Nikolaos Georgalis (Greek:Νικόλαος Γεωργαλής; born July 23, 1957),[1] commonly known as eitherNikos Galis (Greek:Νίκος Γκάλης) orNick Galis, is a Greek former professionalbasketball player. Galis, who during his playing days was nicknamed "Nick The Greek",[2] "The Gangster",[3] and "The Iron Man",[4] is widely regarded asEurope 's greatest scorer to ever play the game, and as one of the all-time greatest players inFIBA international basketball history.[5][6][7] In 1991, Galis was named one ofFIBA's 50 Greatest Players. In 2007, he became an inaugural member of theFIBA Hall of Fame.[8] In 2008, he was chosen as one of the50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors.[9] In 2017, he was inducted into theNaismith 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 theGreek Basket League Hall of Fame.
During hiscollege basketball career atSeton Hall University, Galis played at thepoint guard position. However, his primary position during his pro career wasshooting guard. He spent most of hisclub career withAris Thessaloniki, before having a late career stint withPanathinaikos Athens. Galis was theEuroLeague'stop scorer of the season numerous times. In Europe's premier basketball club competition, he reached theEuroLeague Final Four on four occasions, making it in three consecutive years with Aris (1988,1989,1990), and once with Panathinaikos (1994). Galis won eightGreek league championships, and he is also the Greek Championship'samateur eraall-time leading scorer, in both career points scored and career scoring average, when counting all league formats prior to the league becoming fullyprofessional, in the 1992–93 season.
Galis led theGreece men's national basketball team to theEuroBasket's gold medal in1987, and he earned thetournament's MVP award in the process. Following his stunning success in winning the 1987 EuroBasket title, Galis won both theMr. Europa and theEuroscar player of the year awards. He also led Greece to a silver medal at the1989 EuroBasket, where he was also selected to theAll-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 theEuroBasket's record for the highest career scoring average (31.2 points per game), and he was also theleading scorer of four EuroBasket tournaments, in1983,1987,1989, and1991. Galis also owns two majorrecords of theFIBA 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 the1986 FIBA World Championship.
Galis, who was named theGreek Male Athlete of the Year three times (1986, 1987, 1989), is highly revered inGreece, 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, liftedGreek 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 wasretired by Aris, in 2013, and his number 4 jersey wasretired 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.".
Galis was born inUnion City, New Jersey. The child of a poor immigrant family, from the Greek islands ofRhodes andNisyros, Galis took upboxing in his early years, after his father, George Georgalis, who had also been a boxer in his youth. He was later persuaded to give up boxing by his mother, Stella Georgalis, who was terrified after each time that her son would return home from boxing training with a new facial injury. As a result, Galis started playing the sport of basketball instead of boxing. He attendedUnion Hill High School, in Union City, where he played high school basketball for legendary coach William J. McKeever,[13][5] as well asAmerican football.[14]
After high school, Galis enrolled atSeton Hall University, where he playedcollege basketball as a member of theSeton Hall Pirates. In his senior1978–79 season, Galis saw his scoring average reach 27.5 points per game, which was third in the nation, behindIdaho State'sLawrence Butler (30.1 points per game) andIndiana State'sLarry Bird (28.6 points per game),[15] including a 48-point outburst against theUniversity of Santa Clara.[16]
Also in his senior year of college, Galis won theHaggerty Award (the New York City metro area's best player award), and theEastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year award. The same year, he also played in the1979 Pizza Hut All-American game, alongside Bird andVinnie Johnson.[17] During his four-year college career, Galis played in a total of 107 games and scored 1,651 points, for a career scoring average of 15.4 points per game.[18]
Galis' head coach at Seton Hall,Bill Raftery, would later state that Galis was the best player that he ever coached. While at Seton Hall, Galis was a good friend and roommate ofItalian-American professional basketball playerDan Callandrillo.[19] Galis was later inducted into theSeton Hall Athletic Hall of Fame, in 1991.
