Panathinaikos legend Dimitris Diamantidis has announced that he will retire from competitive basketball at the end of the upcoming season.

The 35-year-old, the all-time Euroleague leader in assists, a three-time Euroleague champion and a six-time winner of the Best Defender award is determined to play one more season with his beloved Athens side but feels that it feels right to retire.

“I don’t have to think about it any more, I have already decided,” Diamantidis told Greek newspaper Prasini, a paper owned by Panathiniakos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos.

“I want to play for one more season. I want to finish my career the best way possible. My goal is to be healthy and help my team win titles. If we manage to achieve that, it will be the best possible ending for me.”

Diamantidis, who also competed and won gold for Greece at Eurobasket 2005 plus silver at the 2006 world championships has said that it is time to move on – and despite leaving behind a personal legacy – it’s time for younger players to shine.

“That’s life,” he said. “There will be new players. I will stop playing but basketball and Panathinaikos will go on. Nothing is going to change. I feel full. I don’t look back yet. I have lived many great moments, I never expected all this. I just hope to be healthy and add something more this year.”

Best of Dimitris Diamantidis:

Diamantidis’ compilation of assists: