Pappas is from Aidipsos in where he grew up. He started his career from the local club Syllas.Then, he transferred to Locros Atalanti.[4]
His mother is Greek Cypriot from Famagusta.[5]
Professional career
Pappas made his professional debut in the Greek League with Panellinios, during the 2006–07 season. He made his debut in Europe's continent-wide second-tier level competition, the EuroCup, with Panellinios, during the 2007–08 season. He signed a 5-year contract with the Spanish League club Bilbao Basket in 2008.
On 20 June 2013, Pappas joined the Greek club Panathinaikos. He was announced as a new player of Panathinaikos, for the following three seasons, along with his Panionios teammate Vlado Janković.[6] During his second season with Panathinaikos, Pappas switched his jersey number from 15 to 11.
On 22 April 2015, after winning his first EuroLeague MVP of the Round award, after the third week's game of the EuroLeague playoffs, in which he scored 25 points against CSKA Moscow,[7] it was officially announced that Pappas had renewed his contract with Panathinaikos, until 2018.[8] On 16 May 2015, Pappas suffered a torn ACL injury, and a tear of his meniscus, in a Greek League game against Kolossos Rodou, after falling awkwardly, after being fouled on a play by Vassilis Toliopoulos. He was operated on the day after, and his return to playing basketball was scheduled at 5–6 months time, at the earliest.[9] On November 30, 2015, in a Greek League game against Lavrio, Pappas made his first re-appearance in an official game, 6-and-a-half months after his injury. He scored 2 points in the game.[10]
During a press conference on July 3, 2020, it was confirmed by the team's new head coach Georgios Vovoras that Pappas was parting ways with the Athenian club after seven seasons.
On August 16, 2021, Pappas signed with AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League.[13] He was constantly plagued by injuries and he also spent the final stretch of the season under suspension, after falling out with new coach Curro Segura, who took over the team after Stefanos Dedas signed with CSKA Moscow. In 12 league games, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals, playing around 27 minutes per contest.
Final season with Panathinaikos (2022–2023)
After assisting the team in the pre-season, on December 3, 2022, Pappas was signed on for the rest of the 2022–2023 campaign in order to close out his playing career with his beloved Panathinaikos. He made his debut on December 11, 2022, in a match against AEK Athens.
Pappas appeared in a total of only four domestic league games, scoring one basket against Olympiacos in Game 4 of the Greek Basket League finals.
Reportedly, Pappas pledged to donate the entirety of his contract pay to the sanitation workers at the Athens Olympic Stadium complex.
On July 21, 2023, Panathinaikos officially bade farewell to the retiring player.
Pappas first trained with the senior men's Greek national basketball team in 2010. In the summer of 2016, it was reported that Pappas was interested in playing with the senior Cypriot national basketball team, due to his mother's Greek Cypriot origins.[20] However, in 2017, he was re-called to Greece's senior national team.
On 19 August 2017, he scored 22 points (career high with the senior Greek NT) in a friendly game against Great Britain, in London. He then played with Greece at the EuroBasket 2017.
Wheelchair basketball career
Since 2020, Pappas announced that he was to become member of Panathinaikos' wheelchair basketball team.[21] This became official in February 2023,[22] with Pappas becoming a player simultaneously active in both a basketball and wheelchair basketball team.[23] He made his debut on 8 April 2023 in a game against PASKA, during which he scored 5 points.[24][citation needed][25]
Player profile
Pappas began his career playing as a combo guard with the junior national teams of Greece, and in his early club career. After maturing as a player, he became more of a pure shooting guard who can occasionally operate as a swingman.