Less than an hour north of Athens, in a small suburb on the outskirts of Greece, Georgios Papagiannis shelved his soccer cleats for basketball high-tops at age 11, dreaming of following in the footsteps of “The European Michael Jordan” – EuroBasket MVP and Kings legend Peja Stojakovic.
Seven years later, “Big George” – by then, a two-time gold-medalist in his homeland – unfolded his 7-foot-2, 270-lb. frame from a lower-level seat inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. upon hearing his name voiced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, embracing family members and friends who proudly waved Greek flags in the stands.