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Georgios Bartzokas

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Georgios Bartzokas
Bartzokas, while coaching Olympiacos Piraeus, in 2022
Olympiacos
PositionHead coach
LeagueGreek Basketball League
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1965-06-11) June 11, 1965 (age 59)
Athens, Greece
Listed height2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight90.9 kg (200 lb)
Career information
High school1st Marousi
NBA draft1987: undrafted
Playing career1981–1992
PositionPower forward / center
Coaching career1987–present
Career history
As player:
1981–1992Maroussi
As coach:
Pefki
Vrilissia Basket
2000–2004GS Kifissias
OFI Irakleio
2003–2006Maroussi (assistant)
2006–2009Olympia Larissa
2009–2010Maroussi
2010–2012Panionios
2012–2014Olympiacos
2015–2016Lokomotiv Kuban
2016–2017FC Barcelona
2017–2019Khimki
2020–presentOlympiacos
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

Georgios Bartzokas (alternate spellings: Giorgos, George, Mpartzokas) (Greek: Γιώργος Μπαρτζώκας, born June 11, 1965) is a Greek former professional basketball player, and the current head basketball coach for Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. During his career as a head coach, Bartzokas has won numerous titles. With the Greek club Olympiacos Piraeus, he won the World Club Championship title, as he won the 2013 edition of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. He also won the championship of Europe's premiere club competition, the EuroLeague, at the 2013 EuroLeague Final Four, with Olympiacos. Bartzokas has been named the EuroLeague Coach of the Year three times, as he won the award in the years 2013, 2022, and 2023.

Youth career and early life

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Bartzokas was born on 11 June 1965, in Athens, Greece. At a young age, he first played the sport of football. In 1977, at the age of 12, he began playing the sport of basketball, with the youth teams of the Greek basketball club Maroussi Athens. He remained in Maroussi's youth teams until 1981.

Professional career

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After spending four years with the youth teams of Maroussi Athens, Bartzokas joined Maroussi's senior men's club in 1981, at the age of 16. Bartzokas, a 2.00 m (6'7") tall power forward-center, made his senior level debut in the Greek 2nd Division (B) league, during the 1981–82 season. Bartzokas went on to play club basketball with Maroussi Athens, in both the Greek 2nd Division (A2) and Greek 3rd Division (B) leagues, until 1992. During his tenure with the club, he was the team's leading scorer and team captain.

Bartzokas' playing career ended at the age of 27, after he had suffered serious knee injuries to both of his legs. He first suffered a torn right knee ACL injury, and then later on he also suffered a torn left knee ACL injury. Prior to his knee injuries, the Greek clubs AEK Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus had considered signing him.

Coaching career

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Early coaching career

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Bartzokas originally began working as an assistant basketball coach in Greece, in 1987, at the age of 22, while he was still also actively playing club basketball. After he retired from his playing career, Bartzokas first worked as a head coach in the Greek clubs Pefki, Vrilissia Basket, GS Kifissias, and OFI Irakleio. With Vrilissia Basket, he earned two league promotions. With Kifissias, he earned one league promotion.

In 2003, while he was still coaching Kifissias, Bartzokas also began working as an assistant coach in the top-tier level Greek First Division, with his former playing club, Maroussi Athens. Bartzokas worked as an assistant with Maroussi, under the team's head coach at the time, Panagiotis Giannakis, from the 2002–03 season to the 2005–06 season. With Maroussi, Bartzokas was a finalist of the European-wide third-level competition, the FIBA Europe League, in the 2003–04 season. He was also a 2003–04 Greek League season finalist, and a 2006 Greek Cup finalist with Maroussi.

Olympia Larissa

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Prior to the 2006–07 season, Bartzokas signed on as the head coach of the Greek club Olympia Larissa. That same season with Olympia, he managed to reach the playoffs of the 2006–07 Greek Basketball League. That was the first time in the club's history that they had made the league's playoffs. Olympia Larissa eventually finished in seventh place in the league overall. As a result, Bartzokas was named the 2007 Greek League Coach of the Year. Bartzokas then repeated the Greek League playoffs qualification with Olympia the next year, during the 2007–08 season.

Maroussi Athens

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For the 2009–10 season, Bartzokas became the head coach of the Greek club Maroussi Athens.[1] Under Bartzokas' leadership, Maroussi managed to qualify for the Top 16 Phase of the EuroLeague's 2009–10 season. In Greek domestic competition, Maroussi finished in third place in the Greek League's 2009–10 season. Bartzokas was named the Greek League Best Coach of that same season.[2]

Panionios Athens

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Bartzokas became the head coach of the Greek club Panionios Athens, prior to the 2010–11 season. Panionios finished the Greek League 2010–11 season in ninth place. In the following season, under the guidance of Bartzokas, Panionios finished in third place in the Greek League's 2011–12 season. As a result, Bartzokas was named the 2012 Greek League Coach of the Year.

Olympiacos Piraeus

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Bartzokas became the head coach of the Greek EuroLeague club Olympiacos Piraeus, in June 2012, prior to the 2012–13 season.[3] With Olympiacos, Bartzokas won the 2012–13 season's championship of the EuroLeague, at the 2013 London EuroLeague Final Four, where Olympiacos' Vassilis Spanoulis was named the 2013 EuroLeague Final Four MVP. In the process, Bartzokas became the first Greek coach in history to win the championship of the EuroLeague.[4]

After winning the EuroLeague championship, Bartzokas was named the 2013 EuroLeague Coach of the Year.[5] With Olympiacos, Bartzokas also managed to win the championship of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, which is the official World Club Championship. He led Olympiacos to the world club title at the 2013 Intercontinental Cup, where they defeated the champions of the 2013 FIBA Americas League, the Brazilian NBB club Pinheiros, in a two game, aggregate score series, by a score of 167–139. Olympiacos' Spanoulis was named the 2013 FIBA Intercontinental Cup MVP. Bartzokas was named the Eurobasket News All-Europe Coach of the Year in 2013.

