Greek forward Perperoglou retires from basketball at age 36

ISTANBUL

Greek forward Stratos Perperoglou – a onetime player for Turkey’s Anadolu Efes – has retired from basketball, he confirmed on Saturday.

"Over a year has passed since I laced up my shoes for the last time in an official, professional basketball game. Covid brought my career to an abrupt halt in an unexpected way. Over twenty years of my life has been given to the game I love," Perperoglou wrote on Instagram.

"Thank you to all my coaches, I’ve learned something from each of you-beyond basketball into life. Thank you to all my teammates over the years, we share the best, as well as the worst moments together, it truly is a brotherhood," he added.

Perperoglou claimed three EuroLeague titles with Athens-based Panathinaikos – 2009 and 2011 – and Piraeus​​​​​​​-based Olympiacos – 2013 – while he helped his nation to capture the bronze in 2009 EuroBasket.

The 36-year-old also made appearances for Istanbul’s Anadolu Efes, Barcelona, Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda, and Hapoel Jerusalem.