Greek basketball star and former Texas forward Ioannis Papapetrou shocked many when he announced his retirement from basketball at the age of 31. This abrupt retirement from the Panathinaikos star, who won the Euroleague title with the team in 2024, was confirmed by the Euroleague’s X account and congratulated him on his career.
Ioannis Papapetrou announced his retirement from basketball.
Congratulations on a great career and we wish you all the best in your new chapter! pic.twitter.com/M7QkF4CDAm
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) June 22, 2025
There had been reports that Papapetrou, who played for Texas in college, had been dealing with a plethora of injuries, leading him to make the difficult decision to retire from basketball at just 31. He made the announcement on his Instagram account.
“Where to begin… In life, there are moments that— even though you know they’re coming-are still incredibly hard to face,” the former Longhorn wrote. Two years ago, in October 2023, while I was traveling to Qatar for my knee surgery, a thought crossed my mind for the first time: perhaps my journey as a basketball player was coming to an end.”
“The doctors tried to encourage me, but the signals where already there. Almost two years later, today, after a great deal of reflection and many heartfelt conversations, and with the support of my family and the people I love and trust, that thought became a decision,” he added.
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Papapetrou admitted how difficult the decision was and that this was not how he imagined his career would end. He then thanked his family and friends for standing by with him. through this decision.
How good was Ioannis Papapetrou for Texas?
When he came to the NCAA, Ioannis Papapetrou only spent one season with the Texas Longhorns. For his freshman season with the school, 2012-2013, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
His former head coach at Texas, Rick Pitino, reacted to the announcement:
I was fortunate to spend two years with Ioannis Papapetrou. He was not only a dedicated talented team player but a wonderful person off the court. A total credit to basketball in Greece . Good luck Pap, much happiness! https://t.co/JUkR9PFzyQ
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) June 22, 2025
“I was fortunate to spend two years with Ioannis Papapetrou. He was not only a dedicated talented team player but a wonderful person off the court. A total credit to basketball in Greece . Good luck Pap, much happiness!” said Pitino.
He only played 32 games in the NCAA before trying to enter the NBA draft in 2014, where he got undrafted. He began his professional career with Olympiacos in 2013, shortly after his single year with the Longhorns.
In the Greek League, he also played for Serbian squad Partizan and went back to Greece with Panathinaikos. He won the Greek Cup thrice and was the Greek League MVP in 2021. He was also a six-time Greek League champion with Panathinaikos and Olympiacos and a one-time Euroleague champion. He retires as one of the most decorated players in Greece.
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