Vassilis Spanoulis

At 42 years old, Vassilis Spanoulis has this physical status:

Vassilis "Billy" Spanoulis (born August 7, 1982) is a Greek professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the EuroLeague.

A 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) tall combo guard, he is nicknamed Kill Bill, V-Span, and MVP ("Most Vassilis Player").

Spanoulis was named the Balkan Athlete of the Year in 2009, the All-Europe Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013, the Vatican's World Athlete of the Year (Giuseppe Sciacca Award) in 2013 and the EuroLeague MVP the same year.

He has earned a record eight All-EuroLeague Team selections.Spanoulis first played for Gymnastikos S. Larissas, and enjoyed a highly successful career start.

His skill-set earned him a transfer to Athens and Maroussi, where he won the Greek Basket League's Best Young Player award in 2003.

Following an impressive 2004–05 season, during which he helped lead Maroussi to the Greek Basket League's finals and the EuroCup quarterfinals, he moved to Panathinaikos, where he became one of European basketball's major stars.

In the 2005–06 EuroLeague season, Spanoulis made his debut in impressive fashion, earning his first All-EuroLeague Team selection as a rookie in the competition.

After a stint in the NBA with the Houston Rockets during the 2006–07 season, he returned to Panathinaikos and helped lead them to a EuroLeague title in 2009, being voted the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in the process.Spanoulis' transfer to Olympiacos from Panathinaikos, in the summer of 2010, marked a new step in his career, given Olympiacos' feisty rivalry with Panathinaikos.

Within a young and rebuilding Olympiacos team, Spanoulis not only led the club to a EuroLeague title run in 2012, but he also went on to lead the team to a historical EuroLeague championship repeat in 2013.

In the process, he gained another two EuroLeague Final Four MVP awards, thus joining Toni Kukoc as the only players in the history of European basketball to achieve that distinction on three occasions.

Under his leadership, Olympiacos reached another two EuroLeague Finals, in 2015 and 2017. Spanoulis played an instrumental role on the senior men's Greek national team's 2005 EuroBasket gold medal team.

Most importantly, he was one of the main stars of Greece's 2006 FIBA World Cup silver medal team, scoring 22 points in the memorable victory over Team USA (101–95), in the tournament's semifinals.

It was however, Greece's bronze medal at the 2009 EuroBasket, that emphasized Spanoulis' leadership within an injury-plagued Greek national team, and consequently earned him an All-EuroBasket Team honor.

Personal life

Spanoulis' older brother, Dimitris, is a former professional basketball player. Spanoulis is married to Miss Star Hellas of 2006, Olympia Chopsonidou. Together, the couple have six children: Thanasis Spanoulis (born January 2, 2010), Vassilis Spanoulis Jr. (April 5, 2012), Dimitris Spanoulis (June 5, 2013), Emilia Spanouli (August 3, 2015), Anastasia Spanouli (September 25, 2017), and another daughter (January 20, 2020).

Spanoulis' basketball idols, and favorite players as a kid, were Michael Jordan and Nikos Galis. During his playing career, Spanoulis is often referred to by the nicknames V-Span and Kill Bill. When Spanoulis played with Maroussi Athens, he was given the nickname Bill the Butcher, by Tracy Murray, who was at that time a player of Maroussi's rivals, Panathinaikos Athens.

Spanoulis was the first Greek-born player to play for the Houston Rockets, and he was the third Greek-born player to play in the NBA. While he was with the Houston Rockets, Spanoulis was friends with teammates John Lucas III, Jake Tsakalidis, Shane Battier, Tracy McGrady, and Steve Novak. Over his playing career, some of the other basketball players that he was friends with included: Mike Batiste, Tony Parker, Carlos Arroyo, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Roderick Blakney, Nick Calathes, Ioannis Bourousis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Theo Papaloukas, and Georgios Printezis, among others. He is best friends with Nikos Zisis, and he was the best man at Zisis' wedding.

