By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Tibor Pleiss completed a midseason move to Panathinaikos Aktor.
He signed a contract for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, the team announced on Wednesday.
Pleiss, 35, landed in Athens on Tuesday evening.
A veteran of 336 games played in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, including two championships with Anadolu Efes under the guidance of current Panathinaikos head coach Ergin Ataman, he is back in Europe’s premier club continental competition and eligible for the bottom end of the 2024-25 Regular Season. His new side is tied for third with a 16-10 W-L tally, three games behind the leader of the standings and archrival Olympiacos.
Starting the 2024-25 journey in Italy’s LBA UnipolSai, Pleiss tallied 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest with Trapani Shark. The next step at the domestic level will be debuting in Greece’s Stoiximan GBL and meeting the Greens at 18-0. He previously displayed his talents in the top-tier divisions of Turkiye, Spain, and Germany, besides Italy. Expanding his career to North America was highlighted by logging 12 appearances with the Utah Jazz during the 2015-16 NBA Regular Season.
In international action, the experienced German center representing his country went from participation in junior tournaments to the EuroBasket 2009. He went on to play in the FIBA World Championship 2010, before three more installments of the EuroBasket in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Bouncing back to the senior national team following a hiatus, he was capped in four games of the Qualifiers of EuroBasket 2025.
Pleiss to debut on Friday
After practicing with his new teammates on Wednesday, Pleiss is expected to play against LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in Astroballe on Friday. Ataman’s options in the paint are already limited since Mathias Lessort (leg surgery) and Omer Yurtseven (leg) are stuck on the injury list. In addition, fellow big Wenyen Gabriel is considered questionable for Round 27 of the EuroLeague Regular Season due to a knee injury sustained in the championship game of Greece’s OPAP Final 8 opposite Olympiacos combined with an illness.
Marius Grigonis (back surgery) is also sidelined. In contrast, the remaining players are healthy and available for the clash with ASVEL.