By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Theodoros Papaloukas, Euroleague’s all time recordman in assist and steals with 8 Final Four appearances and two Euroleague titles, returns on Wednesday afternoon at Moscow! In the city where his career exploded and where he reign for six season and lived some of the most important moments in his career. It’s a surprise that was announced on Christmas day!
The Greek guard was released last summer from Maccabi Tel Aviv and wanted to continue playing basketball only in a top level Euroleague team. Many other clubs tried to lure him, but none of them was playing in Europe’s top competition and has Final Four aspirations. The end of his career with a quiet retirement seemed a real possibility, but everything changed in a day.
Coach Ettore Messina who has worked with him in the past at Moscow for three season, decided to ask him to return in Russia! Theo is expected to land tomorrow on 13.00 local time in Moscow and immediately join the team. It’s more than possible for him to be included in the Top16 list of players by CSKA, because the deadline for transfers in Euroleague’s second phase ends.
However, Papaloukas hasn’t played organized basketball for some time and he needs time in order to practice and regain his physical form in order to be able to really help CSKA. This is something the team knows and it seems ready to wait, that’s why the official announcement refers to a try out. Still, the bottom line is a fairy tail ending: Theodoros Papaloukas has the chance for one final season in his career as a member of the team in which he became one of the top players in Europe and achieved everything in club level.