- Nick Galis
Infobox Euroleague Player
caption =
position = Shooting Guard
name = Nikos Galis
Νίκος Γκάλης
nickname = Nik The Greek
height_ft = 6
height_in = 1.25
weight_lb = 185
league = Greek LeagueEuroleague (retired)
jersey =| number = 6
nationality = Greek / American
birth_date = Birth date and age|1957|07|23
birth_place =New Jersey , USA
college =Seton Hall University
draft = 68th overall
draft_year = 1979
draft_team =Boston Celtics
career_start = 1979
career_end = 1994
former_teams = Aris (1979–1992)
Panathinaikos (1992–1994)
awards =FIBA Europe European Player of the Year 1987Eurobasket 1987 MVP
4-time Greek League MVP: (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)
5-time Greek League playoff MVP: (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)
6-time Greek Cup MVP: (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993)Greek Basketball Hall of Fame FIBA Hall of Fame (2007)50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors 2008Nick Galis (born
July 23 ,1957 inNew Jersey ,USA ), known inGreece as Nikos Galis ( _el. Νίκος Γκάλης), is a retiredGreek American professionalbasketball player and a member of theFIBA Hall of Fame . [ [http://www.halloffame.fiba.com/pages/eng/hof/indu/play/2007/p/lid_17904_newsid/19959/bio.html/ FIBA Hall Of Fame Class of 2007] ] Widely regarded as one of Europe's all-time greats in the sport, Galis is revered in Greece and is considered by many to be the greatest athlete the country has ever known.Early Years
The child of a poor immigrant family from
Rhodes , Greece, Nick took upboxing in his early years, his father George Georgalis having been a very good boxer in his youth. He was persuaded to give up boxing by his mother, who was shaking with fright every afternoon that her son would return with a new facial injury. As a result, he started playing basketball and attendedUnion Hill High School inUnion City, New Jersey . [http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_wro9VQVdG7cxqdc3r6woH2.coid_TAEWX2DlJdkjxfsVfUULa3.articleMode_on.html Psarakis, Y. , "Nikos Galis – Europe's Greatest-ever Scorer", FIBA Europe official website] ]After high school, Galis enrolled at
Seton Hall University as acollege basketball player. In his senior season, Galis, ashooting guard , saw his scoring average reach 27.5 points per game, which was third in the nation behind Idaho State's Lawrence Butler (30.1 ppg) and Indiana State'sLarry Bird (28.6 ppg), [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Magic Keeps Bird In Hand |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123258/index.htm |work=Sports Illustrated |publisher= |date=1980-03-13 |accessdate= ] including a 48 point outburst against theUniversity of Santa Clara . Finishing his collegiate career in 1979, Galis signed with agent Bill Manon, who also managedDiana Ross . Manon did not have Galis work out with anyNBA team. [http://www.interbasket.net/players/galis.htm Nikos Galis, Greece | Player Profiles by Interbasket ] ] Galis was eventually selected by theBoston Celtics in the 4th round of the1979 NBA Draft , 68th overall.Due to a severe injury that he suffered during the Celtics pre-season training camp, the franchise was no longer interested in offering him a contract because
Gerald Henderson had taken his place and his injury would keep him out for the foreseeable future. It was then that Galis decided to pursue a professional career inGreece 's A1 League.Career in Greece
Greek National Team
Galis made the move across the Atlantic and signed to play with Aris of
Thessaloniki , Greece in 1979. Panathinaikos and Olympiacos had also shown some interest in signing the newcomer, but it was Aris' interest that was the most persuasive. His move to the country helped Greek basketball reach heights never before imagined. He played in the1986 FIBA World Championship , where he led all players in scoring average with 33.0 points per game. In that tournament, he had a 56 point outburst against the Panamanian National Team.Galis next led the Greek National Team to the
Eurobasket 1987 gold medal. Averaging 37.0 points per game during the tournament, he was namedMVP after scoring 40 points in the final against the Soviet National Team and its legendary playerŠarūnas Marčiulionis for a 103-101 victory.Galis also led Greece to the second place at
Eurobasket 1989 , averaging 35.6 points per game. Galis is remembered for a stunning effort against the Soviet team led by Marčiulionis and its other star player,Arvydas Sabonis , in the semi-final game. He scored 45 out of his team's 81 total points in a dramatic, last-gasp 81-80 victory. [FIBA Europe official website on Eurobasket 1989 [http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_f43ulKJBGLcVnbH-aqLVu2.gameID_937-4-A-1.compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_1989.roundID_937.teamID_.html FIBA Europe.com] ] The team settled for a second place finish against the ever-dominant Yugoslavian National Team.Aris Thessaloniki
Averaging more than 30 points per game every season, Galis was the indisputable leader of
