1994 and 1995. This was evident in both the semi-final of the A1 Playoffs, when he nearly led his team past Panathinaikos ending the three game series with 100% shooting from the free-throw line (4/4, 3/3, and 4/4), and in the 3rd place playoff, when he led Panionios to a 3-0 sweep of PAOK with 27, 26 and 17 points. 1996–97 season Aborted move to Atlanta Hawks Paspalj had a very eventful summer in 1996. The rediscovered confidence and form became evident at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, when 30-year-old Paspalj scored 16 points in the first half of the final against the Dream Team as Yugoslavia only trailed 38-43 at halftime. He faded in the second half along with entire Yugoslavia team, but still ended up a top scorer with 19 points, leaving a good impression that prompted Atlanta Hawks to invite him to pre-season training camp in September. This came after Paspalj very nearly rejoined Olympiacos, now managed by his former Panionios mentor Ivković – a move that would have delighted most fans of the Piraeus club, who still retained tremendous affection for Paspalj's achievement in raising the club into the powerhouse of Europe, despite his subsequent move to Panathinaikos. His stay in Atlanta, however, was even shorter than his tenure with the Spurs. A week into camp, he relinquished the guaranteed clause in his contract and returned to Europe because of family problems. The return to the NBA thus fell through and it was soon discovered that the reason for his abrupt return home were the revelations of an extramarital affair with a woman in Athens. Paspalj considered giving up basketball in the autumn of 1996 and took a break from the sport for several months to give his body a chance to recover from years of non-stop wear and tear. Racing Paris Paspalj would sign with Racing Paris, joining the squad featuring France national team regulars Stéphane Risacher and Richard Dacoury, former NBA players J. R. Reid and Sedale Threatt as well as Paspalj's old Yugoslav national teammate Jure Zdovc. Paspalj spent the 1996–97 season in Paris, leading the club to its first national title in 43 years. During this period, he averaged 12 points per game and shot over 80 percent from the free throw line, indicating that his shooting confidence was returning. Back to Greece: Aris Paspalj returned to Greece, his second home,