Founding year: 1890 in Smyrni (now Izmir, Turkey). Relocated to Athens in 1922.

Neighborhood: Nea Smyrni

Colors: Red and blue

Nickname: "The Eternal One". In Greek, club name rhymes with "Eonios", meaning eternal.

Website: www.panioniosbc.gr

Trophies: One Greek Cup (1991)

Legends: Panionios started making its presence felt in Greek basketball in the 1980s. The top player ever to wear its jersey is Fanis "Baby" Christodoulou, a star of the national team that put Greece in the map of Europe by winning the European Championship in 1987. Christodoulou was the quintessential all-around, able to play all five positions, to pass, score, rebound and do just about everything. Former Panionios and Maroussi coach Nikos Linardos, also a member of the 1987 team, preceded him in the club by a few years. Legendary internationals such as Panayotis Giannakis and Takis Koroneos also wore the red and blue towards the end of their careers. P.J. Brown, who was to make an impact in the NBA with later, started his pro career with the club. The late Boban Jankovic, who was paralyzed after banging his head on a basket pole in disgust over a foul call, is also considered by every Panionios fan to be a club legend.

Home court: Hellinikon Olympic Indoor Arena (capacity: 10,000)

Famous fans chant: "Everyone in the arena worship as their god the Eternal Panionios", sung by "the Panthers", as the fans are known.

Arch-rivals:None in particular

Fact file: Its lack of titles belies the fact that Panionios has established itself among the very elite of Greek basketball since the mid-1980s...Nea Smyrni is a classic "hoops" neighborhood in Athens, with a famous central square where fans gather in the cafés and talk about their beloved club...The "Square" has many times voiced its displeasure at the possibility of "flagship" Fanis Christodoulou being transferred, an opposition that was finally overcome only in 1997, when the idol had already turned 32...Nea Smyrni also has another club that has cracked the first division in the past, Milon, but there is no rivalry there, and in fact the clubs have shared an arena at times...Panionios is a traditional force in school basketball, almost always fielding good junior and cadet teams.