Clifford Luyk facts for kids
Luyk in 1972
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 28, 1941 Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American / Spanish | |||||||||||||
| High school | Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (Verona, New York) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 198 lb (90 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Florida (1959–1962) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1962 / Round: 4 / Pick: 29th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the New York Knicks | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1962–1978 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1978–1999 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 1962–1978 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 1983–1990 | Real Madrid (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Atlético de Madrid Villalba | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Juver Murcia | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
As a player:
As head coach:
As Assistant Coach:
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Medals
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Clifford "Cliff" Luyk Diem (born June 28, 1941) is a famous retired basketball player and coach. He was born in America but became a Spanish citizen. Cliff played basketball professionally in Spain and Europe from 1962 to 1978.
He played college basketball for the University of Florida. Later, he was chosen by the New York Knicks in the NBA draft. However, he never played in an NBA game. Instead, he joined the Spanish team Real Madrid. He helped Real Madrid become a top team in Europe during the 1960s. Cliff was known for his special "hook shot."
In 1991, Cliff Luyk was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players. In 2008, he was also chosen as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors. This means he was one of the 50 most important people in European club basketball over the past 50 years.
Contents
Cliff Luyk's Early Life
Cliff Luyk was born in Syracuse, New York. His father was from the Netherlands, and his mother was from Switzerland. He went to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School in Verona, New York.
At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, Cliff was the star center for his high school team, the VVS Red Devils. In his final year, he scored 488 points in 18 games. This was an amazing average of 27.1 points per game!
College Basketball Career
Cliff Luyk went to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He played for the Florida Gators basketball team from 1959 to 1962. During his three years in college, he played 66 games. He scored a total of 904 points and grabbed 806 rebounds.
In his senior year (1961–62), he was excellent. He made 49.3 percent of his shots. He averaged 21.3 points per game. He also led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with 352 rebounds, which was 15.3 rebounds per game. Cliff scored 40 points against the Tennessee Volunteers in one game. He also scored 36 points against the Georgia Bulldogs. In 1962, he was named a second-team All-SEC player.
Professional Basketball Journey
Playing for Real Madrid
Cliff Luyk joined Real Madrid, a famous Spanish basketball club, in 1962. Three years later, he became a Spanish citizen. He played for Real Madrid until he retired in 1978.
During his time with Real Madrid, he won many championships. He won six EuroLeague titles (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, and 1978). He is the only player to win six EuroLeague titles with the same team. Cliff also won 14 Spanish League championships. He won 10 Spanish Cups and two FIBA Intercontinental Cups.
Playing for Spain's National Team
Cliff Luyk also played for the Spanish national team. He won a silver medal at the EuroBasket 1973 tournament. He also played in the 1968 Summer Olympic Games and the 1972 Summer Olympics. In the 1972 Olympics, he scored 31 points and got 17 rebounds in a game against Germany.
Coaching Career Highlights
After retiring as a player in 1978, Cliff Luyk became a basketball coach. From 1978 to 1981, he coached the Real Madrid junior team. His team never lost a game during that time!
He then worked as an assistant coach for the main Real Madrid team. He was an assistant for six seasons from 1983 to 1989. He also helped coach for another season from 1989 to 1990.
Cliff returned to Real Madrid as the head coach from 1991 to 1994. As head coach, he won two Spanish League championships. He also won a FIBA Saporta Cup and a Spanish King's Cup. He coached Real Madrid again during the 1998–99 season. Since 2009, he has been a technical adviser for the club.
Cliff Luyk's Family Life
In 1970, Cliff Luyk married Paquita Torres Pérez. She was a former Miss Spain (1966) and Miss Europe (1967). Cliff and Paquita have three children.
One of their children, Sergio Luyk, also played college basketball. He played for St. John's University's Red Storm. Sergio later played professionally for Real Madrid and other Spanish teams. Sadly, Sergio passed away at a young age. Their daughter, Estefanía Luyk, is a professional model.
See also
In Spanish: Clifford Luyk para niños
