Giorgos Sigalas

Giorgos Sigalas (alternate spelling: Georgios) (Greek: Γιώργος Σιγάλας; born July 31, 1971 in Peristeri, Athens, Greece), is a retired Greek professional basketball player and current basketball coach. During the 1990s, the 6'7" swingman was the regular captain of both the senior Greek national team and Olympiacos of the Greek League and the EuroLeague. Nicknamed Rambo,[1] Sigalas was one of the best European defensive players of his generation.

Giorgos Sigalas
Γιώργος Σιγάλας
Iraklis
PositionAssistant coach
Personal information
Born (1971-07-31) July 31, 1971
Peristeri, Athens, Greece
NationalityGreek
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
Playing career1988–2007
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
Coaching career2008–present
Career history
As player:
1988–1989Olympiacos
1989–1990Papagou
1990–1997Olympiacos
1997–1998Olimpia Milano
1998–2000Aris
2000–2002PAOK
2002–2003Granada
2003Viola Reggio Calabria
2003–2004Makedonikos
2004–2005Panionios
2005–2007Aris
As coach:
2008Greece Under-20
2008–2009Ermis Lagkada
2014Egaleo
2020–presentIraklis (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Medals
Representing  Greece
FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship
1992 GreeceUnder-20

Sigalas helped to lead Olympiacos to a EuroLeague title in 1997, as well as to two more EuroLeague Final Fours. With the senior Greek national team, he competed in six consecutive EuroBasket tournaments, (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003), reaching the semifinal on the first three occasions. Sigalas also was instrumental in Greece appearing in both the 1994 FIBA World Championship, and the 1998 FIBA World Championship semifinals, as well as finishing fifth at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

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 2018, 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.

National team career

Greek junior 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.

Greek senior national team

Sigalas was the long-time captain of the senior men's Greek national basketball team. He 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 from playing professional basketball, Sigalas worked as a TV 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]

In January 2020, Sigalas was hired as the assistant coach of Ilias Kantzouris for Greek Basket League club Iraklis.

Awards and accomplishments

References
  1. Euroleague.net Olympiacos legend: Giorgios Sigalas.
  2. Georgios SIGALAS (GRE) participated in 15 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
  3. "Cyprus – Keravnos agrees with George Sigalas". MLBB.gr. July 16, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  4. Εποχή… Σιγάλα στο Αιγάλεω! (in Greek). Gazzetta.gr. 2014-07-17. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
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