Michalis Kakiouzis
Encyclopedia
Michalis Kakiouzis (Greek
: Μιχάλης Κακιούζης; born November 29, 1976 in Athens
, Greece
) is a Greek
professional basketball player.
, Greece. In the 1992-93 season he made his debut with the Ionikos N.F. senior club, in which he played three seasons in the Greek A2 League
. At the age of 18 he became the 2nd scorer and rebounder of the Greek A2 League.
He was in the squad that brought Greece the gold medal in 1995 at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship
for junior men. This was a stepping stone for his journey toward AEK Athens
, as his performance at the 1995 Junior World Championship with Greece got him a contract with AEK, one of the powers of the Greek League
.
Kakiouzis had a fruitful stay at AEK Athens. While with the club he won a Greek Championship
in the 2001-02 season and he also won two Greek Cups
in the years 2000 and 2001. He also won the Saporta Cup
with AEK in the year 2000.
After leaving AEK Athens in the year 2002, Kakiouzis went on to play for Montepaschi Siena
in Italy
. With Siena he won both the Italian Championship
and the Italian Supercup
in the 2003-04 season. He was also named to the All-Italian League Team for the season by the eurobasket.com website.
In 2005, Kakiouzis left Siena and joined FC Barcelona of the Spanish League
. He stayed with Barcelona until his contract expired in 2007. He then joined the Spanish club Cajasol Sevilla.
Kakiouzis signed with the Turkish League
club Efes Pilsen in 2008. On August 27, 2009, he returned to the Greek League and signed with Aris Thessaloniki
. In 2011 he signed with Gruppo Triboldi Basket
to help team not to relegated.
. He was also in the Greek junior squad that brought Greece the gold medal in 1995 at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship
for junior men. He would later go on to be a key member on Greece's senior national team as well.
Kakiouzis was the captain
of the senior men's Greek national basketball team. He was a member of the Greek team that won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005
and also a member of Greece's silver medal winning team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship
. Kakiouzis was on Greece's team that competed at the 2004 Olympics Basketball Tournament
, which was held in Athens
. He has also competed with Greece's senior team at the EuroBasket 1999
, EuroBasket 2001
, EuroBasket 2003
, and EuroBasket 2007
.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Μιχάλης Κακιούζης; born November 29, 1976 in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) is a Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
professional basketball player.
Pro career
Kakiouzis began playing basketball at the age of 8 with the Ionikos New Philadelphia Youth Academy of IonikosIonikos
Ionikos F.C., also known as Ionikos Nikaias , is a professional football club based in Nikaia, Piraeus, Greece, currently competing in Football League, the Greek second division.From 1989 to 2007 Ionikos spent 16 out of 18 seasons in Greek Super League...
, Greece. In the 1992-93 season he made his debut with the Ionikos N.F. senior club, in which he played three seasons in the Greek A2 League
A2 Ethniki
The HEBA A2 or commonly called, the Greek A2 League, is the second division of the highest professional basketball competition among pro clubs in Greece. It is operated by the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association . The league has 16 teams...
. At the age of 18 he became the 2nd scorer and rebounder of the Greek A2 League.
He was in the squad that brought Greece the gold medal in 1995 at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship
FIBA Under-19 World Championship
The FIBA Under-19 World Championship is a men's under-19 only basketball competition organized by FIBA. From its inauguration in 1979 until 2007 it was held every four years...
for junior men. This was a stepping stone for his journey toward AEK Athens
AEK Athens BC
AEK BC , the Athletic Union of Constantinople, is a Greek professional sports basketball club based in Athens, Greece. The club was established in Athens in 1924 by Greek refugees from Constantinople in the wake of the Greco-Turkish War ....
, as his performance at the 1995 Junior World Championship with Greece got him a contract with AEK, one of the powers of the Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
.
Kakiouzis had a fruitful stay at AEK Athens. While with the club he won a Greek Championship
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
in the 2001-02 season and he also won two Greek Cups
Greek basketball Cup
The Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
in the years 2000 and 2001. He also won the Saporta Cup
Saporta Cup
Saporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
with AEK in the year 2000.
After leaving AEK Athens in the year 2002, Kakiouzis went on to play for Montepaschi Siena
Mens Sana Basket
Mens Sana Basket, more frequently referred to as Montepaschi Siena, is an Italian League professional basketball club from Siena. More precisely, it is the now-autonomous basketball section of the comprehensive sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. With Siena he won both the Italian Championship
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
and the Italian Supercup
Supercoppa Italiana di Pallacanestro Maschile
The Italian Basketball Supercup , or Supercoppa Italiana, is the professional preseason basketball competition that takes place each year between the winners of the Italian Championship and the winners of the Italian Cup...
in the 2003-04 season. He was also named to the All-Italian League Team for the season by the eurobasket.com website.
