his previous career in PAOK. N'Diaye will probably make his debut for Panellinios this weekend against Egaleo.
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2/2/2007
Thursday was a great night for all FCM players playing in the Euroleague, as their clubs managed to go to the Top16 and stayed on course for the Final Four of Athens the following May. Lottomatica Roma grabbed the last minute spot by thrashing Cibona 81-58 in the Eternal City. Loukas Mavrokefalidis came from the bench to contribute 11 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes and celebrated with his teammates the qualification to the next round.
From the same group Unicaja Malaga beat Partizan in Belgrade 94-90 in overtime and we will have the chance to see Kostas Vasiliadis (sidelined by a minor injury yesterday) playing in Top16 as well. In Piraeus, Olympiacos didn't win as easy as he expected Cologne (77-73), but Giannis Bouroussis with 12 points and 11 rebounds added another great performance for him this year. Together with Panos Vasilopoulos (photo left) they will try to help the Greek club to reach the final four for the first time in 8 years.
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30/1/2007
Greek basketball is celebrating this weekend, as the annual All-Star Game is being held in Lamia.And FirstClass Management is celebrating as well, since 15 (!) of its players will be present there, featuring in both senior and the youth all-star teams. 1/3 of the Greek selection is composed by FCM players as Fragkiskos Alvertis (PANATHINAIKOS), Panos Vasilopoulos (OLYMPIAKOS), Giannis Bouroussis (OLYMPIAKOS) and Giannis Kalabokis (PAOK) will be there, after the fans voted them among the 12 favorite players playing the Greek league.
In the Youth all-star game, FCM is heavily represented as 11 players in both teams will feature on Saturday afternoon. Dimitris Lolas (Marousi), Marios Sakelarakis (AEK), Antonis Mihaloglou (AEK), Alexandros Sigkounas (Panionios) and Vaggelis Sakellariou (Panellinios) will be there for the South team and Dimitris Verginis (PAOK), Harris Giannopoulos (PAOK), Marios Matalon (ARIS), Giannis Vasileiou (PAOK), Stelios Goulas (Larisa) and Sotiris Manolopoulos (PAOK) will play for the North. Manolopoulos is also a candidate for the 3point contest.
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22/1/2007
SEKULIC TO REAL MADRID
FCM announces the signing of Blagota Sekulic to Real Madrid. The 27-year old center will play for the Spanish giants until the end of the season after Real agreed with PAOK Salonica for the transfer of the player. Sekulic enjoyed a great season with PAOK so far, both in Greece and ULEB Cup, where he helped his former club to reach the knock-out stage.
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30/12/2006
KALABOKIS IS PLAYER OF THE MONTH FOR GREECE
The best way to end 2006 for Giannis Kalabokis was his announcement as Players of the Month for the Greek League. The captain of PAOK had an impressive December and lead the Salonica club to consecutive wins both in Greece and Europe. "I am really happy for this award, not only for myself but also for my club. We had a very good month and it would mean nothing to be Player of the Month, if my team didn't win games. We are getting better and we are looking forward for the second half of the season".
Kalabokis will get his award in the next home match against AEK next Saturday (6/1), but he has already his mind focused in PAOK's obligations: "We are in a good position both in the Greek League and we advanced in ULEB Cup. But it is still January, so we have a lot of important matches ahead and we have to remain with our heads down and work a lot". The 28-year old guard gave his best wishes for 2007: "I would like to wish everybody a very happy new year, i hope 2007 will treat everyone well and of course health is the most important thing"
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18/12/2006
For the second game in a row Loukas Mavrokefalidis was the key figure for Lottomatica Roma. The 22-year old center scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Euroleague club to an easy win against Cantu with 71-53. It was the first win after 3 defeats for Roma, who are fighting for a play-off position in the Italian League.