| Season | Team | Competition | Games Played | Field Goal% | Free Throw% | Rebounds | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1975–76 | 24 | 47.5 | 70.4 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 3.2 | ||
1976–77 | Seton Hall | NCAA D-I | 29 | 38.1 | 81.9 | 2.3 | 4.8 | 12.6 |
1977–78 | Seton Hall | NCAA D-I | 27 | 52.1 | 82.6 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 17.3 |
Seton Hall | NCAA D-I | 27 | 57.6 | 82.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 27.5 | |
| Career Totals | Seton Hall | NCAA D-I | 107 | 50.0 | 81.7 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 15.4 |
After finishing his collegiate career in 1979, Galis signed with agent Bill Manon, who also managedDiana Ross. Manon did not have Galis work out with anyNBA team.[2] Galis was eventually selected by theBoston Celtics in the 4th round of the1979 NBA draft, 68th overall. Due to a severe ankle injury that Galis suffered during theCeltics preseason training camp of the1979–80 season,[20] the franchise was no longer interested in offering him a contract becauseGerald Henderson had taken his place on the team, and his injury would keep him out for the foreseeable future.[21][22][23]
Galis then decided to pursue a professional career inGreece's top-tier levelBasket League. Later, while still playing in Greece, he would be offeredNBA contracts by the Celtics and theNew Jersey Nets. However, he turned the offers down, because at the time, and until 1989,FIBA did not haveprofessional status, and consequently did not allow NBA players to compete at thenational team level. Since playing with theGreek men's national basketball team meant so much to him, he stayed in Greece. Celtics then-presidentRed Auerbach later said that the single biggest mistake he ever made in his career was not keeping Galis.[24][25]
After suffering an ankle injury in theBoston Celtics1979–80 preseason training camp, which prevented him from receiving a contract with the Celtics, Galis made the move across theAtlantic, and signed to play withAris Thessaloniki of Greece, in 1979. The two major Greek clubs ofPanathinaikos Athens andOlympiacos Piraeus, had also shown some interest in signing him, but it was Aris Thessaloniki's interest that was the most persuasive to Galis. His move to the country would eventually help Greekclub basketball to reach a level of popularity that had never been previously imagined.
Galis was the indisputable leader of Aris Thessaloniki, as he averaged more than 30 points per game in nearly every season and competition that he played in with the team. With Aris Thessaloniki, he played alongside other great European players likePanagiotis Giannakis andSlobodan Subotić, who was known in Greece as Lefteris Soumpotits. With Aris Thessaloniki, Galis won eightGreek League championships, in the years 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991. He won seven out of his eight Greek League championships in consecutive years, with three of those championships being won in undefeated seasons. He also won sixGreek Cup titles with Aris Thessaloniki, in the years 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1992. Four of his six Greek Cup titles were won in consecutive years.
In the top-level European-wide club competition, theFIBA European Champions' Cup (EuroLeague), Galis led Aris Thessaloniki to three consecutive appearances at the competition'sFinal Four. Galis' team played at the1988 Ghent Final Four, the1989 Munich Final Four, and the1990 Zaragoza Final Four. In the one major disappointment of an otherwise glittering club career with Aris Thessaloniki, all three of Galis' FIBA European Champions' Cup Final Four appearances ended in losses in the semifinals. Which thus deprived him of the opportunity to shine all the way onto Europe's biggest club stage, at theFIBA European Champions' Cup Finals (EuroLeague Finals). However, the team's performances and general standard of play, won over the hearts of most basketball fans in Greece. In fact, cinemas and theaters in Greece would often reduce their ticket admission prices on Thursday evenings, when Aris Thessaloniki was playing European games, as large segments of the country settled down to watch them on television.
In June 1991, Galis was chosen as a member of The Balkans Selection All-Star Team that played againstThe European Selection All-Star Team at the1991 FIBA Centennial Jubilee. The 1991 FIBA Jubilee event was held in order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the creation of the sport of basketball in 1891, by the CanadianJames Naismith. TheFIBA Jubilee All-Star Game took place at thePeace and Friendship Stadium, inPiraeus,Athens, Greece, and it included numerous legends of European basketball. The Balkans' All-Star Selection won the game, by a score of 103–102. Galis was the game's top scorer, with 20 points.
On 19 December 1991, in one of his finalFIBA EuroLeague games with Aris Thessaloniki, Galis rolled back the clock. At the age of 34, he scored 46 points, on 13/20 field goals overall, 8/14 2-point field goals, 5/6 3-point field goals, and 15/18 free throws, in a 111–108 loss against theItalian League clubOlimpia Milano.[26] However, Aris Thessaloniki's1991–92 FIBA EuroLeague season was a disappointment, as the club finished group stage play with a record of 3–11.