In 2005, Kakiouzis left Siena and joined FC Barcelona of the Spanish League
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
. He stayed with Barcelona until his contract expired in 2007. He then joined the Spanish club Cajasol Sevilla.
Kakiouzis signed with the Turkish League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
club Efes Pilsen in 2008. On August 27, 2009, he returned to the Greek League and signed with Aris Thessaloniki
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
. In 2011 he signed with Gruppo Triboldi Basket
Gruppo Triboldi Basket
Gruppo Triboldi Basket, also known for sponsorship reasons as Vanoli Soresina or Vanoli Cremona, is an Italian League professional basketball team whose legal domicile is in Soresina but plays its home games in Cremona...
to help team not to relegated.
Greek national team
At the age of 15 Kakiouzis became a player of the National Junior Team of Greece. In 1993 with the Greek junior team he won the gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under-18 ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was inaugurated in 1964 and for the following 40 years it had been held biannually. From 2004 onwards, it is held every year.-Summaries:-Performances by nation:...
. He was also in the Greek junior squad that brought Greece the gold medal in 1995 at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship
FIBA Under-19 World Championship
The FIBA Under-19 World Championship is a men's under-19 only basketball competition organized by FIBA. From its inauguration in 1979 until 2007 it was held every four years...
for junior men. He would later go on to be a key member on Greece's senior national team as well.
Kakiouzis was the captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the senior men's Greek national basketball team. He was a member of the Greek team that won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
and also a member of Greece's silver medal winning team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
. Kakiouzis was on Greece's team that competed at the 2004 Olympics Basketball Tournament
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....
, which was held in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. He has also competed with Greece's senior team at the EuroBasket 1999
EuroBasket 1999
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:-5th place bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
, EuroBasket 2001
EuroBasket 2001
The EuroBasket 2001 was the 32nd EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Turkey, began on 31 August 2001 and concluded with the final on 9 September 2001. Yugoslavia won the gold medal,...
, EuroBasket 2003
Eurobasket 2003
-5th to 8th place:-Awards:-All-Tournament Team : Tony Parker Šarūnas Jasikevičius Saulius Štombergas Andrei Kirilenko Pau Gasol-Top scorers :# Pau Gasol 25.8# Andrei Kirilenko 23.1# Dirk Nowitzki 22.5# Mehmet Okur 18.7...
, and EuroBasket 2007
Eurobasket 2007
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
.
Awards and achievements
Pro career
- Won the Saporta CupSaporta CupSaporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European professional club basketball competition, where the National Cup winners from all over Europe played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA Europe...
Championship: (2000) - Won 2 Greek CupsGreek basketball CupThe Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
: (2000, 2001) - Greek All Star GameHEBA Greek All Star GameThe Greek HEBA All-Star Game, also known as the Greek ΕΣΑΚΕ All Star Game is the All Star Game of the HEBA Greek basketball association for men, was founded and organized by GUS SARIANIDES which features players from the top Greek pro basketball league the HEBA A1 Division. The game is played in a...
: (2000, 2002) - Won the Greek ChampionshipA1 EthnikiThe Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
: (2002) - EuroleagueEuroleagueEuroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
All Star: (2002) - Won the Italian SupercupSupercoppa Italiana di Pallacanestro MaschileThe Italian Basketball Supercup , or Supercoppa Italiana, is the professional preseason basketball competition that takes place each year between the winners of the Italian Championship and the winners of the Italian Cup...
: (2004) - Won the Italian ChampionshipSerie A (basketball)Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
: (2004) - Won the Copa del Rey, with Barcelona: 2007
Greek National Team
- Won the gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under-18 ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-18 ChampionshipFIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was inaugurated in 1964 and for the following 40 years it had been held biannually. From 2004 onwards, it is held every year.-Summaries:-Performances by nation:...
: (1993) - Won the gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 World ChampionshipFIBA Under-19 World ChampionshipThe FIBA Under-19 World Championship is a men's under-19 only basketball competition organized by FIBA. From its inauguration in 1979 until 2007 it was held every four years...
: (1995) - Won 3 Acropolis TournamentAcropolis TournamentThe Acropolis International Basketball Tournament is an international basketball competition between national teams, which has been held annually since the year 1986 and takes place in Athens, Greece each summer...
s: (2005, 2006, 2007) - Won the gold medal at the 2005 FIBA European ChampionshipEurobasket 2005The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
- Won the silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship2006 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...