Aris B.C.

Aris B.C.

Aris Basketball Club (Greek: K.A.E. Άρης, transliterated into English B.C. Aris) is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki.

Aris BC is one of the most successful Greek basketball clubs of all times, tallying 10 Greek Championships, 8 Greek cups, and 3 European titles. Under the leadership of the legendary duo of Nikos Galis and Panagiotis Giannakis, Aris was the dominant force in Greek basketball during the 1980s and early 1990s. It is for this period of dominance that Aris BC has been nicknamed "The Emperor" and voted the most successful Greek sporting club of the 20th century. Aris is also one of the most renown Greek clubs in European basketball, participating in 3 consecutive Euroleague final-fours, and winning 3 European titles. The historic win of the 1997 Korać Cup, in particular, bolstered the notion that Aris has a unique place in the history of Greek basketball, in fact in the history of Greek sports altogether.

Well-known players that have played with the club over the years have included: Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Giannakis, Reggie Theus, Walter "The Truth" Berry, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Roy Tarpley, Stojko Vranković, Žarko Paspalj, Panagiotis Liadelis, Giorgos Sigalas, Andrew Betts, Nikos Hatzivrettas, Mihalis Kakiouzis and Dimos Dikoudis.