 Buford also confirmed that it was Spanoulis' choice to not play with the Spurs, and to return to play in Greece.On August 19, 2007, Spanoulis was released by the San Antonio Spurs, after deciding he wanted to play in Greece during the 2007–08 season.This was due to the fact that his mother was in poor health, and that Spanoulis wanted to be near her.