Konstantinos "Kostas" Papanikolaou (born 31 July 1990) (nicknamed Air Pap) is a Greek professional basketball player and the team captain for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the EuroLeague.
Standing at 2.04 m (6'8 1⁄2") tall, he plays at the small forward position. He has previously played in the NBA for the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets, as well as for the EuroLeague powerhouse FC Barcelona. Papanikolaou is also a regular member of the senior Hellenic national team. He is widely considered amongst the best defensive players in European basketball.
2007
As a member of the junior national basketball teams of Greece, Papanikolaou won the silver medal at the 2007 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship and the gold medal at the 2008 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.
2008
Papanikolaou began playing basketball with the youth teams of Proteas Grevenon and Aris, and he made his pro debut in the Greek League, with Aris, during the 2008–09 season.
2009
He was named the MVP of the Greek Youth All-Star Game in 2009.
He was also named the Greek League's Best Young Player in 2009.
On 14 September 2009, Papanikolaou signed a five-year, €1.3 million net income deal with Olympiacos, after Olympiacos paid a €950,000 buyout fee to Aris, to secure his player rights.
Papanikolaou's contract with Olympiacos had an NBA buyout clause worth €1 million.
He also won the silver medal at the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.
Papanikolaou also won the gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he was also named to the All-Tournament Team and won the MVP award.
In August 2009, Papanikolaou made his debut with the senior men's Greek national basketball team, in a friendly game.
2010
He then won the silver medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship with Greece's junior national team, where he was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
2011
With Greece's senior national team, he then played at EuroBasket 2011, the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the EuroBasket 2013, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, the EuroBasket 2015, the EuroBasket 2017, the 2019 FIBA World Cup and the EuroBasket 2022.
He has appeared in 134 games for the senior national side and has scored a total of 842 points.
A smart off-ball player with speed and size, Papanikolaou can play the positions 2-4 comfortably.
He is a very effective shooter from 3-point range, and also loves to attack close-outs and finish strong at the rim.
2012
With Olympiacos, he won the EuroLeague and Greek League championships in 2012.
Papanikolaou was voted the EuroLeague Rising Star for the EuroLeague 2012–13 season.
With Olympiacos, he also won the 2012–13 season EuroLeague championship.
On 28 June 2012, Papanikolaou was selected with the 48th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.
On July 16, 2012, his draft rights were acquired by the Portland Trail Blazers, via a trade that sent Raymond Felton to the Knicks.
2013
On 20 July 2013, Papanikolaou signed a four-year deal with Spanish League club FC Barcelona, after Barcelona bought Papanikolaou out of his contract with Olympiacos, paying a transfer buyout fee of €1.5 million to Olympiacos, and giving Papanikolaou a contract worth €5.5 million net income, during the contract's first three years (the 4th optional year would be at an additional salary).
Barcelona went on to win the 2013–14 Spanish Liga ACB championship.
On 10 July 2013, Papanikolaou's rights were acquired by the Houston Rockets, via a trade that sent Thomas Robinson to the Trail Blazers.
On the other side of the ball, Papanikolaou is a very effective defender, particularly early in his career where he was the 2013 Greek League Defensive Player of the Year, winning the same honor in the Spanish ACB League in the 2014 season.
He has also been recognized as a leader, captaining Olympiacos to the Euroleague Championship Game in 2023.
Excellent defender, to his long legs and elusive abilities, while helping him play left-handed.
Aris Thessaloniki
Olympiacos
2014
The contract included NBA buyout clauses in the amounts of €1.1 million for 2014, and €750,000 for 2015.
On 23 September 2014, Papanikolaou signed with the Houston Rockets.
2015
On 13 February 2015, he took part in the Rising Stars Challenge of the NBA All-Star Game; in spite of an injury-plagued rookie season, during which he averaged 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, while coming off the bench, the Rockets decided to pick up his team option for the 2015–16 season.
On 20 July 2015, the Rockets traded Papanikolaou, Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson, Pablo Prigioni, a 2016 first-round draft pick, and cash considerations to the Denver Nuggets, in exchange for Ty Lawson and a 2017 second-round draft pick.
On 25 September 2015, he was waived by the Nuggets.
He later re-signed with Denver on November 5, 2015, and made his debut for the team that night.
2016
He was waived again by the Nuggets on 7 January 2016, before his salary became fully guaranteed.
On 20 January 2016, Papanikolaou signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Olympiacos, returning to the club for a second stint.
2018
On 5 July 2018, Papanikolaou and Olympiacos officially agreed on a new three-year contract extension.
2020
He signed another three-year extension on 22 September 2020.
On July 6, 2023, Papanikolaou renewed his contract with the Greek club through 2026.
