Transitioning to the NBA has yielded varying results for many international basketball players. Pau Gasol and Tony Parker have both adapted to the NBA level with relative ease, playing championship caliber basketball throughout their Hall-of-Fame careers. Conversely, Vassilis Spanoulis bolted back to Greece after one dismal season in the NBA.
Spanoulis’s former teammate on the Greek national team, Kostas Papanikalaou, nicknamed “Big Papa,” who signed a two-year deal with the Houston Rockets, hopes to make a successful transition from Europe to the NBA this year.
"“A new page opens [upon] me and the biggest challenge of my [career] awaits,” Papanikalaou stated in a written statement following the signing of his $4.8 million contract with the Rockets, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net."
Big Papa is merely a mysterious international player in the eyes of casual NBA fans; however, various aspects of his time in Greece allude to the fact that the obscure European could have a very successful tenure in the world’s most elite basketball association.
Championship Experience
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As a two-time Euroleague champion, Kostas’ basketball resume exudes “impressive” accolades and consists of a tremendous amount of winning. Kostas won two Euroleague championships in addition to his Greek League and Spanish League championships from 2012-14.
Beyond his team achievements, Big Papa has earned individual recognition via winning MVP of the Greek Youth All-Star Game and the Euroleague Rising Star of 2013. It would be disengenuous to say for certain whether Papanikalaou’s success overseas will translate to the NBA or not.
The level of competition in the NBA is undoubtedly much higher than it is in Europe.
Much to the Rockets fans’ glee, Big Papa has shown the ability to overcome his lack of athleticism by contributing to his team in a variety of ways; his versatile skill set is particularly notable as he enters his rookie campaign.
How He Became a Rocket
Kostas Papanikolaou was selected 48th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2012 NBA Draft, but Big Papa ultimately remained with Greek heavyweight Olympiakos. He was eventually traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that sent Raymond Felton to the New York Knicks; all the while, the Greek prospect was still playing in Europe.
Finally, to create room for Dwight Howard, the Rockets acquired the rights to Papanikolaou while trading away Thomas Robinson. After offering him a two-year contract worth $4.8 million, Big Papa found the deal worth signing and officially became a member of the Rockets on Aug. 8.
It’s worth mentioning that the money in Papanikolaou’s contract is the highest ever for a player drafted in the second round, which places added pressure on him to perform adequately as he anchors a depleted second unit for Houston.
What He Brings to the Table
At 6-foot-9, Big Papa not only has stature, but also encompasses extreme skill and craftiness with the basketball. His aptitude from beyond the arc allows him to serve as a viable stretch 4, and his creativity enables him to not only slither his way to the hoop and score but also to dish out a fancy assist to a teammate.
With the loss of competent playermakers in Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin, coach Kevin McHale addressed the Rockets’ need for facilitators — and he believes Big Papa can assist the Rockets greatly in that department.
"“I like what I see of him,” McHale said. “He knows how to play, makes plays, drive with the purpose of making the next play. Sometimes the next play is scoring, sometimes the next play is passing. He has good basketball sense which helps a great deal.”"
In addition to generating plays, the prospect understands that in order to compete at the NBA level, he has to elevate his game — especially considering his lack of athleticism.
"“I know that in order to justify my presence I have to work two and three times [harder than] I did… but this isn’t something that scares me.”"
Papanikolaou has also exhibited solid defensive qualities during the preseason: he’s stolen the basketball 1.2 times per game. If Big Papa can showcase the skills on both ends of the court like he’s displayed in Greece, perhaps his presence will help mitigate Chandler Parsons’ absence.
While a potentially productive season awaits, Big Papa has already made a name for himself amongst Houston’s fans.