Until a few years before the huge evolution of Greek basketball, sports games in Greece were held in outdoor fields up until the early '80s; the big derbies, the games of the National Team, the matches of Greek teams in the European cups.
Thomas Mavros pulled some strings for Nikos Alefantos to join the team, hoping that he would help him in the field, but instead, when he took over he forced Mavros out of the team. A few years later, Mavros would have his revenge.
In 1983, a game took place in Alexandreio between the National Team of Greece and the North Carolina College, a match that was of enormous importance, as the most talented college player was Michael Jordan.
In 1980, one of the most passionate matches in Greece's national football team history was held in the Leoforos Alexandras Stadium against the Italian national team.
In 1983, Olympiacos B.C. was losing its glory; at the same time, Panathinaikos B.C. was waning, too. The era of Nikos Galis had begun, as Aris won the championship that year.
A great match that had absorbed every single Greek; the arena was bursting at the seams and, through ERT's camera, we remember every moment of this historical match.
The European Football Championship is considered one of the most important football events; 32 teams qualify for the main event, yet in 1976 only four reached the finals. The last event that followed that format took place in Belgrade.
In 1978, Aris won the Championship. A few months later Galis had offers from Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and Aris. Not knowing a thing about Greek basketball, he said that he would choose the champion.
Mimis Domazos and Mimis Papaioannou are by all accounts the top Greek footballers. In the autumn of 1976, they decided to collaborate for one last time, aiming at the World Cup in Argentine.
Autumn of 1988. A great match, interrupted at times, finally ended 1-1. Maradona lived up to the expectations, despite the disqualification. Decades later, before his death, he mentioned this match as one of the most unique in his career.
Two great javelin throwers yet completely different personalities competing not just in sports but also on a personal level. Verouli gold medalist in the European Games in Athens. Sakorafa bronze one. Days later she broke the world record.
In the 1969 European Athletics Championships there were excellent performances, but this did not matter, as they happened under the shadow of torture, which did not stop for a moment during the event.
Giorgos Koudas had decided to retire, despite his great performances; PAOK lost and "Alexander the Great", as they called him, decided to continue, hoping for a great finale.
In the autumn of 1982, for the first and last time, a demonstration match was held between Greeks and foreigners who played in Greek teams, as a celebration for football players.
Olympiacos desperately wanted a victory and it looked like the "red-whites" scoring was a matter of time; then Bajevic made the golden substitution bringing in Takis Karagiozopoulos, who scored AEK's winning goal.
Winning the third place at the European Championship with Thanasis Margaritis as a coach and big names, such as Dimitris Gontikas, Stelios Kazazis and Michalis Triantafyllidis, is the greatest success to date for Greek volleyball.
The world basketball has never before experienced such a major turn of events, at such a high level. The Yugoslavs led by 9 points, but the Soviets with three 3-pointers in a row evened the score and they took the victory in overtime.
Their cooperation on the field, as well as their friendship made history in the '80s; Mitropoulos cleared spaces or won headers and Anastopoulos shot the ball. More rarely, the roles were reversed.
N 1981, Loukas Barlos and Dusan Bajevic leave AEK, marking the start of a "dark era" that lasted until Bajevic's return. The 1982-83 season was the only success of the team and bears the signature of Thomas Mavros.
Every night, immediately after the match, the protagonists of the team went to a makeshift studio created by ERT inside the Peace and Friendship Stadium, with journalist Haris Alevropoulos as the host.
Nikos Sarganis is probably the best Greek goalkeeper of all times, with a legendary career, as his appearances in two matches, at an advanced football age, have made history.
The English team was having one of the peak moments of its history and Aris was still recovering from a very recent defeat in the Greek Championship by Olympiacos, in the playoffs in Volos.
Anderlecht, Leeds, Gladbach, Saint-Étienne, Dynamo Kiev and many other teams were admired throughout Europe and proved that Utopia was still possible in the European Cups.
Christos Dimopoulos was one of the top center forward in the '80s. He had a menacing left foot and an equally strong head-shot. But mostly, he had a will of steel.
Before Voula Patoulidou's success in the 1992 Olympic Games, track and field was a lonely affair for a select few and with scant means. In those stone years, Stavros Tziortzis and Giorgos Parris formed the top duo of Greek track and field.
Mimis Domazos and Mimis Papaioannou can be rightfully placed at the top of the truly great Greek football players. Papaioannou was a top striker, a great scorer and top figure of both AEK and the National team.
The 1982 European Athletics Championships were held in Athens, at the Olympic Stadium, whose construction had just been completed to welcome the games.
Matches between Chelsea and Real Madrid are very common in the Champions League era. But it didn't used to be that way. The most important match between them in the old days had taken place in Greece.
Playoffs, whether they decide the title winner or who remains in the league, are special matches, where the analogy to life and death comes into being, even as an exaggeration.
Before the triumph of Greek National Team in Eurobasket 1987 which shaped the sport, the image of domestic basketball was associated with poverty, financial difficulties, small courts and far fewer though always ardent fans of the sport.
AEK's course towards the basketball Cup Winners' Cup is now considered as a part of the modern history of Greece. The players, the news and the voice of Vasilis Georgiou are much more than just a sporting event.
During the 1981-82 season, Panathinaikos had to win the famous CSKA Moscow by 4 points, in the crucial last match, to qualify to the final 6 of the European Cup. A match which remained in history for the eternal last second.
The 1980 Nations' Cup (now Euro) was the first time the Greek national team participated in the tournament where it managed to stand its ground. Due to the Greek participation, ERT broadcast many matches and for the first time in color.
Dusan Bajevic is well-known to younger fans for his tumultuous coaching career, mainly in AEK, but also in Olympiacos and PAOK. However, Dusan's first post in Greece was the tenure in AEK, as a player, between 1977-1981.
In 1981, the Greek national team attempted an experiment which, although unsuccessful, proved extremely useful for the development of the team. Coach Giannis Ioannidis attempted to play with 3 short players: Galis, Giannakis and Koronaios.
Between 1967 and 1969 the Greek national team achieved great victories against Austria, Portugal, Switzerland. The team featuring Domazos, Sideris, Papaioannou and many more aces, was the best of all time at an individual-player level.