Spanoulis was one of the idols of Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Slovenian basketball player Luka Dončić, when they were youths in Europe. Antetokounmpo described Spanoulis as, "The Kobe of Europe". Dončić said that when he was young, he was "enchanted" by Spanoulis. Dončić wore the number 7 jersey when he was a member of Real Madrid, as an homage to Spanoulis, who wore the number 7 jersey with the Greece men's national basketball team and Olympiacos Piraeus. Dončić also chose to wear the number 77 jersey with Slovenia's national team and the Dallas Mavericks, in honor of Spanoulis.

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Early life and career

Spanoulis was born in Larissa, Greece, on August 7, 1982. Thanasis Spanoulis, the owner of a drug store, and Georgia Spanouli, his mother, was a bank clerk. Spanoulis was the couple's second and last child, having been born three years after his older brother Dimitris.

Spanoulis began training in football, swimming, and basketball at the age of 7. Spanoulis adored basketball players Michael Jordan and Nikos Galis as a youth. Spanoulis joined the youth basketball program of Gymnastikos S. Larissas in 1994 at the age of 12. Thanasis, the father of Spanoulis, died of cancer on November 4, 1997, when Spanoulis was 15 years old.

Spanoulis captured Greece's national under-18 club championship in 1999, at the age of 16. He coached Keravnos Larissa, Gymnastikos S. Larissas' youth basketball affiliate, to the Panhellenic Youth Championship. He was the championship's top scorer and Most Valuable Player. He scored 40 points against Aris Thessaloniki's youth team in the semifinals. He led his team to a 64–61 win over Olympiacos Piraeus' youth team.

Professional career

From 1994 to 1999, Spanoulis competed for Gymnastikos and its affiliate Keravnos in Larissa, as a youth athlete for the Greek junior teams. He made his professional debut in 1999, with the senior club of Gymnastikos S. Larissas. He competed in the 2nd Division of Gymnastikos in the two seasons 1999-00 and 2000-01.

Spanoulis signed a four-year deal with Maroussi of the European Basket League, the top-tier level of the Greek Basketball League, and later, the European-wide 2nd-tier competition, based in Larissas, Greece. He was with Maroussi until 2005.

Spanoulis was instrumental in the success of Maroussi in the Greek Cup Final during the 2001-2002 season. This was the first time the team had ever made it to a Greek Cup championship match. Maroussi has also participated in the FIBA Kora 2nd-tier competition in the European Union.

Spanoulis was named the Best Young Player of the Greek Basket League in the 2002–03 season.

Spanoulis was instrumental in the success of Maroussi in the Greek Basket League Finals in 2003–2004. He also helped Maroussi win the FIBA Europe League in the 2003–04 season (later referred to FIBA EuroChallenge) Final. Spanoulis averaged 10.8 points per game and 6.4 assists per game in the FIBA Europe League, but Maroussi was off the bench for a game. He also shot 40% from three-point range. He was also named the Greek League Most Improved Player of the same season.

Following this unexpected appearance, Spanoulis was then drafted in the 2nd round of the 2004 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. At the 2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games, he made it to the Greece men's national basketball team.

In 35 games played in the Greek Basket League, he played 17.9 points per game and shot 37.8% from 3-point range in his last season with Maroussi, Spanoulis. In 12 games of play in the European-wide 2nd-tier's 2004-05 season, he averaged 15.2 points per game and shot 40.0% from 3-point range. In 47 games played with Maroussi, Spanoulis averaged 15.7 points per game and shot 38.3% from 3-point range for the year. He was a member of the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team in 2005 and was named to the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team. Vassilis had a breakthrough year in this season, with an average of 11.1 points per game over the previous season. He was deemed one of Europe's most improved players of the year. He was a pioneer in Maroussi's return to the Greek Basket League in the regular season. Spanoulis was named European 6th Man of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the EuroCup at the end of the year. Since this season, some European fans have dubbed him "the Greek Steve Nash."

