Nikos Galis

Nikos Galis

Galis with Panathinaikos in 1992
Personal information
Born	(1957-07-23) July 23, 1957 (age 67) Union City, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	Greek
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school	Union Hill (Union City, New Jersey)
College	Seton Hall (1975–1979)
NBA draft	1979: 4th round, 68th overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career	1979–1994
Position	Shooting guard
Number	6, 4, 7
Career history
1979–1992	Aris
1992–1994	Panathinaikos
Career highlights and awards
5× FIBA EuroLeague Top Scorer (1988–1990, 1992, 1994) 2× FIBA European Selection (1987, 1991 I) FIBA EuroLeague assists leader (1994) 101 Greats of European Basketball (2018) 8× Greek League champion (1983, 1985–1991) 7× Greek Cup winner (1985, 1987–1990, 1992, 1993) Greek Super Cup winner (1986) 5× Greek League MVP (1988–1992) 4× Greek League Finals MVP (1988–1991) 11× Greek League Top Scorer (1981–1991) 4× Greek League assists leader (1991–1994) 2× Greek All-Star (1991, 1994 I) 5× Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer (1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993) Greek Super Cup Finals Top Scorer (1986) Greek League Hall of Fame (2022) FIBA EuroBasket MVP (1987) 4× FIBA EuroBasket Top Scorer (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991) Euroscar Award (1987) Mr. Europa Award (1987) Mediterranean Player of the Year (1987) 3× Greek Athlete of the Year (1986, 1987, 1989) FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991) 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) No. 6 retired by Aris (2013) No. 4 retired by Greece national team (2023) ECAC Player of the Year (1979) Haggerty Award (1979)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Basketball Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame
Medals Event 1st 2nd 3rd FIBA EuroBasket 1 1 0 Balkan Championship 1 0 1 Total 2 1 1 Men's Basketball Representing  Greece EuroBasket 1987 Greece 1989 Yugoslavia Balkan Championship 1986 Bulgaria 1984 Greece

Nikolaos Georgalis (Greek: Νικόλαος Γεωργαλής; born July 23, 1957),^[1] commonly known as either Nikos Galis (Greek: Νίκος Γκάλης), or Nick Galis, is a Greek former professional basketball player. Galis, who during his playing days was nicknamed, "Nick The Greek",^[2] "The Gangster",^[3] and "The Iron Man",^[4] 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.^[a] 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.^[8] In 2008, he was chosen as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.^[9] In 2017, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.^[10] 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.

During his college basketball career at Seton Hall University, Galis played at the point guard position. However, his primary position during his pro career was shooting guard. He spent most of his club playing career with Aris Thessaloniki, before having a late career stint with Panathinaikos Athens. Galis was the EuroLeague's top scorer of the season, numerous times. In Europe's premier basketball club competition, he reached the EuroLeague Final Four on four occasions, making it in three consecutive years with Aris (1988, 1989, 1990), and in another year with Panathinaikos (1994). Galis won eight Greek league championships, and he is also the Greek Championship's amateur era all-time leading scorer, in both career points scored and career scoring average, when counting all league formats prior to the league becoming fully professional, in the 1992–93 season.

Galis led the Greece men's national basketball team to the EuroBasket's gold medal in 1987, and he earned the tournament's MVP award in the process. Following his stunning success in winning the 1987 EuroBasket title, Galis won both the Mr. Europa and the Euroscar player of the year awards. He also led Greece to a silver medal at the 1989 EuroBasket, where he was also selected to the All-EuroBasket Team. Overall during his national team career, he was named to the All-EuroBasket Team four times (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991). Among his myriad of accomplishments, he holds the EuroBasket's record for the highest career scoring average (31.2 points per game), and he was also the leading scorer of four EuroBasket tournaments, in 1983, 1987, 1989, and 1991. Galis also owns two major records of the FIBA World Championship/Cup tournament. He holds the records for the highest career scoring average (33.5 points per game), and the most total points ever scored in a single tournament, which he set at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.

Galis, who was named the Greek Male Athlete of the Year three times (1986, 1987, 1989), is highly revered in Greece, where he is considered by many to be one of the greatest national athletes that the country has ever had.^[11] His years with Aris Thessaloniki and the Greece national team, lifted Greek basketball from a place of relative obscurity, to both European and global power status. Galis was the sports icon that eventually inspired thousands of Greeks to take up playing the game of basketball. He is still widely lauded in Greece and has kept his position as a legend and a hero for the Greek nation and people.^[12] Galis' number 6 jersey was retired by Aris, in 2013, and his number 4 jersey was retired by the Greece national team, in 2023.

In 2013 the Main Hall of Thessaloniki's "Alexandreion Melathron" (aka Palais des Sport of Thessaloniki) was named "Nick Galis Hall".

In 2016 the "Olympic Indoor Sports Center in O.A.C.A." was renamed after his name. Thus becoming "Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Sports Center in O.A.C.A.".

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