Also in that same 1991–92 season, in a Greek League game againstPanionios Athens, Galis scored 48 points, on 17/21 field goals overall, 15/18 2-point field goals, 2/3 3-point field goals, and 12/13 free throws. However, Aris Thessaloniki failed to make it to the 1992 Greek League's Finals. It was the first time that the team had not won the Greek League championship, since 1984.
Eventually, the 1991–92 season ended up being Galis' final campaign with Aris Thessaloniki. At the time, the team was under new management and was trying to bring down the club's debts. That combined with Galis' huge salary at the time and the fact that the team was in a period of decline, were the main reasons for his departure. Galis, who adored the city ofThessaloniki and Aris' fans, had originally insisted on remaining with the club and playing for the team, as he believed that he still had a lot to offer. Ultimately however, Galis was forced to leave the club.[27] In his last game for the club, Galis scored 18 points (6/9, 6/9, 0/2) as Aris beat AEK 74–62 to win yet another Greek Cup title in 1992.
Galis moved toAthens, in the summer of 1992, to play withPanathinaikos. He was the player who then led the "Greens" to a club rebirth, after it had suffered through a long drought period, during which the historical team had remained without winning any titles. The previous season (1991–92) had been particularly disappointing for the club, with the team finishing in eighth place in the Greek league. As the team'scaptain, Galis inspired the young players of Panathinaikos Athens, such asFragiskos Alvertis andNikos Oikonomou, and he gradually brought back hope to the team's fans. So much so, as to the point that the club's then home arena,Glyfada Indoor Hall, was always overcrowded. In that season (1992–93), Panathinaikos Athens finished in second place in theGreek league, and also won theGreek Cup title, which was the seventh Greek Cup title for Galis.
In the following1993–94 season, Galis was the FIBA European League (EuroLeague)'sTop Scorer, with an average of 23.8 points per game, in 21 games played. He alsoled the league in assists, with an average of 4.7 assists per game. In Panathinaikos Athens' decisive Game 3 victory of theFIBA European League's quarterfinals, against the then reigning league champions, theFrench League clubLimoges, Galis truly led Panathinaikos Athens into a new club era. Galis led Panathinaikos Athens' qualification to the1994 Tel Aviv FIBA European League Final Four, by scoring 30 points in the deciding playoff game, on 12–16 (75%) field goal shooting in the game. The "Greens" eventually finished in third place in the FIBA European League that season, after they lost in the semifinals to their arch-rivalsOlympiacos Piraeus, by a score of 77–72.
However, it was still the furthest that the club had reached in the competition since the1971–72 season. Galis scored 30 points in Panathinaikos Athens' win in the Final Four's third place game against theSpanish League clubFC Barcelona, as he led all scorers in the game, with 30 points. Galis was named to theAll-Final Four Team.
In what proved to be one of his final games for Panathinaikos, during the 3rd/4th place playoff series against Panionios in May 1994, Galis went scoreless in a game for the first time in his professional career in Greece, ending game 2 (which Panathinaikos lost 93–71) with 0/4 two-point shots from 29 minutes' play. Galis rallied to score 18 and 22 points in games 3 and 4, both of which Panathinaikos won to seal 3rd spot and a place in the FIBA European League for the following season.
In his third season with Panthinaikos Athens (1994–95), Galis teamed up withPanagiotis Giannakis andŽarko Paspalj, to make a strong effort to win the championship of the FIBA European League. Galis was the player who led Panathinaikos Athens to the competition's Top 16 group stage, as he prevented their elimination from the competition against theUkrainian Super League clubBudivelnyk Kyiv, with a game-high of 23 points in the club's decisive second-leg game victory. Galis was also the leader of the team in theirGreek Cup win against Olympiacos Piraeus, at theSporting Sports Arena.
At the age of 37, Galis played in his last game in professional basketball, as a player of Panathinaikos Athens, on October 12, 1994. It was in a game againstDafni Athens, in Week 1 of theGreek League's 1994–95 season. In that game, Galis scored a total of 8 points (2/2, 3/3), in 35 minutes of playing time. Panathinaikos Athens won the game in a blowout, by a score of 82–60.