In Greece, Giannis Kalabokis continued his excellent season. The captain on PAOK scored 15 points with excellent percenteges (5/6 FT, 5/5 2pts, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals) and his club won in the road against Olympiada by 4 points (67-63), remaining in the first 5 teams of the league. Elsewhere, Anthony Goldwire had another great game for Panellinios (19 points, 3 assists, 3 steals), but it wasn't enough for them to defeat Olympia Larissa away from home.
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4/12/2006
KALABOKIS IS THE MVP
 Giannis Kalabokis was the unquestionable MVP of the Greek A1, since he provided a stunning performance at Larissa. The captain of PAOK scored 28 points without missing a single shot (5/5 FT, 4/4 2pts, 5/5 3pts) and led his team to an overtime victory 98-95 against Olympia. The 27-year old guard was exceptional and continued his great performances this year, currently being the 6th best scorer in the League.
But Kalabokis wasn't the only FCM player to shine this weekend. Giannis Bouroussis stepped up for Olympiakos and helped the Euroleague club to avoid unpleasant surprises in Patras. The European Champion scored 20 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and gave 2 assists in just 21 minutes, allowing Pini Gherson's team to escape with a crucial vistory (75-68). Anthony Goldwire was also great for another matchday, but the 19 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists of the American point guard were not enough for Panellinios to avoid defeat at Maroussi.
A few days ago, Loukas Mavrokefalidis had his best game in Italy so far. The 22-year old center scored 19 points for Lottomatica Roma, but his club lost from Unicaja Malaja in the Eternal City for the 6th matchday of Euroleague, meaning that they have a tough work ahead in order to qualify to the Top 16.
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20/11/2006
GOLDWIRE LEADS PANELLINIOS
 He is only 2 weeks in Greece, but his qualities are already visible. Anthony Goldwire received the MVP award for the 7th matchday in Greek A1, leading Panellinios to an important away win against Apollon in Patras. The 35-year old point guard scored 23 points (5/8 FT, 3/5 2pts, 4/5 3pts), adding 4 rebounds, 5 asists and 2 steals in 30 minutes. Another candidate for the MVP award was Panos Vasilopoulos, who had a great performance for Olympiacos in Larisa. The 22-year old forward not only scored 17 points in 30 minutes, but also added 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, helping the Euroleague club to win 84-76 against Olympia. In Italy, Loukas Mavrokefalidis had a good game for Lottomatica Roma, scoring 11 points in just 17 minutes last Sunday, allowing the Euroleague club to beat Capo d'Orlando 90-78 at home.
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9/11/2006
GOLDWIRE RETURNS TO GREECE
 Anthony Goldwire returns to Greece once more! The American point guard signed until the end of the season with Panellinios and this will be his 3rd Club after Olympiacos and Aris. The 35-year old player has had an impressive career in the NBA (Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Minesotta Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers) and also in Europe (Barcelona, Valencia). If everything goes well, he will be available on Saturday for Panellinios home game against Panionios.
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7/11/2006
MELNIKS SIGNS FOR MAROUSSI
 Aleksandrs Melniks signed a 4-year contract with Maroussi! The 2.16 center joined Lefteris Kakiousis' team, since he knows him from last year in AEK and Greece's assistant coach believes that the Latvian player has a lot of potential. "I am very happy to join Maroussi. They are a very organised club and the player has to think only about basketball. I will do my best to help my new team and prove to them that they were not wrong to trust me. I am looking forward to working and improving my game" were the first words of the 19-year old center.
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25/9/2006
MULAOMEROVIC GOES TO OLYMPIACOS
 Damir Mulaomerovic signed for one year with Olympiakos! The 32-year old point guard is the final transfer of the Euroleague club and last season's top socrer in Greece. The Croatian guard will start training immediately with Pini Gerson's side and maybe he will be available for Wednesday's derby against his old club Panathinaikos for the Greek Cup. "I am happy to return at a club that plays in the highest level. I know my qualities and i am sure i can help them out with my experience. I think i had a good year last season and i am looking forward for this one" were Mulaomerovic first words as on Olympiacos player.