Spanoulis completed his stellar season with Maroussi in 2005–05, earning him a three-year deal worth €1.6 million net income. Panathinaikos Athens, one of Europe's top 10 companies. Spanoulis and his partner, Miko Rako Ranatovi, agreed to the contract so that Spanoulis would have a buyout provision after just one year, and set the buyout amount at US $400,000. This was Spanoulis' first season as a member of the European Union's best club championship level.

Panathinaikos won both the Greek Basket League and the Greek Cup during his time as a player in the Greek Basket League 2005-06. His team finished 24–2 in the Greek Basket League regular season and 8–0 in the Greek League playoffs, a new record of 32–2 in the national domestic league championship, and also went undefeated in the Greek Cup, ranking 5–0 for a total record of 37–2 in Greek competitions. He was voted to the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team in 2006 and participated in the Greek League All-Star Game.

Spanoulis was also selected to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2005–06 season.

Spanoulis averaged 14.6 points, 3.1 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23 games of EuroLeague play, with Panathinaikos Athens for the season. In a 2-point shooting and 36.8% from 3-point range, he also shot 68%, while others shot 68% from 3-point range; 54% overall.

Despite the fact that he often came off the bench, he was the team's best scorer. Throughout the season, he was named EuroLeague MVP of the Round twice. His team finished the EuroLeague in 2005–06 with a record of 16–7. In 2006, Spanoulis was named as the seventh best European player of the year (including NBA stars) by FIBA Europe, who also included NBA players in their FIBA Europe Player of the Year award voting.

Following such a strong rookie season of EuroLeague, many fans in Europe started calling him "Euro Kobe."

Spanoulis opted out of the final two years of his Panathinaikos Athens deal and signed a three-year contract (2 years with a promise) with the Houston Rockets, who paid for his Panathinaikos Athens. The deal was worth $5.832 million. Panathinaikos' buyout was $400,000.

The average salary was $1.944 million per season. When Houston traded draft pick #55 Luis Flores for Spanoulis on draft night (June 24, 2004), the Rockets had won the right to Spanoulis on draft night (June 24, 2004). (pick #50)

Carroll Dawson, the Rockets' [then] general manager, said, "He's a very versatile ball handler." "He's a good finisher and a good chance." He aspires to be a natural performer. Since he is a hard-nosed player, everybody is going to love this young man. Dawson said, "We've been tracking his development very closely." "It's a big change to move to the NBA from Europe, but he's a hard worker."

Dennis Lindsey, the Rockets' Director of Player Personnel, wrote the following about Spanoulis before he was signed by the team. Lindsey said, "We're really pleased with his development." "He moved clubs this year from Maroussi to Panathinaikos, the biggest club this year. They are like the New York Yankees of Greece and one of Europe's top two or three best clubs. They are a basketball team. We love what Vassilis has achieved from a business standpoint. He is the team's top scorer. They are 9-1 in the EuroLeague, and they have already qualified for the top-tenants.

Lindsey praised Spanoulis' offensive capabilities. Lindsey said, "He has a few characteristics that we love." "He's a natural athlete and gets the ball in the paint, and he's a stickler for it." He does basketball like a little bit, but he just kind of breaks through the line, and a lot of plays involve contact."

"The owner, Jeff, and Carroll, are both thrilled with what they've seen so far, and we hope to have him as a Rocket in the near future because we know he'll help us."

Spanoulis spent his rookie NBA season in 2006-07, averaging 2.7 points and 0.9 assists in 8.8 minutes per game on 31.9 percent field goal shooting (17.2% from behind the 3-point line) in 31 games played off the bench.

Jeff Van Gundy, the Rockets' head coach, was involved in a dispute over playing time during Spanoulis' first NBA season. The team's leadership, Spanoulis, and the coach were as well concerned about the deal that Spanoulis had signed. Spanoulis took a significantly smaller deal than the one that was being offered to him by his Greek team, Panathinaikos Athens, in order to sign with the Rockets and fulfill his aspirations of playing in the NBA. He was still a student at Panathinaikos, but his buyout was modest and could have been paid by the Rockets.

