It was a deeply emotional and intense moment. Giorgos Oikonomou, still standing tall and distinguished, rose from his seat and walked to the center of the court. PAOK BC President Nikos Vezirtzis embraced him and, together with CEO Ioannis Petmezas, honored Giorgos Oikonomou for his immense contribution to PAOK.
A contribution that is truly invaluable, as it was made during difficult times, when basketball was still in relative obscurity, long before the era of social media exposure, and with very limited visual material preserved to this day.
The PAOK Sports Arena warmly applauded a symbolic athlete who, just as throughout his career, remains humble and low-profile. Oikonomou’s emotion was evident, reflected also in the faces of his family members who accompanied him to the arena—his wife Loukia, his son Asterios, and his daughter Evmorfia.
Visibly moved, Giorgos Oikonomou shared, through his wife Loukia, the following handwritten message addressed to PAOK BC and personally to President Vezirtzis:
“From the bottom of my heart, I thank PAOK BC and especially you, my dear President Nikos Vezirtzis, for this honorary award.
PAOK, for me, was not just a team, but values, pride, a way of life—my home.
I share this honor tonight with the PAOK family, my own family, and at the same time with all my teammates and companions in life who are no longer with us.
Thank you all, and I sincerely wish for our team to achieve its goals. Onward to VICTORY…”