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16/9/2006
 The longest transfer story for this summer came to an end, as Loukas Mavrokefalidis signed a 3-year contract with Lottomatica Roma. The 22-year old center was the main target for the Euroleague club and following the competition draw last week in Athens, the administration of Roma flew to Thessaloniki and sealed the deal. Mavrokefalidis is already in the Italian capital and will start immediately training under Jasmin Repeca.
Obviously Loukas was very happy and in his first words as a Roma player he said: "It is a great honor for me to play for Roma. I realized the magnitude of this club and i was impressed that the General Manager came up to my front door. It showed how much they wanted me to join their club and i am happy that i will play for them. Euroleague is a big challenge and i am looking forward to it".
The Greek international spoke of his presence in PAOK: "I have had a difficult time deciding what to do, PAOK has been my home for the last 5 years. But the situation was not ideal and the offer from Roma was too good to refuse. Their interest was genuine and this is the main reason i signed".
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5/9/2006
 Greece won the silver medal in the World Championship in Japan, after having an excellent tournament. The European Champions had an impressive 8 straight win record, beating USA in the semi-final, only to lose by Spain in the final game. FirstClass Management would like to congratulate all the players and the coaching staff of our National Team and especially our player, Panos Vassilopoulos who won his third medal in two summers (Gold in Men's Eurobasket 2005 and Silver in U-21 World Championship).
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20/8/2006
 It was another great summer for the young players of FirstClass Management, who represented their countries in FIBA's European Championships. In Izmir, the Greek U-20 team featured Dimitris Verginis (left) and Dimitris Lolas. Verginis (although born in 1987) had a great tournament, finishing with 13 points per game, (plus 2,3 rebounds, 1,5 assists and 2,1 steals). Another FCM player was present at the tournament, but couldn't play due to an injury. Krists Piternieks was one of Latvia's big hopes for this Championship, but he couldn't help his country.
 FCM represented seven (!) players of the Greek U-18 side, which finished in the 6th place: Alexandros Sigkounas (left), Mihalis Gianakidis, (right) Pantelis Kakavas, Stelios Goulas, Marios Sakellarakis, Haris Giannopoulos and Antonis Mihaloglou. Especially Sigkounas showed his potential, scoring 11,5 points per game (plus 7,5 rebounds and 2,8 assists) and also Giannakidis had a great tournament (12,1 points, 2,8 rebounds, 2,9 assists).
 In the U-16 European Championship Nikos Pappas (left), Dimitris Arapis and Giorgos Georgakis were the FCM players that featured in the Greek team. Pappas was one of stars of the tournament, being the 3rd scorer overall with 18,4 points per game (plus 6 rebounds, 1,3 assists and 3,1 steals) and is currently rated among the best players in Europe in his age.
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13/8/2006
Krists Piternieks arrived in Greece and began preparation with Panellinios for the upcoming season. The Latvian U-20 international was very excited for this step of his career and can't wait to start working with his new club. "I am very happy to be in Athens and especially Panellinios. I was here for a few months back and everything convinced me that it is a big club, with high expectations. I am ready to give 100% of my strength to improve and help my team". Piternieks left Athens today with the rest of his teammates to go to Karpenisi, where Panellinios will realize the basic part of its preparation.
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7/8/2006
FCM announces that Stelios Goulas, the U-18 Greek international, signed a contract with AE Larissa.
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29/6/2006
Loukas Mavrokefalidis was picked by Minnesota Timberwolves in number 57 of the NBA Draft that was held last night in New York. The 22-year old Greek center was present at the Draft selection procedure and was obviously thrilled: "I am very happy that Minnesota picked me, they have been coming all year to monitor my progress and it is a special honour for me that mr. Kevin McHale personally came to Greece to see me play and talk to me. The people have always had an interest in me and i am really happy i was selected by them".
