By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Carrying his experience from playing basketball all around Athens and elsewhere, Nikos Pappas adding politics in the mix led to his candidacy for Mayor of Greece’s capital.
Pappas, 32, was announced as the contender supported by Syriza. Confirming recent developments, including the player himself revealing his intentions to run for office, the left-wing political party leader Alexis Tsipras made it official on Sunday.
“We are ready to announce our support to an effort already launched to form a wider front for change in the municipality of Athens. The long road of suffering and nepotism must end at some point. We are all tired,” noted Tsipras, “The desire of the popular international basketball player of Panathinaikos and formerly of AEK, Nikos Pappas, to lead this effort is a very positive development.”
Kostas Bakoyannis, supported by the current governing party New Democracy, was elected as Mayor of Athens in 2019. He will be running for a second term with the next elections scheduled to be held in October.
From basketball to politics in Athens
Pappas has been a professional basketball player for the better part of the last two decades. Last December, he made his way back to Panathinaikos planning to retire at the end of the 2022-23 season. The first stint from 2013 to 2020 featured the lion’s share of his success with five domestic league championships and 130 games played in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
As a member of Panionios, the native of Athens emerged as the top scorer in Greece’s top-flight division in 2013, before moving his talents to the Greens. Another Athens outfit, Panellinios was his first professional team. Spending the 2021-22 season at AEK added to the list.
In addition, he joined Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem for the 2020 Basketball Champions League Final Eight in Athens. Among the rough moments, the 2021 stint at Poland’s Enea Zastal BC Zielona Gora was cut short by injury. More former teams range from PAOK in Thessaloniki to Kolossos H Hotels in Rhodes.
UPDATE: With the SYRIZA party losing the national elections and Alexis Tsipras stepping down from his position, ultimately Nikos Pappas lost his candidacy for the upcoming local elections of 2023, as the central committee of SYRIZA voted against him.