Greek sports (IV)

Basketball in Greece:
The sport of basketball in Greece erupted with the win in the EuroBasket 1987 in Piraeus, which caused a basketball euphoria in the country. Since then, Greek national teams have achieved international success, causing Greece to join Russia, Serbia, Italy, Spain, and Lithuania, in the circle of the European basketball powers. In addition to the success of the senior men's Greek national basketball team in 1987, they won a gold medal at the EuroBasket 2005 and the silver medals at the EuroBasket 1989 and the 2006 FIBA World Championship, and the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2009. At the men's professional club level, the Greek clubs have, at European Cup competitions, under FIBA Europe and ULEB, won 15 international pro club championships, as well as a 16th international pro club championship at the FIBA World Cup for Champion Clubs.
The Greek Basket League:
The first official men's basketball championship in Greece was held in the 1927-28 season. Until 1963 however, there was no unified national championship, and the champion was chosen through games between the regional champions. In 1963, the A National Category (Α' Εθνική Κατηγορία) was created. In 1992, the championship abandoned its amateur status and was officially recognized by FIBA as a professional league under the name HEBA A1 (Greek: ΕΣΑΚΕ Α1), organized by the Hellenic Basketball Clubs Association (HEBA). The league now operates under the name of Greek Basket League.
Successes of the pro club teams:
Greek men's professional basketball teams have a total of 24 appearances in the finals of European cup competitions, of which they have won a total of 15 championships. One of the achievements of Greece are the victories of Panathinaikos Athens (1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) and Olympiacos Piraeus (1997) in the finals of the men's Euroleague competition. Panathinaikos Athens also won the international World Cup for Champion Clubs competition in the year 1996.