 Mavrokefalidis will travel today from New York to Minnesota, in order to get to know the city, the Timberwolves arena and the people of the organization. He will stay there for about 3-4 days and he is due to return to Greece next week, since he starts preparation with the Greek National Team, for the World Championship."I am now focusing in the National Team, it is a great honour for me to be called up for the first time in the senior squad and i want to give my 100%. I have to keep working hard and not lose my concentration" said Mavrokefalidis.
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27/6/2006
FirstClass Management announces the signing of Giannis Bouroussis to Olympiacos! The European Champion put ink to his new contract with the Euroleague club and will be an Olympiacos player for the next 4 years (3+1). Bouroussis had another reason to be happy today, since his name features in the list of players that will prepare for Greece's World Cup squad.
Except Bouroussis, Panos Vassilopoulos was also invited from Panayiotis Giannakis, while Loukas Mavrokefalidis got his first senior call after an impressive season with PAOK. Mavrokefalidis flew to USA today and will be present tomorrow at the NBA draft.
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18/5/2006
FirstClass Management is delighted to announce the collaboration with 2 new players. Dimitris Lolas from Maroussi (1986-201) and Giannis Psathas (1983-203) from ICBS (A2) are the newest members of our clientele.
 
Lolas Psathas
Also, FCM announces the termination of the collaboration with G.Printezis.
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17/5/2006
FirstClass Management announces the signing of Giannis Bourousis to Barcelona, for the remaining of the season. The 23-year old European Champion is a free agent this summer and agreed terms with the Spanish giants to help them in the play-offs. Bourousis is going to meet his captain in the national team, Mihalis Kakiouzis and is expected to fly to Barcelona immediately to complete the medical exams and sign his contract.
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5/5/2006
 The final day of the regular season in Greece was just the top of the pile for Loukas Mavrokefalidis. The 22-year old center was declared the MVP of the day and without any doubts. 36 points, 13 rebounds against Larissa, a club who in this match fought for survival. These numbers came to verify what everyone can see. Mavrokefalidis is one of the hottest players in Europe for his age and his impressive season ended with him being the first Greek scorer in the league (3rd overall) and the first Greek rebounder (2nd overall), ahead of all the big names.
Loukas was not the only FCM client who shone. Giannis Kalabokis was the key figure in AEK's win over high flying Panellinios. The 28-year old guard scored 15 points (4 rebs, 1 assist, 1 steal) coming from the bench in just 20 minutes and thrashed the visitor's dreams for a win that would allow them to finish in the top 4.
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20/4/2006
From everyone in FirstClass Management, best wishes for a Happy Easter!
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20/4/2006
 Loukas Mavrokefalidis continues to amaze everybody in the League with his improvement. The 22 year old center had another great night against Iraklis, scoring 29 points, grabing 9 rebounds and leading his club to a crucial victory with 91-88. Mavrokefalidis is now the 1st Greek scorer in A1 (3rd overall), 3rd rebounder, has scored the most 2pts field goals with the 3rd best percentage (59%). His teammate Kostas Vassiliadis was also great, scoring 19 points (3 assist, 3 steals).
Elsewhere, Damir Mulaomerovic was on fire again, but his 24 points were not enough for Panellinios to overcome the obstacle of struggling Larissa. Still, Mula is by far the League's leading scorer and his club is almost certain for a top 4 finish!
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10/4/2006
From everybody in FirstClass Management, many congratulations and the best wishes to Damir Mulaomerovic and his family for the birth of his second daughter!
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10/4/2006
Loukas Mavrokefalidis (right) is the most in-form center on the League right now and it shows in every match. The 22-year old player socred 20 points and downed 9 rebounds in PAOK latest win against Apollon (88-79). Mavrokefalidis is currently 5th scorer and 4th rebounder of the League, proving his consistency throughout the season. Costas Vassiliadis was also essential in that game, not only by scoring 19 points, but with his total contribution (6 rebs, 3 assists, 4 steals).
