By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
FIBA Hall of Famer and among FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players as sorted in 1991, Stanislav Kropilak died today, Friday.
He was 67.
Kropilak was named the Best Slovak Player of the 20th century at the turn of the century. During his career, he was the constant Slovakian Player of the year between 1975 and 1984.
Completing and highlighting numerous accolades, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame last year alongside fellow 2021 class members Chuck Daly, Mathieu Faye, Panagiotis Giannakis, Zheng Haixia, Hana Horakova, Tom Maher, Ettore Messina, Oscar Moglia, Detlef Schrempf, Penka Stoyanova, and Sergey Tarakanov.
Kropilak represented Czechoslovakia in the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games, and the 1978 and 1982 World Championships. A long international career including seven participations in EuroBasket. He won a silver medal in 1985 and bronze medals in 1977 and 1981.
The five-time Czechoslovakian Player of the Year and ten-time Czechoslovakian League All-Star Five, he was crowned champion of the Czechoslovakia League in 1979, 1980, 1983, and 1985 with Inter Bratislava, and in 1984 with RH Pardubice. Launching his career, his first team was Slavia SVST Bratislava. Going abroad in 1985, he played in Belgium and Luxembourg joining CEP Fleures, Spirou Monceau, Amicale Steinsel, Avenire Namur Basket, and Spirou Basket Gilly.
He wrapped up his legendary career in 1996 but stayed in basketball working for the Slovakia national team and was the president of Inter Bratislava since 2000. And was a member of the national parliament of his country from 2002 to 2006.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL