Giorgos Sigalas
| Personal information | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
July 31, 1971 Peristeri, Athens, Greece | |||||||||
| Nationality | Greek | |||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | |||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||
| Playing career | 1988–2007 | |||||||||
| Position | Shooting guard / Small forward | |||||||||
| Coaching career | 2008–present | |||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Olympiacos | |||||||||
| 1989–1990 | → Papagou | |||||||||
| 1990–1997 | Olympiacos | |||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Olimpia Milano | |||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Aris | |||||||||
| 2000–2002 | PAOK | |||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Granada | |||||||||
| 2003 | Viola Reggio Calabria | |||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Makedonikos | |||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Panionios | |||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Aris | |||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||
| 2008 | Greece Under-20 | |||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Ermis Lagkada | |||||||||
| 2014 | Egaleo | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||
|
As player:
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Medals
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Giorgos Sigalas (alternate spelling: Georgios) (Greek: Γιώργος Σιγάλας; born July 31, 1971 in Peristeri, Athens, Greece), is a retired Greek professional basketball player. During the 1990s, the 6'7" swingman was the regular captain of the senior men's Greek national team, as well as of the Athens-based club Olympiacos of the Greek League and the EuroLeague. During his playing career, Sigalas played with players like: Eddie Johnson, David Rivers, Roy Tarpley, Žarko Paspalj, Willie Anderson, Christian Welp, and Walter Berry. His nickname as a player was Rambo.[1]
Professional playing career
Captaincy of Olympiacos
Sigalas won five consecutive Greek League championships, while playing with Olympiacos, from 1993 to 1997. He also won 2 Greek Cups with Olympiacos, in 1994 and 1997. He also served as the team's captain.
In 1997, while playing with Olympiacos, Sigalas won the European basketball Triple Crown, meaning his team won the Greek League championship, the Greek Cup title, and the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague championship, all in the same season. As of 2017, it is still the only time it has happened in the club's history.
Late playing career
Sigalas left Olympiacos in 1997, after winning the EuroLeague championship with them, and he then joined the Italian League team Olimpia Milano. He played there during the 1997–98 season. He then returned to the Greek League the following year, to play with Aris.
He stayed with Aris until 2000, when he transferred to Aris' arch-rival PAOK, with whom he played with from 2000–02. Sigalas next played in the Spanish League with Granada, at the beginning of the 2002–03 season, and with the Italian League team Viola Reggio Calabria, at the end of the 2002–03 season.
In the last years of his playing career, he returned home to play in the Greek League, to finish his career. He played with Makedonikos in the 2003–04 season, with Panionios in the 2004–05 season, and finally, Sigalas ended his career back with Aris, where he played from 2005, until he retired in the year 2007.
Greek national team
Sigalas was a member of the junior national teams of Greece. With Greece's junior national teams, he played at the 1990 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, and at the 1992 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he won a silver medal. Sigalas was also the long-time captain of the senior men's Greek national basketball team.
Sigalas played with the senior Greek national team in 185 games. With Greece's senior team, he competed in six consecutive EuroBaskets (EuroBasket 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003). Sigalas also competed with Greece's senior national team at both the 1994 FIBA World Championship and the 1998 FIBA World Championship, as well as at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.[2]
Post playing career
After retiring, Sigalas worked as a basketball commentator in Greece, for EuroLeague games. He also worked as a basketball coach for the Greek Under-20 national team. He also coached the Greek club, Ermis Lagkada, during the 2009–10 season. Later, he coached the Cypriot League team Keravnos,[3] and the Greek team Egaleo.[4]
Awards and accomplishments
- 5x consecutive Greek League Champion: (1993–1997)
- 5x consecutive Greek League Finals MVP: (1993–1997)
- 2x Greek Cup Winner: (1994, 1997)
- Greek League All-Star: (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002)
- FIBA European Selection: (1995)
- FIBA EuroStar: (1996)
- Greek League MVP: (1996)
- EuroLeague Champion: (1997)
- Triple Crown Champion: (1997)
- Acropolis Tournament MVP: (1999)
References
- ↑ Euroleague.net Olympiacos legend: Giorgios Sigalas.
- ↑ Georgios SIGALAS (GRE) participated in 15 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
- ↑ "Cyprus - Keravnos agrees with George Sigalas". MLBB.gr. July 16, 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
- ↑ Εποχή… Σιγάλα στο Αιγάλεω! (in Greek). Gazzetta.gr. 2014-07-17. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
External links
- Euroleague.net Profile
- FIBA Europe Profile
- FIBA Profile
- Eurobasket.com Profile
- Spanish League Profile (in Spanish)
- Italian League Profile (in Italian)
- Draftexpress.com Profile
- Hellenic Basketball Federation Profile (in Greek)