Spanoulis has agreed to play for Houston at a $1.944 million net income per year for three years, over 3 years, much more than his former team Panathinaikos' much larger budget of €1.6 million net income per year, just for the chance of playing in the NBA. Spanoulis was part of Van Gundy's rotation, but after the coach said that rookie players are ineffective for coaches with contract years, and that Spanoulis was too turnover-prone and lacking in outside shooting touch to be a good match in Van Gundy's offensive system, he fell out between him and Rockets coach Van Gundy. Van Gundy weighed in on the situation: "I was [Tracy] McGrady back home" says the narrator.' The best is yet to come. "I feel sorry for him." McGrady's McGrady is a narcotic. He believes he was deceived. In many ways, he's been his own worst enemy in a variety of ways. Some of it is excuses. His turnovers have been high; his fouls have been high; his shooting percentage has been poor. I'd rather anyone start self-evaluation—what can I do better—rather than lash out and blame. Just because I'm not playing him now doesn't mean he won't play in the future or we don't think he's a good player. I suspect he let his disappointment lead to discouragement, which has, at times, stifled his growth. We'll see. We'll see."

Spanoulis was traded by the Rockets to the San Antonio Spurs on July 12, 2007, along with a 2009 second-round draft pick in exchange for center Jackie Butler, and the rights to Argentinian power forward Luis Scola. Spanoulis was released by the Spurs on August 19, 2007, giving him the opportunity to return to Greece to play for Panathinaikos as he had intended. On August 23, 2007, this was announced for the first time.

Spanoulis, who allegedly based on "family reasons," he did not stay in the NBA, despite his manager's going as far as comparing the Rockets' reluctance to break his deal to slavery. Spanoulis, on the other hand, returned to Panathinaikos to play in the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague once more.

Van Gundy told him on the first day he arrived in Houston that he would be suspended for the season because he was a rookie and new to Van Gundy. Spanoulis claimed that Rick Adelman, the Rockets' next head coach, wanted to keep him, as well as that San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich were both keen on him on their team.

The San Antonio Spurs' General Manager, R.C., was drafted in November 2015. Buford revealed to the Greek press that the Spurs acquired Spanoulis with the intention of retaining him and having him play on their team. Buford also revealed that it was Spanoulis' decision not to play with the Spurs but rather return to Greece.

Since deciding to play in Greece during the 2007–08 season, Spanoulis was released by the San Antonio Spurs on August 19, 2007. This was due to the fact that his mother was in poor health and that Spanoulis wanted to be near her. Spanoulis, the defending EuroLeague champions, has signed a three-year deal with Panathinaikos. He was signed to serve as both point guard and shooting guard as well as fellow Greece men's national basketball team player Dimitris Diamantidis. Arnas Jasikevius, a former NBA player, will later join them in the team's guard rotation.

The Spanoulis' contract was for three years, at €5.5 million net income, plus a $1,166,400 contract buyout from his NBA San Antonio Spurs buyout, so it did not count against the Spurs' salary cap). Spanoulis' agent set up the deal in order to guarantee that Spanoulis could withdraw from it after one year. Spanoulis said early on that he might opt out and return to San Antonio to play in the NBA for the first year.

Spanoulis led Panathinaikos in both points scored (661) and assists (215), over 36 games played in the Greek Basket League 2007–08 season, with 20 games played in the EuroLeague 2007–08 season. In 56 games, he averaged 11.8 points per game and 3.8 assists per game for the season. Spanoulis, the Greek Basket League's assistant leader, was the Greek Basket League's assistant leader. He was selected as a starter to the Greek League All-Star Game and the Greek Basket League's Best Five Team.

Panathinaikos won the Greek basketball double as a member of both the Greek Basket League and the Greek Cup final in 2008. Spanoulis led his team to victory in the Greek Cup Final against Panathinaikos' arch-rival Olympiacos by scoring 20 points and giving out 7 assists.

