View source for Iraklio B.C.

{{Infobox Basketball club
| color1        = white
| color2        = #151B54
| name          = Iraklio OAA
| nickname      =
| logo          = Irakleio_bc_logo.jpg
| image_size    = 200px
| leagues       = Cretan Basket League
| founded       = 1968
| history       = 1968–present
| arena         = [[Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena]]
| capacity      = 5,500
| location      = [[Heraklion]], [[Crete]], [[Greece]]
| colors        = Blue and White <br/>{{color box|#2554C7}} {{color box|white}}
| president     = Michalis Delakis
| coach         = Giorgos Makrakis
| championships = {{Tooltip|'''1''' |1997}} [[Greek A2 Basket League|Greek A2]] Championship <br> {{Tooltip|'''1''' |1992}} [[Greek B Basket League|Greek B]] Championship <br> {{Tooltip|'''1''' |1990}} [[Greek C Basket League|Greek C]] Championship <br> {{Tooltip|'''4''' | 1973, 1980, 1989, 2009}} Cretan Championships
| website       = [http://www.irakliooaa.gr/ irakliooaa.gr]
| h_body        = FFFFFF
| h_pattern_b   = _irakleiobc1617h
| h_shorts      = FFFFFF
| h_pattern_s   = _irakleiobc1617h
| a_body        = 151B54
| a_pattern_b   = _irakleiobc1617a
| a_shorts      = 151B54
| a_pattern_s   = _irakleiobc1617a
}}

'''Iraklio OAA B.C.''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Ηράκλειο OAA KAE), also known simply as '''Iraklio''', or '''Heraklion''', is a [[Greece|Greek]] professional [[basketball]] club that is based in the city of [[Heraklion]], [[List of islands of Greece|on the island]] of [[Crete]], in [[Greece]]. It is a department of the ''Heraklion Tennis and Team Sports Club'' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Όμιλος Αντισφαιρίσεως και Αθλοπαιδιών - OAA - «Ηράκλειο»), a multi-sport club established in [[Heraklion]] in 1928. The club's basketball department was founded in 1968, and currently competes in the Cretan Basket League, hosting its home games at the [[Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena]], a multi-purpose [[indoor arena]] with a capacity of 5,500 spectators. Irakleio is considered the most successful basketball club in [[Heraklion]], being the sole club to have represented the city in the [[Greek basketball league system|top-tier]] [[Greek Basket League]], as well as the most successful club on the [[List of islands of Greece|island]] of [[Crete]], at least until the rise of the [[Rethymno Cretan Kings B.C.|Rethymno Cretan Kings]] in the early 2010s. Iraklio OAA further administers competitive departments for [[tennis]], [[table tennis]] and [[chess]].

==History==
===Creation===
Iraklio OAA was established in 1928, primarily operating as a [[tennis]] club. In 1968, under president Giorgos Deligiannakis, the club decided to expand its activities thus founding [[team sports]] departments for [[basketball]] and [[volleyball]], reinstating its defunct [[table tennis]] department, as well as establishing competitive [[chess]] and [[contract bridge|bridge]] departments.<ref name="oaa_hist">{{cite web|publisher=Iraklio OAA Official Website|title=Ιστορικό Μπάσκετ (Greek) |url=http://www.irakliooaa.gr/basket/history-basket.html}}</ref> The first coach of the basketball department was Michalis Dardantakis, who was replaced by Kostas Rigas shortly thereafter.

In 1973, Iraklio was promoted to the [[Greek B Basket League]], where it kept playing for 5 straight seasons, until 1978, when it was relegated to the local Cretan Championship.<ref name="oaa_hist"/> After a dormant period spanning almost nine years, in which the club played in local competitions, an organized effort was made by newly appointed General Manager Manolis Papakaliatis to return to national competitions. Within just seven years, Iraklio achieved multiple promotions. In the 1993–94 season, the club competed in  the [[Greek A2 Basketball League]] for the first time in its history. The very next season, Iraklio finished 2nd in the league, thus managing promotion to the [[Greek Basket League|A1 Greek Basket League]], the top tier of the [[Greek basketball league system]], becoming the first [[Crete|Cretan]] club to achieve this feat.<ref name="oaa_hist"/>

===1995–2003: Domestic success and European outings===
Iraklio lived its glory days during the mid 90s, when the club was promoted to the [[Greek Basket League|A1 Greek Basket League]]. Despite being relegated in its inaugural season in the league, the club instantly returned to top-flight after winning the 1996–97 [[Greek A2 Basketball League|A2 Championship]]. The next season saw the club finishing in 8th place during regular season, thus clinging to a spot in the [[playoffs|Greek basketball playoffs]]. They beat traditional [[Greece|Greek]] [[basketball]] powerhouse [[Aris B.C.|Aris]] in both games of their first round playoff series, thus finishing seventh overall in the league, which to this day still remains the best season performance in the history of the club. To accomplish this feat, Iraklio had one of the most impressive home records (13–2) at the end of the 1997–98 season, which propelled them towards their first ever [[Europe]]an competition appearance. Iraklio consequently played in the [[1998–99 FIBA Korać Cup]], where they managed to reach the Round of 32. The club upheld a competitive profile throughout its next seasons in the [[Greek Basket League]] by managing to sign former [[NBA]] veterans into its rosters, most notably [[Oliver Miller]] (22nd overall pick in the [[1992 NBA draft]] ) for the 1998–99 season and [[Willie Burton]] (9th overall pick in the [[1990 NBA draft]]) in 1999–2000. Iraklio peaked its domestic performance during the 2002–03 season, notably managing to reach the [[Greek Basketball Cup]] Final Four (eventually placing in 4th place in the competition).

