Fedon Matheou, Greek basketball player and coach, died at 87.

Fedon Mattheou, also spelled Faidon Matthaiou^[1] and Phaedon Mathaiou was a retired Greek professional basketball coach and basketball player. He was a center and in the end of his career a play maker and he wore the number 1 jersey throughout his career. He represented Greece twice at the Summer Olympics, as a rower in 1948 and as a basketball player in 1952.^[1]

(12 July 1924 – 17 September 2011^[2])

Pro playing career

He began playing professional basketball as well as many other sports, with Aris BC in 1945. In 1949, he was transferred to Panathinaikos BC. He played as well with Panionios BC, Pallacanestro Varese and Sporting BC.

Greek national basketball team

Mattheou also played for the Greek national basketball team, as one of its leading members for 44 games, and he scored a total of 539 points (12.25 points per game). He also played in the very first official game of the Greek national squad, which was played at the 1949 European Championship. He was the team's leading scorer at that tournament with 66 points, while the Greek national team also won the tournament's bronze medal. He participated as a player in 2 European Championship tournaments, the 1949 European Championship and the 1951 European Championship,^[3] and also in the Olympic Basketball Tournament of 1952.^[1]

Coaching career

After his playing career ended, he coached the Greek national squad at 3 European Championship tournaments, the 1961 European Championship, the 1965 European Championship and the 1969 European Championship. He also coached professional sport clubs of the Greek League such as AEK Athens BC, PAOK BC, Olympiacos BC and Peristeri BC.
Fedon Mattheou is widely considered to be the Patriarch of Greek basketball.


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