Giorgos Sigalas
Encyclopedia
Giorgos Sigalas ' onMouseout='HidePop("25907")' href="/topics/Peristeri">Peristeri
, 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 Olympiacos
in the Greek League
and the Euroleague
. Sigalas played regularly along with players like Eddie Johnson, David Rivers
, Roy Tarpley
, Žarko Paspalj
, Willie Anderson
, Christian Welp
, and Walter Berry.
of the Greek national squad, Sigalas played with the Greek National Basketball Team
in 185 games. He competed in six consecutive European championships
(EuroBasket 1993
, 1995
, 1997
, 1999
, 2001
, and 2003
with Greece
). Sigalas also competed with Greece
at both the 1994 FIBA World Championship
and the 1998 FIBA World Championship
, as well as at the 1996 Summer Olympics
.
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. In 1997, while playing with Olympiacos, Sigalas won the Triple Crown
, meaning his team won the Greek Championship
, the Greek Cup
, and the Euroleague
Championship all in the same year, the only time it has happened in club history.
in 1997 after winning the Euroleague
Championship and 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 career, he returned home to play in the Greek League to finish his career. He played with Makedonikos
in the 2003-04 season, 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.
in Greece for Euroleague
games. He also works as a coach for the national youth Greek basketball teams.Also he was coaching Ermis Lagada during 2009-10 season
Peristeri
Peristeri is a suburban municipality in Athens, Greece, located about 5 km NW of the downtown area. The municipality is bordered by the Cephissus/Cephissos River, Athinon Avenue , Chaidari in the west and Petroupoli in the northwest, with a size of around...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
), is a retired Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
professional basketball player. During the 1990s, the 6'7" swingman
Swingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
was the regular captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the senior men's Greek national team
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
, as well as of the Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
-based Olympiacos
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
in the Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
and the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
. Sigalas played regularly along with players like Eddie Johnson, David Rivers
David Rivers
David Lee Rivers is a retired American basketball player. An explosive point guard, he reached star status in the Euroleague, mostly playing for Olympiacos Piraeus under coach Dusan Ivkovic....
, Roy Tarpley
Roy Tarpley
Roy James Tarpley is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions, earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. Despite his talent, Tarpley became notable during his career for being banned from the NBA because of his drug addiction...
, Žarko Paspalj
Žarko Paspalj
Žarko Paspalj is a retired Serbian professional basketball player and current sports administrator...
, Willie Anderson
Willie Anderson (basketball)
Willie Lloyd Anderson, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association....
, Christian Welp
Christian Welp
Christian Ansgar Welp is a retired German professional basketball player. Welp, a 213 cm , 111 kg center, became the leading scorer in Washington Huskies history as a college basketball player...
, and Walter Berry.
Captaincy of Olympiacos and the Greek national team
The long-time captainCaptain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the Greek national squad, Sigalas played with the Greek National Basketball Team
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
in 185 games. He competed in six consecutive European championships
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
(EuroBasket 1993
EuroBasket 1993
-Venues:-First round:-A - Karlsruhe:-B - Berlin:-C - Karlsruhe:-D - Berlin:-Second round:-E - Karlsruhe:-F - Berlin:-Finals in Munich:-Places 5-8 in Munich:-Finals in Munich:-Final rankings:# # #...
, 1995
EuroBasket 1995
EuroBasket 1995 final tournament stage was XXIX European basketball championship and was held in Athens, Greece from 21 June to 2 July, 1995. This European championship was the first one that saw the successful return of Lithuania national basketball team to the tournament, since its last triumph...
, 1997
EuroBasket 1997
-Venues:The tournament was played at three venues in Spain. Girona and Badalona hosted the first and the second round, while the entire knockout stage was played at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona.-First round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:...
, 1999
EuroBasket 1999
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:-5th place bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
, 2001
EuroBasket 2001
The EuroBasket 2001 was the 32nd EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Turkey, began on 31 August 2001 and concluded with the final on 9 September 2001. Yugoslavia won the gold medal,...
, and 2003
Eurobasket 2003
-5th to 8th place:-Awards:-All-Tournament Team : Tony Parker Šarūnas Jasikevičius Saulius Štombergas Andrei Kirilenko Pau Gasol-Top scorers :# Pau Gasol 25.8# Andrei Kirilenko 23.1# Dirk Nowitzki 22.5# Mehmet Okur 18.7...
with Greece
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
). Sigalas also competed with Greece
Greece national basketball team
The Greece national basketball team is the representative for Greece in international men's basketball competitions, organized and run by the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Traditionally, Greece is considered among the world's top basketball powers; they were runners-up in the 2006 FIBA World...
at both the 1994 FIBA World Championship
1994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
and the 1998 FIBA World Championship
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
, as well as at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal...