Galis' playing career then ended controversially, on October 18, 1994,[28] before Panathinaikos Athens' Week 2 game of the Greek League's 1994–95 season.Kostas Politis, who was the head coach of Panathinaikos Athens at the time, decided not to include Galis in the team's starting line-up of that Greek League game versusAmpelokipoi Athens. In protest against the head coach's decision, Galis left the arena, and ultimately, he never returned to playing action again.[29] His retirement was officially announced in the media, on September 29, 1995.
During his pro club basketball career, Galis scored a total of 12,864 points, in 384Greek Basket League games played, for a career scoring average of 33.5 points per game. In the 55 careerGreek Cup games in which he played, he scored a total of 1,935 points, for a career scoring average of 35.2 points per game. He also averaged 42.5 points per game, in the twoGreek Super Cup games that he played in. He scored a total of 864 points, in 23FIBA Korać Cup games, for a career scoring average of 37.6 points per game. In theFIBA EuroLeague, he scored a total of 4,047 points, in 125 games played, for a career scoring average of 32.4 points per game. Overall, in all of the pro club competitions that he played in, Galis scored a total of 19,795 points, in 589 games played, for a pro club career scoring average of 33.6 points per game.
| Competition (Level) | Games Played | Points Scored | Scoring Average | Ref. |
| Greek League (regular season & postseason) | 384 | 12,864[33] | 33.5 | |
| Greek Cup | 55 | 1,935 | 35.2 | |
| Greek Super Cup | 2 | 85 | 42.5 | |
| FIBA Korać Cup (European 3rd-tier) | 23 | 864 | 37.6 | |
| FIBA EuroLeague (European 1st-tier) | 125 | 4,047 | 32.4 | |
| Career Totals | 589 | 19,795 | 33.6 |
| Season | Competition | Games Played | Points Scored | Scoring Average | Club |
1979–80 | 22 | 692 | 31.5 | ||
1980–81 | Greek League | 26 | 1,143 | 44.0 | |
1981–82 | Greek League | 22 | 828 | 37.6 | |
1982–83 | Greek League | 24 | 869 | 36.2 | |
1983–84 | Greek League | 23 | 948 | 41.2 | |
1984–85 | Greek League | 24 | 891 | 37.1 | |
1985–86 | Greek League | 24 | 944 | 39.3 | |
1986–87 | Greek League | 21 | 808 | 38.5 | |
1987–88 | Greek League | 21 | 756 | 36.0 | |
1988–89 | Greek League | 21 | 780 | 37.1 | |
1989–90 | Greek League | 27 | 1,041 | 38.6 | |
1990–91 | Greek League | 28 | 971 | 34.7 | |
1991–92 | Greek League | 27 | 607 | 22.5 | |
1992–93 | Greek League | 36 | 785 | 21.8 | |
1993–94 | Greek League | 37 | 793 | 21.4 | |
1994–95 | Greek League | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | |
| Career Totals | 384 | 12,864 | 33.5 |
| Season | Competition | Games Played | Points Scored | Scoring Average | Club | |||
| FIBA Korać Cup (European 3rd-tier) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 | 265 | 44.2 | ||||||
FIBA Korać Cup | 2 | 90 | 45.0 | |||||
FIBA Korać Cup | 4 | 146 | 36.5 | |||||
FIBA Korać Cup | 11 | 363 | 33.0 | |||||
| Career Totals | FIBA Korać Cup | 23 | 864 | 37.6 | ||||
| FIBA EuroLeague (European 1st-tier) | ||||||||
6 | 180 | 30.0 | ||||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 6 | 216 | 36.0 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 4 | 144 | 36.0 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 17 | 641 | 37.7 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 20 | 661 | 33.1 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 17 | 644 | 37.9 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 16 | 506 | 31.6 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 16 | 516 | 32.3 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 21 | 500 | 23.8 | |||||
FIBA EuroLeague | 2 | 39 | 19.5 | |||||
| Career Totals | FIBA EuroLeague | 125 | 4,047 | 32.4 | ||||
| Career Totals | 148 | 4,911 | 33.2 | |||||
Galis first played with theGreece men's national basketball team at the1980 FIBA European Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He averaged 20.5 points per game at the tournament. His tournament single-game scoring high was 30 points, which came in a game againstSwitzerland. However, Greece failed to qualify for the1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games. At the1981 EuroBasket, Galis averaged 19.9 points per game. Greece finished the tournament in 9th place. At the1983 EuroBasket, Galis averaged 33.6 points per game, and he was thetournament's leading scorer. Greece finished the tournament in 11th place.
