Vlado Jankovic Is Star for Panionios in Greece Eirini Vourloumis for The New York Times Vlado Jankovic under the banner of his father, Boban, who severely damaged his spinal cord while playing for Panionios. His father died in 2006. Jankovic is being scouted by big-budget European teams. More Photos  ATHENS - Vlado Jankovic feels more at home on the Panionios basketball court than other players. On walls of the tiny arena are images of his father, Slobodan Jankovic, who was known as Boban and who was paralyzed in a fluke accident in a game 20 years ago. Fans still sing songs about Boban at each game. Vladimir was 3 when his father fouled out of the April 28, 1993, playoff game against Panathinaikos. Furious about the call - an offensive foul under the basket - Jankovic pivoted, took a big step and accelerated headfirst into the thinly padded stanchion. A 29-year-old power forward, he severely damaged his spinal cord, never walked again and had limited use of his arms. He died in 2006. The young Serbian family planned just one season in Greece. But the Athens neighborhood of Nea Smyrni embraced them, and they stayed. Today, Vlado is a 23-year-old all-star for Panionios, which will probably not be able to afford him after his contract expires this season. He is being scouted by big-budget European teams. "Fans, they're telling me not to leave," Jankovic said. "They're saying: "This is your team. This is your father's team. He would like you to stay. Panionios is a team which helped me. They're my family. That doesn't change. But sometimes in life, one cycle is done so you move on to the next cycle. Leaving your family is never an easy choice. Boban Jankovic was an instant crowd favorite, having scored 30 points in his first exhibition game before the 1992-93 season. Urged by fans, he once launched a shot from near half court. It went in. They erupted as he smiled at them. He often bought food and drinks for fans in cafes. "He was a special man," said his former teammate P. J. Brown, who played one season for Panionios before a 15-year N.B.A. career, which ended in 2008. He always kept the team loose, laughing and having fun. He was smart, like a coach on the floor. He didn't have super explosiveness, but knew how to get to his sweet spots. He had a picture-perfect stroke. And he was a fierce competitor. In one European tournament, Jankovic scored 41 points in a 97-85 victory over the team known today as Virtus Roma, whose top player was Dino Radja, a Croat who later joined the Boston Celtics. "The Croatians and Serbians had that rivalry," Brown said. That was one of the few times I didn't see him smile. He wanted that game really badly. He basically took the team on his back. That passion was evident in the domestic league semifinals against Panathinaikos and the Greek-American guard Nick Galis, who turned Greece basketball mad by leading the Blue and White to victory in the 1987 European championship. Beating Galis would be an achievement for many clubs. Panionios trailed, 56-50, in the fourth quarter. His back to the basket, Jankovic established position on Fragiskos Alvertis, received the ball, dribbled, turned and elevated to shoot. Alvertis fell backward on contact, and the referee called the foul that came right before Jankovic's injury. Life Forever Changed The injury was international news. A teammate, Christianos Chougkaz, had seen Jankovic make similar motions in practice, as if he would head-butt the base of the basket. This time, Jankovic did not hold back. One of several YouTube clips of the injury has more than 260,000 views. "It's very sad for all of us," said Dragana Belojevic Jankovic, who was courtside when her husband was injured. These things can break you. Panionios hired helpers for Jankovic, but there were some lean financial years. Fans and friends chipped in. "All the shops here in the Nea Smyrni area never took money from Boban," said 34-year-old Costas Hadgiandreou, who leads the Panionios fan club. I used to work in a clothes shop. He used to come - free clothes. We loved him."Jankovic, a fixture at home games in the team's 2,500-capacity arena, had a heart attack and died June 28, 2006, aboard a ferry bound for Rhodes. He was 42.