.
Sigalas won five consecutive Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
Championships while playing with Olympiacos
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
from 1993 to 1997. He also won 2 Greek Cups
Greek basketball Cup
The Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
with Olympiacos in 1994 and 1997. In 1997, while playing with Olympiacos, Sigalas won the Triple Crown
Triple Crown in Basketball
The Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
, meaning his team won the Greek Championship
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
, the Greek Cup
Greek basketball Cup
The Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
, and the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
Championship all in the same year, the only time it has happened in club history.
Late career
Sigalas left OlympiacosOlympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
in 1997 after winning the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
Championship and joined the Italian League
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
team Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano
Olimpia Milano is a Lega Basket Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy, founded in 1936 by Milan businessman Adolfo Bogoncelli. Its colors are red and white, and the team is sometimes referred as "Scarpette Rosse" because team officials imported from the United States red...
. He played there during the 1997-98 season. He then returned to the Greek League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
the following year to play with Aris
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
. He stayed with Aris until 2000, when he transferred to Aris' arch-rival PAOK
PAOK BC
P.A.O.K. Thessaloniki B.C. is the professional basketball department of the Greek multi-sports club P.A.O.K., originally founded in 1926 and is based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The club has established a firm reputation in Greek sports, especially for its success in European leagues...
, with whom he played with from 2000-02. Sigalas next played in the Spanish League
Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto
The Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
with Granada
CB Granada
Club Baloncesto Granada, S.A.D. is a professional basketball team based in Granada, Andalusia. It plays in the LEB Oro. The team was founded in 1994 and has had notable players during its history, as Curtis Borchardt, Darvin Ham, Giorgos Sigalas, Scott Padgett, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Richard...
, at the beginning of the 2002-03 season, and with the Italian League team Viola Reggio Calabria
Viola Reggio Calabria
Viola Reggio Calabria is the name traditionally given to the main men's professional basketball team from the city Reggio Calabria, Italy. The team colors are black and orange....
at the end of the 2002-03 season.
In the last years of his career, he returned home to play in the Greek League to finish his career. He played with Makedonikos
Makedonikos BC
Makedonikos B.C. is a Greek professional basketball club. The club is located in Neapoli, Thessaloniki , Greece. The club was founded in the year 1928.-History:...
in the 2003-04 season, Panionios
Panionios Forthnet
Panionios B.C. is the Greek professional basketball club that plays its home games in Nea Smyrni, Athens, Greece. The club is also widely known as Πανιώνιος Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Σμύρνης, or Panionios Gymnastikos Syllogos Smyrnis, which is the Pan-Ionian Gymnastic Association of Smyrna. This is...
in the 2004-05 season, and finally, Sigalas ended his career back with Aris
Aris BC
Aris Basketball Club is the professional basketball team of the Thessaloniki-based Greek sport club Aris Thessaloniki. Aris BC was founded in 1922, eight years after the founding of Aris Thessaloniki....
, where he played from 2005, until he retired in the year 2007.
Post playing career
Since retiring, Sigalas is a basketball commentatorSports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
in Greece for Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
games. He also works as a coach for the national youth Greek basketball teams.Also he was coaching Ermis Lagada during 2009-10 season
Awards and accomplishments
- 5x consecutive Greek LeagueA1 EthnikiThe Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
MVP: (1992–96) - Won 5 consecutive Greek ChampionshipsA1 EthnikiThe Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
: (1993–97) - Won 2 Greek CupsGreek basketball CupThe Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
: 1994, 1997 - FIBA EuroStarsFIBA EuroStarsFIBA EuroStars was an annual event organized by FIBA Europe as a showcase basketball match from 1996 until 1999, inclusive.Seen by many to be the European answer to NBA All-Star Game, FIBA EuroStars featured that season's best players from Euroleague, a competition that was at the time still...
: (1996) - Won the EuroleagueEuroleagueEuroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
Championship: (1997) - Won the Triple CrownTriple Crown in BasketballThe Triple Crown is a term in European professional club basketball that refers to a club winning their country's top tier national domestic league, primary national domestic cup, and the top tier European continental level competition in the same season. It is the highest accomplishment that a...
: (1997) - Greek All Star GameHEBA Greek All Star GameThe Greek HEBA All-Star Game, also known as the Greek ΕΣΑΚΕ All Star Game is the All Star Game of the HEBA Greek basketball association for men, was founded and organized by GUS SARIANIDES which features players from the top Greek pro basketball league the HEBA A1 Division. The game is played in a...
: (1999, 2001, 2002) - Acropolis TournamentAcropolis TournamentThe Acropolis International Basketball Tournament is an international basketball competition between national teams, which has been held annually since the year 1986 and takes place in Athens, Greece each summer...
MVP: (1999)