On 20 November 1983, Galis played in afriendly game against theNorth Carolina Tar Heels, at The Demetria Tournament '83. The game took place at theAlexandreio Melathron arena. During that game, Galis, who was Greece'sshooting guard, was guarded by North Carolina's shooting guard,Michael Jordan. Galis scored 24 points during the game.[37][38]
At the1984 FIBA European Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Galis averaged 31.6 points per game, and he was the tournament's leading scorer. His tournament single-game scoring high was 45 points, which came in a game againstGreat Britain. However, Greece failed to qualify for the1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.
With Greece, Galis won the bronze medal at the1984 Balkan Championship. At the1986 FIBA World Championship, Galisled the tournament in scoring, as he averaged 33.7 points per game. During the tournament, he had a 53-point outburst in a game againstPanama. Greece finished the tournament in 10th place. With Greece, Galis won the gold medal at the1986 Balkan Championship.
Galis next led the Greece national team to the1987 EuroBasket gold medal. Galis led the tournament in scoring, as he averaged 37.0 points per game. He scored 40 points in the tournament's finals against theSoviet Union national team and its legendary player,Šarūnas Marčiulionis, as he led Greece to a 103–101 victory.[39] He was named theMVP of the tournament.
At the1988 FIBA European Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Galis averaged 28.4 points per game, and he was the tournament's leading scorer. His tournament single-game scoring high was 35 points, which came in a game againstGermany. However, Greece failed to qualify for the1988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games.
Galis also led Greece to the silver medal at the1989 EuroBasket, which he led in scoring, with an average of 35.6 points per game. Galis is most remembered from that tournament, for a stunning effort against the Soviet team led by Marčiulionis, and its other star player,Arvydas Sabonis, in their semifinals game.[40] Galis scored 45 out of his team's 81 total points, in a dramatic last-gasp 81–80 victory.[41] The Greek team then settled for a second-place finish, after they lost against the dominantYugoslav national team, in the tournament's finals.
Galis also represented Greece at the1991 FIBA Centennial Jubilee, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the creation of the sport of basketball, by the CanadianJames Naismith. The Jubilee tournament took place at thePeace and Friendship Stadium, inPiraeus,Athens, Greece. In three games played during the tournament, Galis averaged 21.0 points per game.
At the1991 EuroBasket, Galis averaged 32.4 points per game, and he also led the tournament in scoring. In total, Galis was theleading scorer of the EuroBasket four times. He was also a four-timeAll-EuroBasket Team member.
In total, Galis played in 168FIBA-recognizedgames with the Greece national team, in which he scored a total of 5,129 points, for a career scoring average of 30.5 points per game.[42] Galis is in the second place, on the list of the all-time career scoring leaders in the history of Greece's senior national team.Panagiotis Giannakis is in first place on the list. TheHellenic Basketball Federation retired Galis' number 4 jersey of the Greek senior men's team, on 4 August 2023.[43][44]
| Competition | Games Played | Points Scored | Scoring Average | Ref. |
| FIBA Recognized Games (Greece National Team) | 168 | 5,129 | 30.5 | |
| FIBA Non-Recognized Games (Greece National Team) | 1 | 38 | 38.0 | |
| Career Totals | 169 | 5,167 | 30.6 |
| Tournament | Games Played | Points Scored | Scoring Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Olympics Qualification | 4 | 78 | 19.5 |
| FIBA International Tournament (1980–89) | 28 | 853 | 30.5 |
| Friendlies (1981–91) | 18 | 450 | 25.0 |
| EuroBasket 1981 Qualification | 8 | 225 | 28.1 |
