The two last champions of Europe from 2003 and 2005 met on Sunday evening in Palacio de Deportes in Madrid and when the smoke cleared Lithuania beat Greece 78-69.

Lithuania hit two birds with one stone.

2005 was undoubtedly a milestone in Greek basketball history, but the biggest success has to be gold in 1987. Not only did that victory inspire a young generation of Greek kids to pick up a basketball, but it also produced the coach who led Greece back to glory 18 years later, Panagiotis Yannakis.

In Greek “Theodoros” means, “Gifted from God”, so his parents must have known something before the rest of us.  Five years ago, his career was in limbo when Olympiakos (where he was transferred from Panionios for a record fee) showed him the door after a disastrous season.