There was a time when the NBA Draft went on longer than it should have, with teams picking players until the ninth round.
Obviously, with only so many roster spots available on the team, it was inevitable that many of these players would be drafted but ultimately not make the team.
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That’s pretty much what happened to Greek basketball legend Panagiotis Giannakis. Considered as one of the country’s greatest sports persons, Giannakis is a EuroLeague champion, a four-time FIBA European Selection member, a seven-time Greek League champion, a seven-time Greek Cup winner, a four-time Greek All-Star and an inductee to the Greek League Hall of Fame.
Before cementing his stardom in his home country of Greece however, Giannakis attempted to try his luck in the NBA.
In 1982, Giannakis was drafted 205th overall by the Boston Celtics and while he did make it all the way to training camp, the Greek star was eventually cut.
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Before he was cut, however, Giannakis had the opportunity to train with the Celtics’ championship core, which of course, included the one and only Larry Bird.
“They kept me, after this camp, to the veterans camp, so I went there with Larry Bird, [Kevin] McHale, Tiny Archibald, Gerald Henderson, Robert Parish. I was almost [on the greatest team ever], but they cut me one week before the start of the season,” Giannakis recalled on the Euro Insiders basketball podcast.
Like many others who have had the pleasure of getting to train with Bird, Giannakis attested to the insane commitment and work ethic that Bird had, even in practice.
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Giannakis’ Practice Experience with Bird
While Giannakis’ NBA career didn’t exactly pan out, he still had the fortune of training alongside one of the greats in Bird.
“I loved to remember that he’s diving for the ball during practice. He was crazy, he was crazy. He gave his best every moment; that was a big lesson. I remember that,” Giannakis recounted.
Giannakis added that the way Bird worked, you wouldn’t think that he’d already accomplished a lot in his NBA career.
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“This person was a big surprise to me because if you see him do work, you’d never believe that he’s already done some great things in basketball,” Giannakis said.
Lessons from Larry Legend
More than just getting to share the practice court, Giannakis also got to pick up a few lessons from Bird.
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“For me, this is the example of what it means, fighting spirit, give your best, learn the way that’s going to get the best of your skills, your body and of your mind,” Giannakis shared.
He also explained what made Bird’s impact different from somebody like Michael Jordan.
“Jordan did something incredible in basketball. He did all the moves come true, flying, dancing, doing everything,” Giannakis explained. “But Larry, he made the people understand that with hard work, you’re going to be part of history, you’re going to be part of unbelievable situations.
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Bird, of course, played 13 years in the NBA, won three NBA Championships, two Finals MVPs, three league MVPs, 12 All-Star appearances, 10 All-NBA selections and a Hall of Fame induction.
To be able to accomplish all of those, indeed, he had to be part of history and part of a lot of unbelievable situations.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
