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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