At the end of the 2003–04 season, Iraklio lost its place in the [[Greek Basket League]] finishing in 13th place, thus being relegated to the [[Greek A2 Basketball League|A2 Championship]] after seven consecutive seasons in top-flight.<ref>[http://www.galanissportsdata.com/basketball/mena1/Season2003_04/a1rank.asp?day=26 «HEBA Championship 2003-04 Division A1»] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708003229/http://www.galanissportsdata.com/basketball/MenA1/Season2003_04/a1rank.asp?day=26 |date=2014-07-08 }}, πληροφορίες στον ιστότοπο GalanisSportsData.com.</ref> Throughout the season, Iraklio won only 7 games, six of which during the First Round, while going on a 13-game losing streak which spanned from 13 December 2003 to 2 May 2004.<ref name="anask2004">[http://www.patris.gr/articles/33859/7716?PHPSESSID=#.URFZLjcRwnc «Ανασκόπηση 2003-2004 : Διπρόσωπο το “Ηράκλειο” στην 7η και μοιραία παρουσία του στην Α1 - Στατιστική Εικόνα της Ομάδας»], patris.gr, 11 May 2004 (in Greek).</ref> At the end of the season, the club tied in 12th place with [[Ionikos N.F. B.C.|Ionikos Nea Filadelfeia]], both having 33 points on the Table, yet Iraklio was eventually relegated in head-to-head ranking (having lost to Ionikos 94−87 in [[overtime (basketball)|overtime]]).<ref name="anask2004"/>

==Arenas==
Irakleio previously used the 1,500 seat Lido Indoor Hall as its home arena. It currently uses the 5,500 seat [[Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena]] as its home arena. The 2,400 seat [[TEI Indoor Sports Hall]] is also available for the club to use, if needed.

==Titles and honors==
*'''[[Greek A2 Basket League|Greek 2nd Division]]''' Champion (1):
**1997

==Roster==
{{Basketball roster nationality note}}
{{Basketball roster header|team=Iraklio B.C.
| color1 = white | bg1 = #151B54| color2 = #151B54 | bg2 = white}}
<!-- list of players -->
{{player3 | num =  | nat = Greece | first = Miron| last = Papadakis | pos = PG | m = 1.83|kgs = |year = |month = |date =}}
{{player3 | num= |nat= Greece| first =Prodromos| last =Tserkitsoglou| pos =G| m =1.87| kgs = | year |month = | date = | }}
{{player3 | num = | nat = Greece |first =Pantelis| last =Maragakis| |pos =PG|m =1.85|kgs = |year = |month = |date = }}

{{player3 | num = | nat = Greece | first = Spyros| last = Panou | pos = PF | m = 2.04|kgs = |year = 1992|month = 06|date =07  }}
{{player3 | num = | nat = Greece | first= Dimitris| last= Lolas| pos = PF| m = 2.03|kgs = |year = 1986|month = 12|date = 31}}
{{player3 | num = | nat = Greece |first =Giannis| last =Lianos| |pos =SF/PF|m =2.02|kgs = |year = 1985|month = 07|date = 08}}
{{player3 | num = | nat = Greece |first =Alexandros| last =Petrakis| |pos =F|m =2.02|kgs = |year = 1987|month = 04|date = 11}}
{{player3 | num = | nat = Greece | first =Kostas| last = Pallis| pos = F | m = 2.00|kgs = |year = 1979|month =08 |date = 01 }}
{{player3 | num =12| nat = Serbia | first = Damir| last = Latović| pos = C| m = 2.04|kgs = 110|year = 1980|month = 07|date = 10 }}
<!-- end list of players -->
{{Basketball roster footer
| head_coach = [[Vassilis Rallis]]
* 
| asst_coach = 

| Team Manager =
| roster_url = http://www.irakliooaa.gr/basket/news-basket.html
| accessdate = 21/09/2016
}}

== Notable players==
{{Basketball notable players criteria}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
'''Greece:'''
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Marios Batis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Christos Charissis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Giorgos Gasparis (basketball)|Georgios Gasparis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Fotis Katsikaris]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Jon Korfas]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Nikos Liakopoulos]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Dimitris Lolas]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Christos Myriounis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Alfa Ntiallo]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Pete Papachronis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Argiris Papapetrou]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Ioannis Sioutis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Vangelis Sklavos]]

'''Europe:'''
* [[Image:Flag of France.svg|20px]] [[Frederick Forte]]

'''Africa:'''
* [[Image:Flag of Egypt.svg|20px]] [[Samir Gouda]]

'''USA:'''
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Doremus Bennerman]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Willie Burton]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[James Forrest (basketball)|James Forrest]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Derrick Hamilton (basketball)|Derrick Hamilton]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Antonio Harvey]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Oliver Miller]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Dyron Nix]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Jimmy Oliver (basketball)|Jimmy Oliver]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Richard Rellford]]
* [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] [[Carl Thomas (basketball)|Carl Thomas]]

'''Rest of Americas:'''
* [[Image:Flag of Cuba.svg|20px]] [[Andrés Guibert]]
* [[Image:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg|20px]] [[José Ortiz (basketball)|José Piculín Ortiz]]
{{div col end}}

== Head coaches==
* [[Image:Flag of Yugoslavia.svg|20px]] [[Vojislav Vezović]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Georgios Kalafatakis]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Vangelis Alexandris]]
* [[Image:Flag of Greece.svg|20px]] [[Georgios Bartzokas]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.irakliooaa.gr/ Official website] {{in lang|el}}
*[http://www.eurobasket.com/team.asp?Cntry=GRE&Team=363 Eurobasket.com Team Profile]

{{A2 Ethniki}}
{{Basketball in Greece}}
{{International basketball}}
{{Men's professional basketball leagues}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irakleio B.C.}}
[[Category:Basketball teams in Crete]]
[[Category:Basketball teams in Heraklion]]