Elsewhere, Giannis Bourousis was the towering figure in AEK's win against Marousi (80-77). The European Champion playing against his coach in the Greek NT Panayiotis Giannakis was excellent with 19 points and 13 rebounds, in just 27 minutes.
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27/3/2006
Loukas Mavrokefalidis continued his excellent season, with another convincing performance against Olympia. The 22-year old center scored 20 points and downed 8 rebounds in 31 minutes to lead PAOK to another victory. Mavrokefalidis is now 5th scorer and 5th rebounder in the League, showing his massive improvement. Vassilis Xanthopoulos also proved himself as the catalyte of the game, scoring 6 crucial points and giving 5 assist in just 8 minutes.
Andrija Zizic was also excellent, helping Olympiacos overcome the obstacle of AEK away from home. The Croatian international had another double double (14 points, 10 rebounds) and now he is getting ready for the Euroleague play-offs.
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8/3/2006
 Another weekday, another MVP award for an FCM player. Giannis Gagaloudis took the honor this time (the 5th this season for our players) and it couldn't be anyone else, after his 3-point shot that allowed PAOK to escape with a vital win against Panionios (78-76). The 28-year old point guard didn't score much this time (8 points), but he contributed 5 rebounds and 4 assists apart from the winning shot.
Giannis Bouroussis was also the towering figure in AEK's win against Kolossos with 78-63. The European Champion scored 16 points (plus 8 rebounds) and led his club to an easy victory.
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21/2/2006
The following weekend the Greek basketball celebrates its own All-Star Game in Larissa and FCM will be more than well represented! Eight of our players will feature in the Men's game and competitions. Half of the Greek All-Stars team is compiled by FCM clients (Frangkiskos Alvertis, Panos Vassilopoulos, Giannis Bourousis, Kostas Vassiliadis, Loukas Mavrokefalidis and Giannis Gagaloudis). For the foreigners All-Star selection, Damir Mulaomerovic and Andrija Zizic will also be there, with "Mula" also trying his chances in the 3point shoot-out.
Also, in the Youth All-Star Game FCM will be represented in large numbers. Six of our players will feature in both teams (Vassilis Xanthopoulos, Alexandros Sigkounas, Vaggelis Sakelariou, Sotiris Manolopoulos, Dimitris Verginis, Kostas Bellos), whereas Manolopoulos and Verginis will also participate in the Youth 3point contest.
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16/2/2006
Another MVP (the 4th this season) for an FCM player in the Greek A1! This matchday it was the star of Kostas Vassiliadis which shone, since the 22-year old guard scored 27 points to lead PAOK in a dramatic win (98-96 in overtime) against league leaders Panathinaikos. But Vassiliadis wasn't alone. Loukas Mavrokefalidis continued his excellent appearances with another double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds), whereas Giannis Gagaloudis (18 points, 8 asists) was the one that kept his cool in overtime and locked the victory against his former club.
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13/2/2006
PAOK is one of the hottest teams in Greek A1 right now, running a 4 win streak, beating the high-flying Panellinios 74-71. Giannis Gagaloudis and Loukas Mavrokefalidis were again the main figures for PAOK. Gagaloudis had a great game against his former teammate and League's best scorer and passer Damir Mulaomerovic, finishing the game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, one of which didn't allow Panellinios to use his last possesion of the match. Mavrokefalidis was crucial in offense in the final minutes and his 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists made the difference at the end.
Giannis Kalabokis had another great game against Panathinaikos, but his club AEK finally lost the battle between the two Euroleague teams. The 28-year old guard had 16 points, 2 rebs, 3 assist and 2 steals against Europe's strongest backcourt.
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Panos Vasilopoulos returned from an injury to prove his usefulness for Olympiacos. The 21-year old European Champion played great defence against the League's high scorer Damir Mulaomerovic of Panelliniow and added 8 points, all in 13 minutes.
