on both occasions. In 2006, he was named the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year. Professional career Early years A native of Athens, Greece, Papaloukas began his big career at the small local Athens junior team Ethnikos Ellinoroson. He then played for another small, but at the time rising club, called Ampelokipoi, with whom he began his pro career in 1995. He then transferred to Dafni of the Greek 2nd Division in 1997, and transferred again two years later to Panionios, a traditional basketball club of the top-tier level Greek Basket League. With Dafni, Papaloukas won the Greek 2nd Division title, and the Greek 2nd Division Player of the Year award, in the 1998–99 season. In 2001, Papaloukas finally moved to Olympiacos, a long-time Greek League power, as well as one of the perennial contenders in the EuroLeague. With Olympiacos, he led the Greek Basket League in assists in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons. After the 2001–02 season, he left Olympiacos, and moved to another EuroLeague powerhouse, the Russian Super League A club CSKA Moscow, in 2002. CSKA Moscow After three disappointing years, at the club level, Papaloukas was a main factor helping the team win the 2005–06 EuroLeague title, the club's first EuroLeague title in 35 years, with a clutch performance in the 2006 Final Four - 19 points in the semifinal against FC Barcelona, and another 18 points at the final against the then back-to-back European champions, Maccabi Tel Aviv, which led to him being awarded him the Final Four MVP award; after he was also named the best point guard of the EuroLeague for that season. Alongside him on the All-EuroLeague First Team, were the best shooting guard, Juan Carlos Navarro of Barça, the best small forward, Anthony Parker of Maccabi (the 2005–06 EuroLeague MVP), the best power forward, Luis Scola of TAU Cerámica, and the best center, Nikola Vujčić of Maccabi. In 2007, Papaloukas was voted the EuroLeague MVP of 2006–07 EuroLeague season. CSKA advanced to the final against Panathinaikos, which was held on the Greens' home court, the Athens Olympic Indoor Hall (which had been chosen as the site more than a year in advance). Panathinaikos won the game, by a score of 93–91, in a very exciting game. Papaloukas scored 23 points and dished out 8 assists, but a number of sportswriters intimated that he did not receive adequate support from his CSKA