Peristeri

Early years and rise of the club

The club began play in the 1971–72 season. In the 1977–78 season, Peristeri Athens won the third level championship of Greek pro basketball, under head coach Faidon Matthaiou. In the 1982–83 season, under head coach Thanasis Christoforou, Peristeri won the second level championship of Greek pro basketball, which was at that time, the Greek B League. In the following 1983–84 season, Peristeri played games for the first time, in the top-tier level Greek Basket League. Peristeri won the Greek 2nd Division championship again, in the 1988–89 season.

In the subsequent years, the team was very successful, and many well-known basketball players played for the club. During this era, Peristeri competed in the European 3rd-tier level FIBA Korać Cup seven times (in the seasons 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, and 1999–00). Well-known players such as: Audie Norris, Marko Jarić, Milan Gurović, Angelos Koronios, Michalis Pelekanos, Kostas Tsartsaris, Alphonso Ford, Benoit Benjamin, Gary Leonard, Randy White, Marlon Maxey, and Conner Henry played for the club in that era.

In the 2000–01 season, led by the great scorer Ford, Peristeri finished in second place in the top-tier Greek League, in the regular season. The club also competed in the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague competition, during the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons. In the 2002–03 season, Peristeri competed in the European third-tier level FIBA Europe Champions Cup. In the 2003–04 season, the club played in the European 3rd-tier level FIBA Europe League.

Decline of the club

Following the 2003–04 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri was downgraded to the second division Greek A2 League for the 2004–05 season, due to great financial troubles within the Peristeri Sports Club. The club also competed in the Greek 2nd Division in the 2005–06 season. The club was then relegated down to the Greek 3rd Division, for the 2006–07 season. After winning the Greek 3rd Division championship, in the 2006–07 season, Peristeri returned to the Greek 2nd Division, for the 2007–08 season. Peristeri then won the Greek 2nd Division championship, in the 2008–09 season.

Peristeri then competed in the top-tier level Greek 1st Division, in the 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13 seasons. After the 2012–13 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri was again relegated down to the second-tier level Greek A2 League. However, due to economic issues, the club did not take part in the A2 League in the following season, and instead competed in the third-tier level Greek B League, during the 2013–14 season.

Peristeri managed to win the 2014–15 edition of the Greek 2nd-tier level ESKA Cup competition. While in that same 2014–15 season, Peristeri finished in fourth place, in the First Group of the third-tier level Greek B League, and thus did not earn a direct league promotion. Nevertheless, due to the withdrawal of Panionios Athens from the second-tier level Greek A2 League, Peristeri was then promoted back up to the A2 League, as they replaced Panionios in the competition, for the 2015–16 season. However, following that season, the club was relegated back down to the Greek 3rd Division, for the 2016–17 season.

Return to European-wide competitions

Peristeri won the Greek 3rd Division in the 2016–17 season. Then, in the following 2017–18 season, Peristeri won its third Greek 2nd Division championship. The team broke the league's win–loss record during that season, and finished with an overall record of 29 wins and just 1 loss. Thus, the club was promoted up to the top-tier level Greek Basket League, for the 2018–19 season. The return arrival of head coach Argyris Pedoulakis proved to be a key factor for the team. With Pedoulakis coaching, and with a core of quality players, Peristeri finished second in the regular season, and in fourth place overall at the end of the league's playoffs, which thus secured the team's return to European-wide competitions.

The club then joined one of the two European-wide secondary leagues, the FIBA Basketball Champions League (BCL), for the 2019–20 season. The team had a successful BCL season, as they managed to progress to the round of 16 of the FIBA Champions League, where they were ultimately eliminated by the Israeli Super League club Hapoel Jerusalem. Peristeri finished in the third position of the 2019–20 Greek Basket League season, although the Greek League season ended prematurely, in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.

Peristeri were the finalists of the 2020 edition of the Greek Super Cup competition, after they defeated the Greek EuroLeague giants Panathinaikos Athens, by a score of 90–82 in the semifinals. They lost to Promitheas Patras, by a score of 82–74 in the finals. Peristeri's 2020–21 Greek Basket League season wasn't as successful as the previous one, as they finished in sixth place in the league. In European-wide play, they also competed in the 2020–21 FIBA Champions League season. During that season, the team used three different head coaches. The team also struggled to develop proper player chemistry throughout the duration of the season. Ultimately, Peristeri was unable to match their high points of the previous two seasons.

Under head coach Milan Tomić, Peristeri finished the 2021–22 Greek Basket League season in 8th place. While in Pan-European competition, they competed in the European-wide fourth-tier level FIBA Europe Cup competition's 2021–22 season. In August 2022, the team was given the new sponsorship name of Peristeri B.C. Athens Bwin, after the club secured a naming rights deal with Bwin, for the purposes of increasing the team's budget, as part of an overall effort by the club to position itself in a higher echelon within the Greek Basket League.

An international legend becomes the head coach

Peristeri hired international basketball legend Vassilis Spanoulis to its head coaching position, for the 2022–23 season. Spanoulis guided the team to its first ever appearance in the Final of the Greek Cup competition. However, they were defeated in the 2022–23 Greek Cup final by the EuroLeague giants Olympiacos Piraeus. In the 2022–23 Greek Basket League season, Peristeri finished in third place in the league, and managed to beat the EuroLeague giants Panathinaikos Athens, three different times during the overall season. In European-wide play, Peristeri also competed in the 2022–23 FIBA Champions League season, where they were eliminated in the play-ins by the French Pro A League club JDA Dijon, 2–1 in a three game series.