Personal information | ||||||||||
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Born |
Larissa, Greece |
June 17, 1959 |||||||||
Nationality | Greek | |||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | |||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||
Playing career | 1975–1993 | |||||||||
Position | Point guard / Shooting guard | |||||||||
Coaching career | 1994–present | |||||||||
Career history | ||||||||||
As player: | ||||||||||
1975–1984 | Gymnastikos S. Larissas | |||||||||
1984–1992 | PAOK | |||||||||
1992–1993 | Iraklis | |||||||||
As coach: | ||||||||||
1994–1997 | Indiana Hoosiers (assistant) | |||||||||
Olympia Larissa | ||||||||||
1997–1999 | Greece (assistant) | |||||||||
1999–2004 | Greece Under-18, Under-19, Under-20 | |||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||
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Medals
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Nikos "Magic" Stavropoulos (born June 17, 1959), a.k.a. Professor Nicholas "Magic" Stavropoulos, is a former Greek professional basketball player that played for Gymnastikos S. Larissas, PAOK, and Iraklis at the pro club level in Greece's GBL basketball league. Born in Larissa, Greece, he began his career with his local area club, Gymnastikos S. Larissas.
Stavropoulos won the Greek Cup in 1984, the Saporta Cup in 1991, and the Greek League championship in 1992, while playing with PAOK. Stavropoulos was known for his dazzling passing skill and spectacular play-making ability, which garnered him the nickname "Magic", or "Greek Magic", after NBA player Magic Johnson, who played during the same era, and also was known for his dazzling passes and play-making ability. He holds the distinction of being the first ever player to make a 3-point basket in the Greek League, after the 3-point shot was first introduced into the league.
He was the Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer in 1984.
Stavropoulos was also a long-time member of the senior men's Greek National Basketball Team. Ηε was a member of the Greek squad that won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 1987, playing alongside such European basketball legends as Panagiotis Giannakis, Panagiotis Fasoulas, Fanis Christodoulou, and Nikos Galis. He also competed for Greece at the EuroBasket 1983 and at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. In total, he played in 102 games for Greece, averaging 5.2 points per game.