By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The biggest 3X3 tournament resurfaced in Syros over the weekend.
With former player Giorgos Printezis remaining in charge and Eurohoops assisting as the strategic media partner, the seventh annual Stoiximan AegeanBall Festival was held in the Greek island, presenting multiple household names in a more casual approach and young kids displaying their talents in Miaouli Square, with the imposing view of the Ermoupolis Town Hall. The common bond was loving basketball.
Kostas Papanikolaou was named Most Valuable Player of the VIP League 3X3 after joining forces with Theo Papaloukas, Georgia Veloudou, Nikos Plotas, and Ioanna Della in a championship with the Intersport Raiders on Sunday.
A new entry in the VIP League 4X4 saw Nikos Rogkavopoulos capture the MVP award on Saturday, after leading the Nespresso Vikings to the top of the tournament, alongside Dionisia Alexandri, Marcelo Huertas, Dimitris Kirsanidis, Christina Vrachali, and Panagiotis Trisokkas.
Additional titles went to Printezis as the Cosmote Telekom Skill Challenge winner, Papaloukas as the Trident Loοong Shoot, Dimitris Mavroeidis as the Shooting Star by Stoiximan and Knock Out powered by Intersport winner, Giannoulis Larentzakis as the Shoot All Around by Nespresso winner, and much more, stretching way beyond overpowering competition to secure first place.
Among more stars in Syros, Dimitris Diamantidis, Omiros Netzipoglou, Joe Arlauckas, Giannis Bourousis were all back for more, alongside Bryant Dunston, Vangelis Mantzaris, and Nikos Gkikas, sharing with the kids and entertaining the fans.
While young upstarts are a recurring theme of AegeanBall Festival, the alternate minister for Sport in Greece, Giannis Vroutsis, officially launching the process for a long-awaited indoor venue to futher support these efforts in Syros was another highlight of the weekend.