Solon Economou

Cape's John Tanionos brings hoopsters to Greece

Cape's John Tanionos brings hoopsters to Greece

John Tanionos of East Sandwich, past president of the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, has recently returned from bringing a Greek American Division 1 basketball team to Greece.

Tanionos was Coordinator and Fundraiser of the national AHEPA committee which organized the 2008 Basketball Odyssey to Greece, in which some of America's Division 1 Greek American college hoopsters and some top high school recruits toured Greece in a series of exhibition games.  The team consisted of eight college players and two high school players, one of the latter being Constantine Mallios of Winthrop High here in Massachusetts.

AHEPA used to send basketball teams to Greece regularly in the 1970s and 1980s, but has not organized any for some time now.  "The previous experiences opened doors for Greeks to come to the United States to play college basketball, and it allowed Greek Americans to play professionally in Greece,"  said John.

Tanionos and other members of the national AHEPA family thought this would be a good time to renew the practice, especially during the AHEPA National Convention, which was being held in Athens this year.

John said, "Some of my greatest and most vivid memories are from Sons of Pericles national basketball tournaments I participated in during the late 1960s and early 1970s in New York, Chicago and Baltimore.  Think of the experience, memories and life-lasting impression it would leave on all young Hellenes, going to Greece to participate in a basketball tournament with the championship game being held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens."

Tanionos and the rest of the committee made it happen for these hoopsters.

John said the players were astounded at the welcome they received.  "Yiannis Ioannidis, Greek Minister of Sport, rolled out the red carpet for them."  Minister of Sport?  I guess the Greeks haven't forgotten they started the Olympics.

How did the team do?  3 and 2.  They lost the first two games, but won the next three, including two against Greece's Junior National team, which was #2 in Europe last year.

I call John Tanionos "the quiet Greek" who makes things happen.  "Quiet?" you who know him may ask.  "John quiet?  Are you nuts?"  Not exactly.  John likes to talk, but works hard to shake things up and get things moving behind the scenes. 

He is also a fundraiser extraordinaire.  Keep your hands on your wallet when you're near him.  A while ago he sold me a $100 raffle ticket for some good cause, the prize being either a new Mercedes or a trip to Crete, I forget which.  Well, I'm still driving a 15-year-old Mercury and the farthest I've gone since then is New Hampshire.

But he and the AHEPA committee got the kids to Greece.  Congratulations, John.

Tanionos is pictured above with Archbishop Demitrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Exarch of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.   Knowing John's fundraising skills, it's a toss-up on who copped a donation from whom.