Lokomotiv Kuban

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On July 5, 2015, Bartzokas signed a 2-year deal with the Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague.[6] In the EuroLeague, he coached the team to its first-ever Final Four appearance, as they qualified to the 2016 EuroLeague Final Four, after they beat the Spanish Liga ACB club FC Barcelona, by a series score of 3–2, in the 2016 EuroLeague Playoffs.[7] Bartzokas was named the VTB United League Coach of the Year, of the 2015–16 season.

Barça

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On July 8, 2016, Bartzokas signed a three-year contract with the Spanish ACB team FC Barcelona.[8] With Barça, Bartzokas won the 2016 Catalan League championship. After one season with the club, Barcelona parted ways with him.[9]

Khimki Moscow Region

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On June 30, 2017, Bartzokas returned to the VTB United League, in order to become the new head coach of the Russian club Khimki Moscow Region. He signed a two-year contract with the club.[10] With Khimki, Bartzokas won the Gomelsky Cup tournament in 2017. On 21 January 2019, Bartzokas left Khimki, after his contract with the club was terminated.[11]

Return to Olympiacos

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On January 10, 2020, Barzokas returned to the Greek club Olympiacos Piraeus, after he signed a 2+1⁄2-year deal with them. After two months as the club's head coach, the 2019–20 season was cancelled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In the following 2020–21 season, Bartzokas tried to rebuild the team's roster, after Kostas Sloukas returned to the team. However, Olympiacos didn't qualify for the playoff round of the EuroLeague's 2020–21 season. In the 2021–22 season, Bartzokas won the 2022 Greek Cup title with Olympiacos. That was Bartzokas' first Greek national domestic title. Shortly after that, he also won the 2022 Greek League championship. While in the EuroLeague's 2021–22 season, he qualified with Olympiacos to the 2022 Belgrade Final Four, in which they finished in the fourth place. Bartzokas was named the 2022 EuroLeague Coach of the Year.

Barztokas won the 2022 Greek Super Cup title. After that, Bartzokas led Olympiacos to the 2023 Greek Cup title, and to the 2023 Greek League championship. He was named the 2023 Greek League Coach of the Year. Olympiacos also made it to the 2023 EuroLeague Final Four, where they were ultimately defeated by the Spanish club Real Madrid, by a score of 79–78, in the EuroLeague Final. Bartzokas was named the 2023 EuroLeague Coach of the Year.

Bartzokas also won the 2023 Greek Super Cup and 2024 Greek Cup titles.

Personal life

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Bartzokas' family hails from the Greek village of Kentriko, Arta. His father Andreas (1925–2015), was a member of the Greek KKE political party, and he was a political prisoner during the 1950s and 1960s.[12]

Coaching record

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Legend
G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win-loss %

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the team played during the season. He also coached in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

EuroLeague

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Team Year G W L W–L% Result
Maroussi 2009–10 16 6 10 .375 Eliminated in Top 16 stage
Olympiacos
2012–13 31 22 9 .710 Won EuroLeague Championship
2013–14 29 20 9 .690 Eliminated in quarterfinals
Lokomotiv Kuban 2015–16 31 21 10 .677 Won in 3rd place game
Barcelona 2016–17 30 12 18 .400 Eliminated in the regular season
Khimki 2017–18 34 17 17 .500 Eliminated in quarterfinals
Olympiacos 2019–20 10 5 5 .500 Eliminated in Regular Season
2020–21 34 16 18 .471 Eliminated in Regular Season
2021–22 28 19 9 .679 4th place
2022–23 34 24 10 .706 2nd place
2023–24 34 27 15 .643 Won in 3rd place game
Career 278 187 130 .585  

Awards and accomplishments

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As a head coach

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Titles won

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Other honors

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Individual awards and accomplishments

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Records

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Other honors as an assistant coach

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Euroleague.net Maroussi names Bartzokas head coach.
  2. ^ George Bartzokas: 2009-10 Greek League Coach of the Year.
  3. ^ Euroleague.net OLYMPIACOS finds new coach in Bartzokas.
  4. ^ Euroleague.net Bartzokas is first Greek coach to win the Euroleague.
  5. ^ Euroleague.net Alexander Gomelskiy Trophy: Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos.
  6. ^ "Lokomotiv tabs Bartzokas for bench". Euroleague. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Final Four head coach: Georgios Bartzokas, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar". Euroleague. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Georgios Bartzokas is the new man in charge of Barça Lassa". FC Barcelona. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  9. ^ "FC Barcelona, coach Bartzokas part ways". Euroleague.net. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  10. ^ "Khimki hires Bartzokas". EuroLeague. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Khimki Moscow Region, Georgios Bartzokas part ways". BC Khimki. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  12. ^ Ανδρέας Μπαρτζώκας Ο κόκκινος Πρωταθλητής της Αριστεράς tvxs.gr
  13. ^ "European Awards 2013 - Men Basketball". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
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