By Aris Barkas/ barkas@Eurohoops.net
European basketball is getting to know Promitheas Patras through the Basketball Champions League. And the 4-0 start is not an accident.
Promitheas has been established as one of the most financially stable and ambitious clubs in Greece and its roster consists of talent which has a great pedigree.
Nikos Gkikas is the most recent example. He had 17 points, seven assists and two steals in Promitheas’ big win over Besiktas. So who is this guy who took over the game in the most crucial moment? The answer can be shocking to those who don’t know much about Greek basketball.
Gkikas was the point guard of the Filathlitikos team, playing in the second division when a young guy named Giannis Antetokounmpo made his first basketball steps.
To be exact the 27 years old Gkikas was the point guard of the team, when Giannis made his debut in the senior team of Filathlitikos, just before he entered the NBA draft. Gkikas remains a close friend with the Antetokounbros, like most of the old Filathlitikos roster and he is proving that he is ready to take the next step in his career.
Promitheas includes also Christos Saloustros from the old Filathlitikos gang, but Gkikas stole the show against Besiktas. It’s not a coincidence. Gkikas played in the top Greek division back in 2013 with Aris, where he stayed for two seasons.
He didn’t have a prominent role, so he made a bold step. On the 15th of January 2015, Gkikas left Aris and signed with Ventspils. He ended up leading the Baltic League in assists and in the summer of 2015 he returned to Greece for Nea Kifisia, also a top division team at the time.
One year later he signed with Promitheas and now he is the captain of the team. In the meantime, he made his debut with the Greek national and he is part of the roster which competed at the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification.
And while Turkish fans confused him with Fanis Gkekas, the Greek striker who played football for many years in Turkey, after the game against Besiktas and with Promitheas being unbeaten in the Basketball Champions League, it’s obvious that Nikos Gkikas is also making his name known…