3D: 11 seasons, 7271 minutes and still going on!

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By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net

Few players have lasted for 11 season in Euroleague, let alone playing just for one team. And one Euroleague icon is ready for one more, despite already being the all time leading passer, stealer and also leader in minutes played (7271). After winning the Greek cup with Panathinaikos, the 21st trophy of his career, Dimitris Diamantidis admitted that he wants to play one more season with the Greens as he said to the Greek newspaper “Goalnews” .

Eurohoops remembers what he has done so far in his 11 Euroleague seasons in numbers and images, emerging as the biggest star of his team after the Dejan Bodiroga era.

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[lptitle title=”2004-05 season“]

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In his first season with the team after leaving Iraklis BC, he was more than a factor for the Greens. He won his first defender of the year award, while Panathinaikos finished third in Moscow’ Final Four. And got also the Greek league and Greek cup titles.

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[lptitle title=”2005-06“]

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In what ended being one of the most brutal play offs defeats of Panathinaikos, the Greens lost to Tau Ceramica – aka Laboral Kutxa – the quarterfinals series almost at the buzzer at OAKA and missed the Final Four in Prague. Of course inside the Greek borders, they got one more double.

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[lptitle title=”2006-07“]

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Panathinaikos got the Euroleague title at OAKA, Diamantidis was the MVP of the Final Four, a member of the All Euroleague team, the best defender and the season ended for the team with the “triple crown”.

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[lptitle title=”2007-08“]

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The champs couldn’t defend their title as they missed the play offs by finishing third in their Top16 group – a four groups system was used at the time. Of course Diamantidis for the fourth year in a row was voted the best defender and got also the double in Greece.

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[lptitle title=”2008-09“]

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Diamantidis was the leader of probably the best ever Panathinaikos team – Pekovic, Spanoulis, Jasikevicius were also included among others – which won the Euroleague in Berlin. Diamantidis was again the defender of the year award and won the double in Greece.

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[lptitle title=”2009-10″]

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Once more the Greens couldn’t defend this title. They missed the play offs after finishing third in their Top16 group and for the first time in his career Diamantidis lost the best defender title to Viktor Khryapa. Still Panathinaikos won the Greek league title.

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[lptitle title=”2010-11“]

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This is his masterpiece. Panathinaikos had less talent than before, but Diamantidis found the way to win the Euroleague in Barcelona, leaving the hosts out in the play offs. He was the season MVP, the Final Four MVP, a member of the All Euroleague team and also the best defender again, for the last time. He finished the season with one more Greek league title.

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[lptitle title=”2011-12“]

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He got Panathinaikos to the Final Four as a member of the All Euroleague team, lost in the semifinal to CSKA Moscow and ended up winning “just” the Greek cup.

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[lptitle title=”2012-13“]

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The first year of the post-Obradovic era wasn’t easy. Panathinaikos got to the play offs, but Barcelona got revenge and the ticket to London’s Final Four. Still the Greens bounced back and won the Greek cup and the Greek league.

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[lptitle title=”2013-14“]

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Despite being heavily outgunned, Panathinaikos and Diamantidis, in his best season as a passer, tried to do their best in the play offs against CSKA. It was not enough, but they got the Greek double.

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