Panathinaikos won the coveted Triple Crown crown in 2009, as they defeated the Greek League 2008–09 season championship and the Greek Cup championship, which were both held in the same season. Spanoulis was named the 2009 EuroLeague Final Four MVP and the 2009 Greek League MVP. Spanoulis was named Balkan Athlete of the Year in 2009, an award given to the best individual of the Balkans region during this period.

Spanoulis was named champion of Panathinaikos in the Greek League's 2009-10 season championship.

Spanoulis signed a three-year deal with the Greek Basket League club Olympiacos Piraeus in July 2010, worth €1.2 million net income (€2.4 million net income per season), as well as team achievement awards. Spanoulis was the Greek Cup champion in his first year with Olympiacos, was selected to the EuroLeague's All Second Team, and he was the Greek Basket League assists leader.

Spanoulis took both the 2012 EuroLeague and Greek Basket League championships in 2012, a record set by the Spanoulis. He was also selected to the All-EuroLeague First Team and won the EuroLeague Final Four MVP for the second time in his career. He was the fourth player to win the award multiple times. In addition, he was the Greek League's top assister once more. He was also named the Greek Basket League MVP and the Greek Basket League Finals MVP. In addition, Spanoulis was named the All-Europe Player of the Year in 2012.

In 2013, Spanoulis was named the EuroLeague MVP. After leading Olympiacos to the 2013 EuroLeague Championship, he was also the EuroLeague Top Scorer, and was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP. He was the second player to win both the EuroLeague MVP and the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in the same season, as well as Dimitris Diamantidis; and he was also the second player to win the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award three times, alongside Toni Kuko.

In 2013, Spanoulis received the Giuseppe Sciacca International Award for Sport, an award given by the Vatican to the World's Best Athlete of the Year from the ages of 18 to 35. For the second time in 2013, he was named All-Europe Player of the Year for the second time.

With Olympiacos in July 2013, Spanoulis signed a three-year contract extension worth €6 million net income (€2 million net income per season). He won the 2013 version of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, winning the tournament's MVP. For the sixth time in his career, he was named to the All-EuroLeague team in May 2014.

Spanoulis was selected to the All-EuroLeague First Team in May 2015 for his season, his seventh All-EuroLeague Team award. He led Olympiacos to the 2015 EuroLeague Finals, and he has also won the Greek League championship with Olympiacos in 2014 and 2015, and has been named MVP of the tournament's finals.

Spanoulis was crowned champion of the Greek League championship in 2015-2016. In game 2 of the 2015–16 Greek League Finals, Spanoulis defeated Olympiacos' arch-rivals, Panathinaikos, by a game-winning buzzer-beating 3 pointer. He scored 11 points in the last 3 minutes and 1 second of the 4th quarter, securing his team's victory in game 3 of the Greek League Finals. Olympiacos triumphed in game 4 of the Greek League Finals, hosted at Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall in Nikos, after Spanoulis scored another game-winning 3 point field goal in the game's second overtime period, with 1.9 seconds remaining. He was named both the 2016 Greek League MVP and the 2016 Greek League Finals MVP.

Spanoulis signed a new 2-year deal with Olympiacos in June 2016, which will continue into the 2017-18 season. The deal was worth €3 million net income (€1.5 million net income per season). Spanoulis was named "Most Clutch Player in EuroLeague History" during the season's EuroLeague competition. Spanoulis later led Olympiacos to the 2017 EuroLeague Final in the same season.

Spanoulis was both the EuroLeague's all-time career leader in assists and the Greek Professional Basket League's all-time career leader in points scored during the 2017-18 season. He was also the top scorer of the 2018 Greek Cup Finals. He was named to the All-EuroLeague Team of the 2017–18 season in May 2018, his eighth All-EuroLeague Team selection of his career, a record for the most All-EuroLeague Team picks of all time.