Elsewhre, Stanislav Makshantsev was the key figure for the biggest upset of the matchday, leading PAOK in an away win against AEK by 19 points (60-79). The 28-year old forward scored 26 points and with the help of Vassiliadis (18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals), Mavrokefalidis (15 points, 6 rebounds) and the excellent organization from Xanthopoulos (4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) allowed his club to escape Athens with a vital victory.
In A2 division, the league leaders Egaleo lost for the first time this year at home from Halkida, despite Fragkiskos Amato's 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. One of the reasons for their defeat was Manos Halkiadakis, who had another solid game (15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and controlled the paint for Halkida at both ends of the court.
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30/1/2006
Loukas Mavrokefalidis showed again why he is considered to be among the top young centers in Europe. The 21-year old player was the tower of PAOK for the crucial away win in Larissa by a two point margin (83-85), scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebouns (10 offensive!). The 2,08 center is highly tipped to be among the new faces of the European Champions Greece for the World Cup in Japan this summer, after winning the silver medal with the U-21 team in Argentina last summer.
Damir Mulaomerovic had another typical game, leading Panellinios in a derby win against AEK with 82-74. "Mula" scored 22 points and this win made them 8 in a row for the Blues, who are now looking a strong contender for a top four finish!
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26/1/2006
PAOK signed Stanislav Makshantsev for the remaining of the season. The 28-year old forward (2,03) from Kazakhstan was a player of Euroleague's Unicaja Malaga in Spain until now, but opted to come to Salonica due to lack of playing time. Makshantsev will probably make his debut for PAOK in Larissa this weekend.
Also, FCM announces the agreement of Croatian center Josko Poljak (28, 2.13) with league strugglers Kolossos Rhodes. Poljak started the season with Euroleague club Olimpia Ljubliana and has won two league titles in two different countries in his career (2003 Olimpia, 2004 Cibona) and he has also played in the National Team of Croatia.
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23/1/2006
For the second time in 3 matchdays, Damir Mulaomerovic is again the MVP of the Greek A1. The in-form Croatian point guard was again the driving force for Panellinios' 7th straight win, the "victim" this time being Olimpia Larissa. "Mula" had 21 points, 5 rebs and 5 assists and helped his club reach the 3rd place in the league.
Giannis Gagaloudis and Loukas Mavrokefalidis were the main reasons that PAOK downed Makedonikos at home and took a deep breath in the relegation battle. Both of them, were also voted in the MVP selection.
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16/1/2006
It took him a few games, but after recovering from a minor injury, Giannis Kalabokis was once more the key figure in AEK's away victory against Makedonikos. The 27-year old guard scored 16 points and made 4 steals in just 23 minutes and was the major factor allowing the Euroleague club to face no major problems against last year's ULEB Cup finalist.
Overall, this weekend the big men made the difference, especially in A2 division. Fragkiskos Amato had a stunning game for Egaleo and led the A2 leaders in an away derby win against Peristeri with 80-71. "Frank" was lethal with 26 points (10/12 2p), plus 10 rebs, 2 assists and 2 steals. Moreover, Kostas Tziallas and Manos Halkiadakis were the basis for Sporting and Halkida wins respectively. Tziallas had a party away from home against Dafni, scoring 20 points (7/8 2p), plus 8 rebs and 3 blocks. Halkidakis, had another mature game, allowing Halkida to overcome easily the resistance of ICBS (86-74), with 19 points, 8 rebs, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
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9/1/2006
Many congratulations to Damir Mulaomerovic for winning the MVP of the week award in Greek A1. The Croatian point guard had another amazing game, scoring 31 points (with 7 three-points) to lead Panellinios to his 5th straight win against Kolossos in Rhodes. Mula is the second player of FCM in a row that wins the MVP award.
The first one was Panos Vasilopoulos, who was the key figure in Olympiacos' victory in the derby against Panathinaikos just before Christmas. The European Champion gave one of the performances that he is known for, contributing in scoring, passing, rebounds and of course defence.
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