Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece, was the central point of the growing up of Hellenic basketball from the mid ‘80ies, and for about ten years there was one of the main cities for the European basketball.

Aris and P.A.O.K., the most popular basketball clubs were two of the top European basketball teams those years. Aris participated three times in the final four of the European Champions Cup, and P.A.O.K. did the same once. In addition, Aris won three times other European Cups and P.A.O.K. won the Winners’ Cup and the Corach Cup.

Organized events for veteran basketball players started in Thessaloniki in 1994, and the last 14 years a lot of activities became in the city. The Thessaloniki Basketball Veteran Players’ Association is based in Thessaloniki and it is growing up year by year. The Association counts more than 300 active members, and last year 20 teams participated in the local championship.

In April 2000, an importand game was organized during the Final Four of the Euroleague in Thessaloniki. A game between Thessaloniki All Stars and Europe All Stars. That was the first international activity for the Hellenic Basketball Veteran Players’ Association.

Since 2001, Hellas (Greece) and specially Thessaloniki has a close contact with Maxibasketball, and many teams have participated in FIMBA events (Liubliana 2001 – 1 team, Athens 2002 – 6 teams, Helsinki 2004 – 2 teams, Hamburg 2006 – 3 teams, San Juan 2007 – 1 team, Pesaro 2008 – 3 teams, Prague 2009 – 5 teams).

Last years, there is started maxibasketball activity in some other cities, under the guiding of the Hellenic Basketball Veteran Players’ Association (Athens, Larisa, Chalkidiki, Xanthi, Seres) and very soon there will be new teams participating in World and European Championships.

All the official local and basketball authorities recognize the veteran basketball players in Thessaloniki as an alive part of the athletic community, and there are very friendly relations between them. The Prefecture and the Municipality of Thessaloniki support every event organized for maxibasketball and they will stand by the Association in the case of an International event in our city.

Now, the next step for maxibasketball in Greece will be hosting an International FIMBA Championship in Thessaloniki the maxibasketball city of the country. A target that all the members of the board of trustees of the Hellenic Veteran Basketball Players’ Association are working for, and all the maxibasketball players wish that they will get the positive decision from FIMBA to do it.