Spanoulis signed a one-year deal with Olympiacos on July 2, 2018, earning a salary of €1.2 million net income ahead of the 2018-19 season. He was named MVP of Round 14 of the 2018-19 EuroLeague season.

Spanoulis became the Professional Greek League's all-time career assists leader during the 2018-19 season. In a Greek League match against AEK Athens in January 2019, Dimitris Diamantidis defeated the previous record holder, Dimitris Diamantidis. In a EuroLeague match against Olimpia Milano on March 14, Spanoulis suffered a season-ending ankle injury on his right ankle.

Spanoulis returned to individual workouts on July 5th, 2019 after undergoing right ankle surgery for a peroneal tendon rupture. Spanoulis has joined Olympiacos for one year, earning him a €600,000 net salary after returning to individual instruction. Spanoulis graduated Juan Carlos Navarro to become Europe's all-time leader in Performance Index Rating on November 29, 2019. (PIR) In a EuroLeague 2019-20 season match against Olimpia Milano, he reached a historic milestone.

In Olympiacos' loss against Fenerbahçe on January 2, 2020, Spanoulis also passed Navarro as the EuroLeague's top scorer since the 2000–01 season. Spanoulis sustained a season-ending peroneal tendon rupture injury in a EuroLeague match against algiris Kaunas on February 4, 2020. It was the same right foot injury that he suffered with in the previous 2018–19 season. Spanoulis underwent yet another operation on February 7, 2020, to repair the tendon.

Spanoulis was added to the EuroLeague 2010-20 All-Decade Team on May 12, 2020. Spanoulis was named the top EuroLeague player of the 2010–2020 decade by a vote between EuroLeague head coaches, EuroLeague players, followers, and sports journalists, among the ten players selected into the All-Decade Team. He received more than twice as many votes as the player who came in second place in the poll, which was Bogdan Bogdanovi.

Spanoulis re-signed with Olympiacos on July 11, 2020, a one-year €600,000 net income contract, from 2020–21.

National team career

Spanoulis was a key player on the Greek under-18 national team in the 2000 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championships. Greece finished in third place in the tournament, winning the bronze medal. At the 2002 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, Spanoulis was also on the Greek under-20 national team that finished in first place and gained the gold medal. Spanoulis won the gold medal game in the 2002 FIBA Europe Under-20 championship, with just 13 seconds remaining on the clock, and clinch a win over the Spain under 20 national team and win the gold. At the 2001 Mediterranean Games, Spanoulis was also selected in Greece's national under-26 team. Spanoulis was a key player for Greece in the tournament. Greece finished second in second place in the tournament, winning the silver medal.

Spanoulis was the head coach of the Greece national basketball team in scoring in the 2006 FIBA Mini World Cup tournament, which they won. They defeated Australia and then Germany on their way to that triumph, and then to Germany (where the NBA team later included NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki).

Spanoulis was named MVP of both the 2007 and 2009 Acropolis Tournaments in Athens, and he competed for the Greek national team nine times in the years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2015.

Following the 2015 EuroBasket, Spanoulis' withdrawal from the Greece men's national basketball team was revealed on September 17, 2015. He retired from his Greece national basketball team after being the top scorer in every major tournament he competed in, from 2006 to 2010, including 2013 EuroBasket and the 2015 EuroBasket.

"I would love to see Spanoulis join our national team," Rick Pitino, Greece's top national team head coach at the time, said in December 2019. Pitino also said in May 2020, on Spanoulis' return to Greece, "I must say that I still want Spanoulis to play." I hoped that Spanoulis would play before the injury. Even if he isn't 100% ready, I want him to be the leader, and I want him to lead the team. He will need time to get back to his feet. I want him to come as a leader. We will not win with athleticism, but with intelligence and the pride of representing Greece. I love spanoulis, so I want to have him with me. I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

For the first time in 2004, Spanoulis made his debut with the Greece men's national basketball team, Panagiotis Giannakis, who was selected by then head coach George Maroussi to be a member of the Greek team during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Spanoulis was able to play in front of his home country's supporters at Helliniko Olympic Arena, as Greece was the host country for the Olympic Games. Greece finished in 5th place in the tournament, losing to Manu Ginóbili and the eventual gold medal-winning Argentina national basketball team, 69–64, in the quarterfinals. That was tied for Greece's second highest finish in Summer Olympics Basketball in the country's history. Greece's 5th-place finish, making it one of the world's top five national teams, was the start of Greece's spectacular international tournament debut in the 2000s (decade).

