Aigaleo B.C. (alternate spelling: Egaleo) (Greek: Αιγάλεω KAE) is a Greek professional basketball team that is located in Aigaleo, Greece, which is a suburb of Athens. The club's full name is Aigaleo A.O. B.C. (Greek: Αιγάλεω A.O. KAE). Aigaleo currently plays in the third-tier level of Greek basketball, the Greek B Basket League.
History
The team's parent athletic club was founded in 1931, as Ierapolis Athletic Union (Greek: Αθλητική Ένωσις Ιεράπολι), and the basketball division of the athletic organization was founded in 1956,[1] by Alexandros Stavropoulos. Although the basketball department was founded in 1956, it took the club exactly fifty years to participate in the Greek First Division, which is the highest professional basketball league in Greece, in the 2006–07 season. During the 1950s and 1960s, the team remained in the lowest local (third) division, until 1971, when it qualified for the higher league, because of a new categorical system.
In 1973 and 1974, Aigaleo B.C. won two league promotions, and finally took part in the 3rd-tier level Greek B Basket League (1974–75, 1975–76 seasons). For the next 12 years, the team participated in the first local league (A E.S.K.A.), except in the 1981–82 season, when it was in the B E.S.K.A., after 1981's relegation. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Aigaleo B.C. participated in the 4th-tier level Greek C Basket League, where it played six seasons in total, but was it relegated again to the local league in 1994.
In 1997, Aigaleo won the A E.S.K.A. championship, and after two years, in 1999, Aigaleo B.C. returned to the Greek B League, where it played for six seasons in total. In 2004, Aigaleo B.C. won the Greek B League championship, and after having a short presence in the 2nd-tier level Greek A2 Basket League, it was promoted to the top-tier level Greek Basket League, in 2006. From 1999 to 2006, the team was coached by Dimitrios Karvelas, and after him, Thanasis Skourtopoulos took that position.
Arena
Aigaleo plays its home games at the 2,000 seat Aigaleo Stavros Venetis Indoor Hall.
"Απ' τις αλάνες της Ε.Σ.Κ.Α. στα παρκέ της A1-The History of Egaleo Men Basketball Team 1956–2008", Nikos D. Nikolaidis, "Emvryo" Publications, 2008, ISBN9789608002456.