| EuroBasket 1981 | 8 | 161 | 20.1 |
| 1982 Balkan Games | 4 | 97 | 24.3 |
| EuroBasket 1983 Qualification | 9 | 283 | 31.4 |
| EuroBasket 1983 | 7 | 233 | 33.3 |
| 1984 Olympics Qualification | 9 | 288 | 32.0 |
| EuroBasket 1985 Qualification | 5 | 178 | 35.6 |
| 1984 Balkan Games | 3 | 89 | 29.7 |
| 1986 FIBA World Championship Qualification | 6 | 206 | 34.3 |
| 1986 Acropolis International Tournament | 3 | 108 | 36.0 |
| 1986 FIBA World Championship | 10 | 337 | 33.7 |
| 1986 Balkan Games | 3 | 117 | 39.0 |
| 1987 Acropolis International Tournament | 3 | 112 | 37.3 |
| EuroBasket 1987 | 8 | 296 | 37.0 |
| 1988 Olympics Qualification | 9 | 254 | 28.2 |
| EuroBasket 1989 Qualification | 4 | 146 | 36.5 |
| 1989 Acropolis International Tournament | 3 | 113 | 37.7 |
| EuroBasket 1989 | 5 | 178 | 35.6 |
| 1990 Acropolis International Tournament | 1 | 8 | 8.0 |
| EuroBasket 1991 Qualification | 3 | 134 | 44.7 |
| 1991 FIBA Centennial Jubilee | 3 | 63 | 21.0 |
| EuroBasket 1991 | 5 | 162 | 32.4 |
| Career Totals | 169 | 5,167 | 30.6 |
| Points Scored | Date | Opponents | Final Game Score | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
53 | 7/5/1986 | Panama | 110–81 | 1986 FIBA World Championship |
52 | 9/10/1984 | Poland | 88–89 | EuroBasket 1985 Qualification |
49 | 7/20/1986 | China | 111–112 | 1986 FIBA World Championship |
48 | 1/4/1981 | Finland | 101–92 | FIBA International Tournament |
48 | 11/19/1989 | Denmark | 113–91 | Friendly |
47 | 11/29/1984 | Bulgaria | 91–84 | 1986 FIBA World Championship Qualification |
47 | 5/23/1982 | Belgium | 97–72 | EuroBasket 1983 Qualification |
46 | 6/20/1986 | Netherlands | 104–88 | 1986 Acropolis International Tournament |
46 | 11/25/1989 | Romania | 97–77 | EuroBasket 1991 Qualification |
45 | 6/24/1989 | Soviet Union | 81–80 | EuroBasket 1989 |
| Points Scored | Competition | Game | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 points | FIBA World Cup | Greece vs. Panama | 1986 | [34] |
| 46 points | FIBA EuroBasket | Greece vs. Sweden | 1983 | [46] |
| 52 points (2×) | FIBA EuroLeague (1st tier) | Aris vs. Oostende & Aris vs. Lech Poznań | 1986 & 1989 | |
| 56 points | FIBA Korać Cup (3rd tier) | Aris vs. Vasas | 1980 | |
| 62 points | Greek League | Ionikos Nikaias vs. Aris | 1981 | |
| 52 points | Greek Cup | Aris vs. Panellinios | 1987 | |
| 44 points | Greek Super Cup | Aris vs. Panathinaikos | 1986 | |
| 48 points | NCAA Division I | Seton Hall Pirates vs. Santa Clara Broncos | 1978 |
Galis was not only a legendary scorer, he was also a great play maker and passer. The majority of his points scored came inside the paint area, due to his penetrating ability.[47] Galis' mid-range jumper was one of his biggest offensive weapons, as he was able to consistently make it against defensive pressure. Galis' great strength and leaping ability allowed him to have an excellent post game against other guards, despite his short stature, as compared to most other players. Another enormous competitive advantage that Galis possessed was his incredible stamina, which was due to his exemplary physical conditioning. At the1987 EuroBasket, after the first game of the competition, Galis was never substituted out of any of the tournament's remaining games. His stamina and conditioning led to him being given the nickname of "The Iron Man".[47]
Galis is married to Eleni Panagiotou, and he has one daughter, named Stella. Since his official retirement from playing professional club basketball on September 29, 1995, and up until early 2006, Galis was the owner of a summer basketball camp inChalkidiki, Greece. The basketball camp was listed at theAthens Stock Exchange.[48] As a token of appreciation for his contribution to Greek sport, Galis was chosen to be the first torch bearer, in the final round of theOlympic Flame, for theAthens 2004 Summer Olympics. Galis entered the stadium at the conclusion of theOpening Ceremony, and set off the procession of the flame to the altar.