Spanoulis was also active in the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he averaged 12.8 points per game, and the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he averaged 19.3 points per game.

Spanoulis was a key participant of the Greek team that secured the EuroBasket and took home the gold medal at the 2005 Eurobasket. It was just the second time in Greece's history that the senior men's national basketball team earned the gold medal at EuroBasket, and the first time since 1987 EuroBasket, when legendary players Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Fasoulas, Fanis Christodoulou, and Panagiotis Giannakis commanded Greece's national team.

Spanoulis was once more a member of Greece's team two years ago at the 2007 EuroBasket. Greece was shorthanded in the tournament, as it was without key players, Antonis Fotsis and Sofoklis Schortsanitis, and was unable to participate in the tournament. Greece finished 4th in the tournament, losing to Spain's many top players, including Marc Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, José Calderón, Sergio Rodrn, Jorge Garbajosa, Rudy Fernández, and Pau Gasol, with Marc Gasol ranked in fourth place. Spanoulis had 24 points in the game, as well as dishing out 5 assists, but Spain had the victory, but by a score of 82-77 over the depleted Greek squad. Spanoulis led the Greek team in scoring during the tournament, with a scoring average of 11.7 points per game.

Spanoulis averaged 14.1 points per game at the 2009 EuroBasket, leading Greece to the bronze medal. He was accepted to the All-Tournament Team. Despite suffering most of the tournament with an ankle injury, Spanoulis came third third in the tournament in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game. He led Greece, with a 20-point scoring effort, to a 79–75 victory over Spain's second-ranked team in the FIBA World Rankings at the time. Spanoulis led the Greek team, which featured four players on it, during the 2014–15 NBA season (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Koufos, Nick Calathes, and Kostas Papanikolaou) in points per game and assists per game during the 2015 EuroBasket (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Koufos, Nick Calathes, and Kostas Papanikolaou) in points per game and assists per game, Spanoulis, who had four players on it during the 2014-2013-2015 season (Giado, Koutokoutokoufo, Nick Cala, Nick Calado, Papaco, Papatufo, Papadaoufo, Koutiao per game and assists per game and assists per game and assists per game and assists per game and assists per game and assists per game and Papaufo, Koutokou's Papaniko's Papaniko, Papado, Koufo, Koufo, Papastats Papalo, Papaziaoufo, Koufo, Koufo, Koufo, Papastato, Papao, Papastato, Papado, Koufo, Kouo, Papanikolaoufo, Papa Papanikoper game, in points per game, Koufo, in points per game and Papanikolaoufolaoufo, in points per game, Papa Papa Papaniko, Papagoo, Greece was eventually disqualified in the quarterfinals by Spain, 73–71, and finished the tournament in fifth place. Spanoulis resigned from the Greek senior national team following the tournament. In every major FIBA tournament that he competed in, he was Greece's top scorer from 2006 to 2013.

Spanoulis was a member of the Greek senior team that competed at the 2006 FIBA World Cup and he helped guide the Greek team to the silver medal after finishing in second place in the tournament. He was the game's second-leading scorer, with 22 points (after Carmelo Anthony, who scored 27 for the USA), and Greece defeated the United States by a score of 101–95. Spanoulis was the leader of the Greece national team in scoring during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring an average of 11.7 points per game, and he also led the Greek team in free throw shooting percentages at 87.8 percent.

Spanoulis also played for Greece at the 2010 FIBA World Cup, where he averaged 13.7 points per game.

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