By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
Who are the players with the most medals in the EuroBasket? Which country has the most participations, having missed only 2 EuroBasket competitions? Who is the only player in the history of the tournament that won the gold medal later as a coach as well? Eurohoops presents the most remarkable statistics in the EuroBasket.
1. Most consecutive wins
The Soviet Union was undefeated for 14 years (1955-1969) and 59 games in a row, a record that is virtually impossible for another team to surpass. As is to be expected, they also have the best percentage in wins 93% (158-61) in the tournament. The team that broke the Soviets’ streak was the Yugoslavs (1969, 73-61). Nevertheless, the Soviets were the ones who celebrated the gold medal in that tournament.
2. Most wins and medals
The Soviet Union holds this record as well, having won the EuroBasket 14 times, in fact 8 of those in a row, while they’re also the first country in total medals. 14 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze, a record that will surely be surpassed since the Soviet Union has dissolved.
3. Most participations for a country
France is the country with the most participations in the EuroBasket (36). The only tournaments in which they didn’t take part were in 1969 in Italy and in 1975 in Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, in 2013 in Slovenia was the first time that the “tricolore” reached the top of Europe! In 1949 in Egypt and in 2011 in Lithuania they were finalists, while in 1937, in 1951, in 1953, in 1959 and in 2005 they won the bronze medal.
4. “Gold” as a player and as a coach
Panagiotis Giannakis is the first and only man until now who has won the EuroBasket as a player (in 1987 in Athens) and as a coach (in 2005 in Belgrade). In the list is not included the special case of Frank Lubin, who in 1939 won the gold medal with the national team of Lithuania being both a player and the coach, because this was in the same tournament!
5. MVP
Despite the fact that many great players have competed in the EuroBasket, only the Yugoslav Kresimir Cosic has managed to emerge as the MVP two times in the tournament! The first was in 1971 in West Germany despite Yugoslavia’s defeat by the Soviet Union in the final! The second was in 1975 when that great Yugoslavian team won the second of their three consecutive gold medals.
6. Most participations for a player
Another lead for Kresimir Cosic. He has competed in 69 games and has participated in 9 EuroBasket competitions. In fact, he won a medal in 7 of those 9 tournaments! The only tournaments in which he didn’t make it were the first he took part in, in 1967 in Finland (9th place) and the last in 1983 in France (7th place).
7. Top scorer of the tournament
Nikos Galis is one of the greatest scorers of all time in Europe. He emerged as the top scorer in four out of the five EuroBasket competitions he took part in (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991) with inconceivable averages. The Greek legend won a gold medal in 1987 in Athens and a silver in 1989 in Zagreb.
8. Top scorer both in total and average points
Nikos Galis leads this category as well. He’s the top scorer in total points (1030 points in just 33 games) as well as point averages (31.2 points per game). No other player has managed to even come close to his averages in the EuroBasket. His most productive year was in Athens in 1987 when he had 37 points on average! In 1989 he scored 35.6 points per game, in 1985, 33 and in 1991, 32.4 points. The next best performance that we have seen in a EuroBasket is the Israeli Doron Jamchi’s 31.9 points per game, which is still worse than all four of the great Greek guard.
9. Most gold medals
Gennadi Volnov has 6 gold medals with the Soviet Union (1959-1969) and he’s at the top of the relevant list. At any rate, the most medals in total were won by Sergei Belov (7 medals with the Soviet Union – 4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) and Kresimir Cosic (7 medals with Yugoslavia – 3 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze).
10. Most points in a game
The Belgian Eddy Terrace scored 63 points against Albania in 1957. This is followed by Nikos Galis’s 46 points in 1983 against Sweden. From the players that are still active, the 43 points by the German superstar of the Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, against Spain in 2001, is another standout.