Lambesis finds Greece is the word when it comes to high-quality team basketball
For flat-out skill, the National Basketball Association rules.
As to how the game is played, its style, Peter Lambesis believes European basketball is where it’s at.
We caught up with the St. Viator graduate, a starting guard for Koroivos Amaliadas in the Greek Elite League, through the wonders of email. It cut through the eight-hour time difference.
“European basketball, especially EuroLeague — the highest level — is arguably the best ‘basketball’ in the world, while the NBA is the highest level of basketball talent (and) skill,” Lambesis said.
“NBA teams would handle the top European teams. However, the quality of ‘basketball’ in regards to Xs and Os and such is probably better in Europe.”
A former Daily Herald All-Area player at St. Viator, Lambesis, 26, has had a couple years to study it.
A 6-foot-5 guard out of Mount Prospect, Lambesis averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds for Koroivos in 2024-25 after finishing stateside studies at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. This season, he’s improved across the board.
According to EuroBasket.com through Jan. 10 he was averaging 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals for a 9-7 team, sixth in the 15-team Elite League. Lambesis said Stevenson graduate John Ittounas is playing in Greece as well, for Peristeri Betsson.
“I enjoy playing here,” Lambesis said in his email. “The first season took some adjusting as the style of play is much different. European basketball is much more strategic and tactical in terms of play-calling, foul usage and timing.
“I had to adjust to see the game as a different style, rather than one as right or wrong. In Europe, American basketball is seen as more up-tempo and athletic, while Europeans consider their own brand of basketball as an art with more schemes and set plays. It’s more of a traditional style of basketball.
“As an off-ball player, I had to adjust to finding ways to impact the game without constantly having the ball in my hands — steals and offensive rebounds, for example,” he said.
Lambesis had it all going on at Illinois Wesleyan, where he was a first-team College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin selection as a senior in 2021-22.
A graduate transfer to Trevecca, after an initial season lost to injury, in 2023-24 Lambesis helped the Trojans win 16 games after they’d won two the prior season.
He hopes to play professional basketball “as long as I can,” he said, and will battle to move up to Europe’s top league, the EuroLeague.
After this season ends in May he’ll return to Mount Prospect to run a second year of youth basketball camps.
Meanwhile, when not in the gym Lambesis relaxes at the beach, explores his faith and visits “every coffee shop I can find,” he said.
“There’s a ton of alone time while you’re overseas so the goal is figuring out what interests and hobbies you have outside of basketball,” he said.
Center of attention
Rolling Meadows product Jack Hextall, a 17-year-old center for the Youngstown (Ohio) Phantoms of the United States Hockey League, is rostered for the Chipotle All-American Game, Thursday at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.
Committed to play for No. 3 Michigan State University, Hextall has several championships under his belt, including an Under-15 Tier 1 national title with the Chicago Mission.
In 34 games with the Phantoms through Saturday, he’d scored 11 goals with 19 assists for 30 points. Hextall is ranked between Nos. 14-30 among 2026 NHL Entry Draft prospects by various scouting services, according to EliteProspects.com.
Congratulations
The Illinois Track and Cross Country Coaches Association inducted its 50th hall of fame class on Saturday in Itasca.
Among the seven inductees were Suzanne Curry (Vernon Hills), Steve Luke (Waubonsie Valley), Dave Racey (Naperville North), and Kurt Hasenstein (Glenbrook South), a longtime Bartlett resident — and once a North Central College decathlete — before he moved to Minnesota.
Having formerly covered track and field for more than 20 years, this writer can vouch that these hall of fame coaches epitomized all that is good about high school sports.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com