In September 2007, Galis was inducted as a member of the first class of theFIBA Hall of Fame, which includes the best basketball players in the history of the game internationally. Galis was inducted as a player.Bill Russell, of the famousBoston Celtics dynasty, was another one of the 16 inaugural player inductees. Galis was also entered into theEurobasket.com website's European Basketball Hall of Fame, inducted as a player.
In May 2013, his former club teamAris Thessaloniki, renamed the court of their home arena, theAlexandreio Melathron, to "Nick Galis Hall". The club also organized a celebration of Galis' life and career, and retired hisnumber 6 Aris jersey. The event was attended by many of his former teammates and opponents, from the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the attendees included the majority of theGreece men's national basketball team's1987 EuroBasket gold medal-winning team, as well as numerous other international basketball stars who played against Galis over the years, such asDino Rađa,Jordi Villacampa, andDoron Jamchi, among others.
On April 1, 2017, it was announced that Galis would be inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as part of the 2017 Hall of Fame class.[49] Galis was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, on September 9, 2017. He became one of the very few men's basketball players from around the world, to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, without having ever played in theNBA. On June 14, 2016, exactly 29 years after Greece's national team won the gold medal at the 1987 EuroBasket, the court of the biggest basketball arena in Greece, theOAKA Olympic Indoor Hall, was named the "Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall", in his honour.
His number 6 jersey which he wore while playing with the Greek National Team was retired on August 4, 2023, by the Greek Basketball Federation in the "Nikos Galis Olympic Indoor Hall".
"I never thought that there was such a good offensive player in Europe, and especially in Greece." —Michael Jordan
"I've seen Galis do things, that I've seen neitherLakers norCeltics do." —Bob McAdoo
"I admire him. When he plays one on one, there's no way to stop him. I didn't think that there would ever be a player, who by himself, could cause nightmares and even beat theSoviet Union." —Sergei Belov
"If Galis wants to score, he will score no matter who's defending him." —Arvydas Sabonis
"If I'm The Son of the Devil, then Galis is The Devil himself." —Dražen Petrović
'"I'd like to be on the same team with him, so I could pass to him, and then watch him score a basket." —Dražen Petrović
"Although Drazen (i.e.Petrović) is my brother, for the best athlete of 1987, I voted for Galis."' —Aco Petrović
"Galis is a great player. He is one of the best European players. He was a really tough opponent, he floated in the air, he was one of the best." —Dino Radja
"Petrović and Galis were the most charismatic players I've ever known. Galis is the only player who made me shudder." —Doron Jamchi
"Everyone who plays basketball, owes Galis money." —Fanis Christodoulou
"If we played together, we would have scored 300 points in every game!" —Vassilis Goumas
"The man is a computer! If he had played with us inAEK in the '60s, we would have been undefeated." —Georgios Amerikanos
"A European and Greek basketball changed. It is my honor to play with him. He is the greatest of all time. " —Sasha Volkov
"I've seen many players in my career, but what Galis does on the floor, only 2–3 in the world can do." —Audie Norris
"Who wouldn't want to play with Galis? I would definitely give the ball to Galis on the last play. Galis changed basketball in Greece and Europe." —Audie Norris
"Galis wasn't affected by anything. I count him among the five best players of Europe." —Georgios Sigalas
"In Greece, Galis is whatMichael Jordan is in America." —Steve Giatzoglou
"Galis is the player of the 21st century." —Alexander Gomelsky,USSR head coach.
"I had nightmares of Galis all night." —Pierre Dao,Limoges head coach.
"I had given specific instructions on how to defend against the other 4 players. As for Nikos, we just had to sit down and pray!" —Wojciech Krajewski,Lech Poznan head coach.
"There is only one way I can think of to stop Nikos from scoring. Lock him up in his hotel room, so that he can't come to the arena." —Ruud Harrewijn,Dutch national team head coach.[52]
[53][54][55]
Galis won numerous titles and awards during his career and had many memorable single game performances. The following are some of them:
Titles:
Personal awards and achievements:
Bronze
Gold Gold
Silver
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