Aris BC . Playing alongside other great players at Aris such asPanagiotis Giannakis andSlobodan Subotić , Galis won 8 Greek Championships (7 of them consecutively and 3 undefeated, in the years 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), 6 Greek Cups (4 of them consecutively, in the years 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992), and led Aris to 3 consecutive appearances at the European Champions' Cup Final Four (1988-1990). In the one disappointment of an otherwise glittering career with Aris, all three European Champions' Cup appearances ended in defeat in the semi-finals, thus depriving him of the opportunity to shine on Europe's biggest club stage. The team's performances and general standard of play however won the heart of every basketball fan in Greece, as well as creating thousands more Aris supporters. Indeed, cinemas and theaters would often reduce their admission prices on Thursday evenings when Aris was playing and the entire country settled down to watch them on television.Panathinaikos Athens
After a disappointing season of his team in 1992, Galis was forced to leave Aris. [Rabotas, G., "Nikos Galis", p. 137] The new president of Aris and the fact that the team was then in decay were the main causes for his departure. Galis, who adored
Thessaloniki , insisted about remaining in the club and playing for the team, as he believed that he still could offer much. Giorgos Rampotas, his personal trainer and friend, writes in "Galis' Biography" thatThessaloniki was what mattered most to Galis. Consequently, after he was forced to leave he even contemplated playing for Aris' greatest opponent PAOK, but he never actually decided to do so. [Rabotas, G., "Nikos Galis", p. 144]Galis ended up moving to
Athens , and specifically Panathinaikos, where he only managed to win one Greek Cup in 1993, his 7th Greek Cup. The following year, he returned to the European Champions' Cup Final Four with Panathinaikos, but as in his previous three attempts with Aris, he lost in the semi-finals and had to be content with being the top scorer in the 3rd-place match against FC Barcelona. His career ended controversially in 1994, whenKostas Politis (the then coach of Panathinaikos) chose not to include him in the starting line-up of a Greek Championship game against Ambelokipi. Galis left the court, never again to return to action. [Rabotas, G., "Nikos Galis", p. 195]Retirement
Since his official retirement on
September 29 ,1995 , and up until early 2006, he has been the owner of a summer basketball camp inHalkidiki , Greece. The basketball camp is listed at theAthens Stock Exchange . [ Official website of Galis's basketball camp. [http://www.galiscamp.gr/] ] As a token of appreciation for his contribution to Greek sport, Galis was chosen to be the first torch bearer in the final round of theOlympic Flame for theAthens 2004 Olympics. Galis entered the stadium at the conclusion of the Opening Ceremony and set off the procession of the flame to the altar.In September of 2007, Nikos Galis was elected as a member of the first class of the
FIBA Hall of Fame , which includes the best basketball players in the history of the game internationally. Galis was inducted as a player.Bill Russell of the famousBoston Celtics dynasty was another one of the 16 inaugural player inductees. Galis is also a member of theGreek Basketball Hall of Fame , inducted as a player. Galis is married to Eleni Panagiotou and he has one daughter, named Stella.Player Profile
It has been noted that Galis was not only a legendary scorer, but was also a great play maker and passer. The vast majority of his points scored came inside the paint area due to his penetrating ability. Arbel, Y. ,"Iron Man Galis", November 08, 2006, FIBA Europe official website [http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_wro9VQVdG7cxqdc3r6woH2.coid_OetsMywJJtcKppVVZ6xGT3.articleMode_on.html] ] Another enormous competitive advantage that Galis possessed was his incredible stamina, which was due to his exemplary physical condition. At the
Eurobasket 1987 , he was never once substituted out of any game after the second day of the competition.He averaged 33.0 points per game at the
Eurobasket 1983 , 33.7 points per game at the1986 FIBA World Championship , 37.0 points per game at theEurobasket 1987 , 35.6 points per game at theEurobasket 1989 , and 32.4 points per game at theEurobasket 1991 . Galis was only a convert|1.86|m|ftin|1|abbr=on|lk=off tallshooting guard . In every one of the games that Galis played in these tournaments, the entire defenses of every opposing team was focused on stopping his scoring outbursts.Personal Achievements
Career
* In 854 official career games played (including his college games), Galis scored a total of 25,995 points, for a scoring average of 30.4 points per game.
* In 753 career games played (excluding his college games), Galis scored a total of 24,721 points, for a career scoring average of 32.8 points per game.
