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Valdis Valters is a retired Latvian professional basketball player. He played at the point guard position for the senior USSR national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest players to have played the game in Europe in the 1980s. Considering his lengthy work and deep connection to the sport, Valters has been one of the most influential people in Latvian basketball history. He became a FIBA Hall of Fame player in 2017.
The Latvia men's national basketball team represents Latvia in international basketball. They are organized and run by the Latvian Basketball Association. Latvia has reached the European Basketball Championship 15 times, with their ultimate success occurring during the inter-war period, when they became the first team to win the tournament in 1935. Four years later, they had another impressive run to come away with the silver in 1939. Although after 1939, Latvia were forced to suspend their national team operations, due to the Occupation of the Baltic states during World War II. Latvia regained independence in 1991, with their national team taking part in international competition once again a year later.
Nikolaos Georgalis, commonly known as either Nikos Galis, or Nick Galis, is a Greek former professional basketball player. Galis, who during his playing days was nicknamed, "Nick The Greek", "The Gangster", and "The Iron Man", is widely regarded as Europe's greatest scorer to ever play the game, and as one of the all-time greatest players in FIBA international basketball history. In 1991, Galis was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players. In 2007, he became an inaugural member of the FIBA Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was chosen as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. In 2017, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was named one of the 101 Greats of European Basketball. In 2022, he was inducted in to the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame.
Panagiotis "Notis" Giannakis, alternatively spelled Panayiotis Yiannakis or Yannakis, is a former Greek professional basketball player and coach. He is considered to be one of the greatest sportspeople of Greece. He started his senior career at the age of just 13 at Ionikos Nikaias and after noticeable success, he achieved extraordinary success as a player with Aris Thessaloniki from 1984 to 1993, in partnership with Greek basketball's biggest star Nikos Galis along with the rest of the squad, while achieving victory as the national team captain in EuroBasket 1987 in Athens, Greece's first major tournament win in non-Olympic sport which, along with Aris' extraordinary success, cultivated the sport in the country. At the end of his career, he won the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos in 1996 As head coach, he most prominently led Greece to its second European trophy in EuroBasket 2005 at Serbia and Montenegro, where a team of new and talented stars shone brightest under the nurturship of Giannakis. He would repeat the success the next year, acquiring the silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, where the team most notably scored a decisive win against the USA stars of the NBA in the semi-final, which would be USMNBT's last loss in a tournament until 2019. However, Greece's arch rivals Spain would defeat Giannakis' team in the final, as they would do again in the semi-finals of the 2007 EuroBasket. Outside of the Greek national team, he would coach Greek clubs like Aris, where he had the most success as player, Olympiacos, where he achieved renewed success, and the China men's national basketball team. As a player, he was primarily a point guard, but he could also play at the shooting guard position. During his playing career, Giannakis was also widely-known under his nickname of "O Drákos", or "The Dragon" in English.
Panagiotis "Panos" Fasoulas is a Greek politician and former professional basketball player. He was selected in the second round by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1986 NBA draft, but never decided to play in the NBA. Considered to be one of the best big men ever in European basketball, Fasoulas became a FIBA Hall of Fame player in 2016. In 2022, he was inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame.
Dimitrios 'Dimitris' Diamantidis is a retired Greek professional basketball player, who spent the last twelve seasons of his EuroLeague career with Panathinaikos. Widely regarded as one of the greatest European players ever to grace the game, he marked his era by being the most versatile player in the EuroLeague, serving as an inspiration to a whole generation of young European stars. Diamantidis is the only Greek player who is a member of both the EuroLeague 2000–10 All-Decade Team and the EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team.
Nicholas William Calathes is a Greek-American professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators. An All-EuroLeague First Team selection in 2018 and 2019, Calathes has also played in the NBA, the Greek Basket League and the VTB United League. He represents the Hellenic national basketball team internationally.
Raitis Grafs is a Latvian former professional basketball player. He played at the center position. Grafs represented the senior men's Latvian national team. He was a FIBA EuroStar in 2007.
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Mike Lenzly is a British former professional basketball player. At a height of 1.89 m, he played the point guard and shooting guard positions.
Aleksandar Vezenkov, most commonly known as Sasha Vezenkov, is a Bulgarian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a 2.03 m tall stretch power forward.
Kevin Joseph Pangos is a Canadian-Slovenian professional basketball player for Valencia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He spent his college basketball career playing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference. He was named the 2015 WCC Player of the Year, as well as a third-team All-American by Sporting News. Pangos has also represented Canada on the international stage.
Igors Miglinieks is a retired Soviet and Latvian professional basketball player and coach. He played at the point guard and shooting guard positions.
Olivier Hanlan is a Canadian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. He played college basketball for the Boston College Eagles of the NCAA and was the first player for Boston College since Troy Bell to win conference rookie of the year honors.
Melvin Obinna Ejim is a Nigerian-Canadian professional basketball player for Unicaja of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for Iowa State University before playing professionally in Italy, Russia and Spain, as well as the NBA G League.
Malcolm Xavier Griffin is an American professional basketball player who last played for SLAC of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Standing at 1.93 m, he plays at the point guard and shooting guard positions. After two years at Toledo and two years at Fresno Pacific he played professional basketball in Morocco, Tunisia, Latvia, Greece, Russia and Israel.
Rokas Jokubaitis is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
Filip Petrušev is a Serbian professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Timothy Neocartes "T. J." Shorts II is an American-born naturalized Macedonian basketball player for Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro A. Standing at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), Shorts plays as point guard.
Marin Marić is a Croatian professional basketball player for MoraBanc Andorra of the LEB Oro. He played college basketball in the United States for Northern Illinois and DePaul.
References
- ↑ Men's Basketball: All-Big West Selections [ permanent dead link ]. icirvinesports.com. Retrieved on September 6, 2009.
- ↑ COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK.
- ↑ “BRALIUKAI”: WE WANT TO CREATE LOVE AROUND VEF.