* His career scoring average in the Greek League was 33.4 points per game.
* His career scoring average in the Greek Cup was 35.2 points per game.
* His career scoring average in European continental club competitions was 32.9 points per game.
* Along withPanagiotis Giannakis he ledAris BC to an 81 game winning streak in the 1980s.Greek National Team
* In 168
FIBA games played with the Greek National Basketball Team, he averaged 30.5 points per game.
* Galis was the leading scorer in every major European and world international competition that he participated in from 1983 onwards, theEurobasket 1983 , the1986 FIBA World Championship , theEurobasket 1987 , theEurobasket 1989 , and theEurobasket 1991 .ingle Game Achievements Pro Career
* His personal scoring record in one game was 62 points, achieved in a Greek League game in 1981 (Aris vs. Ionikos Nikaias). However, in the same game, Ionikos' superstar
Panagiotis Giannakis , who would later go on to become Galis' teammate on Aris, scored 73 points.
* In 1981, he also had a 61 point game against Iraklis.
* Also in 1981, he accomplished his career scoring high in a European continental competition, as he scored 57 points againstPallacanestro Venezia during the 1981Korac Cup .
* His high scoring game in the Greek Cup was 57 points againstPanellinios in the 1987 Cup final.
* Also in 1987, he scored his career high in points in the old FIBA Champions' Cup (now called theEuroleague ), as he scored 50 points in a game against Tracer Milano.
*He also holds 4 of the top 15 all-time individual scoring games in the Euroleague's modern record era (since 1991-1992).
* He scored 55 or more points in a game 10 times in his professional club career while playing with Aris Thessaloniki and Panathinaikos Athens.
* In 1990, in a FIBA Champions' Cup (now called the Euroleague) game versus Korihait Uusikaoupounk, he dished out 23 FIBA assists, which is still the all-time single game assist record.
* In 1993, while playing with Panathinaikos in a revenge game against his former team Aris, he had a game for the ages. Galis shot 13/13 from the field and recorded 19 FIBA assists in the game.ingle Game Achievements Greek National Team
* At the
1986 FIBA World Championship , he scored 56 points in a game against the Panamanian National Team.
* In theEurobasket 1987 final, he scored 40 points against the Soviet National Team.
* In theEurobasket 1989 semifinal, he scored 45 points against the Soviet National Team.Team Titles and Personal Awards
Galis won numerous titles and awards during his career. The following are some of them:
Aris and Panathinaikos
* 8 Greek Championships: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
* 7 Greek Cups: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993
* In total, he won 15 championships in his pro club career as a player.
* 4-time Greek League regular season Most Valuable Player: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
* 5-time Greek League playoff Most Valuable Player: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
* 6-time Greek Cup Most Valuable Player: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993
* 13-time Greek League Scoring Champion: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
* 4-time Greek League Assist Leader: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
*Euroleague Assist Leader: 1994
* 2-timeEuroleague Scoring Champion (since 1991-1992 era): 1992 (32.2 ppg), 1994 (23.8 ppg)
* Member of theGreek Basketball Hall of Fame
* Selected to the Euroleague's50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors as one of the Euroleague's 35 greatest all time players in 2008Greek National Team
*
1986 FIBA World Championship Scoring Champion: 1986 (33.7 ppg)
*Eurobasket 1987 Gold Medal
*Eurobasket 1987 All-Tournament Team
*Eurobasket 1987 Most Valuable Player
*Eurobasket 1989 Silver Medal
*Eurobasket 1989 All-Tournament Team
*Eurobasket 1991 All-Tournament Team
* 4-time European Championship Scoring Champion: 1983 (33.0 ppg), 1987 (37.0 ppg), 1989 (35.6 ppg), 1991 (32.4 ppg)
*FIBA Europe European Player of the Year 1987
*FIBA Hall of Fame 2007References
* [http://www.fibaeurope.com/cid_wro9VQVdG7cxqdc3r6woH2.coid_OetsMywJJtcKppVVZ6xGT3.articleMode_on.html Arbel, Y. , "Iron Man Galis", November 08, 2006, FIBA Europe official website]
* [http://www.galiscamp.gr/ Official website of Galis's basketball camp]
* [http://www.eurobasket.com/gre/gre.asp Eurobasket.com, website about basketball]
* [http://basketaris.bravehost.com/ BASKET ARIS - Unofficial fan site dedicated to ARIS B.C.]
* [http://www.basket.gr/ Hellenic Basketball Federation official website]
* [http://www.fibaeurope.com/ FIBA Europe official website]
*Notes
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