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 on June 28, 1941, is a famous retired basketball player and coach. He was born in America but later became a Spanish citizen. He played basketball professionally in Spain and Europe from 1962 to 1978.
He played college basketball for the University of Florida. Even though the New York Knicks in the NBA drafted him, he never played for them. Instead, he joined the Spanish team Real Madrid. He helped Real Madrid become one of the best basketball teams in Europe during the 1960s. People remember him for his special "hook shot" move.
In 1991, Luyk was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players. In 2008, he was chosen as one of the 50 most important people in European club basketball over the past 50 years.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Clifford 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, Luyk was the star center for his high school team, the VVS Red Devils. In his last year of high school (1957–58), he scored 488 points in just 18 games. This means he averaged an amazing 27.1 points per game!
College Basketball Career
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 in 66 games. He scored a total of 904 points and grabbed 806 rebounds. In his senior year (1961–62), he was very good at shooting, making 49.3 percent of his shots. He averaged 21.3 points per game and led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with 352 rebounds. That's about 15.3 rebounds per game!
He had some amazing games, scoring 40 points against the Tennessee Volunteers. He also scored 36 points against the Georgia Bulldogs. In 1962, he was chosen for the second-team All-SEC.
Professional Playing Career
Playing for Real Madrid
Clifford Luyk joined Real Madrid in 1962. Three years later, he became a Spanish citizen. He played for Real Madrid until he retired in 1978.
He won six EuroLeague titles with Real Madrid (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, and 1978). This is a special record because he is the only player to win six EuroLeague titles with the same team. Luyk also won 14 Spanish League championships. He won 10 Spanish Cups and two FIBA Intercontinental Cups.
Playing for Spain's National Team
Luyk also played for the Spanish national team. He won a silver medal in the EuroBasket 1973.
He also played in the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. He participated in EuroBasket 1969 and EuroBasket 1971. He played in the 1972 Summer Olympics and EuroBasket 1973. He also played in the 1974 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 1975. In the 1972 Olympics, he scored 31 points and got 17 rebounds in a game against Germany.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing in 1978, Luyk became a basketball coach. From 1978 to 1981, he coached the Real Madrid junior team. They never lost a game during that time!
Then, he became an assistant coach for Real Madrid. He worked under head coach Lolo Sainz for six seasons (1983 to 1989). He also assisted head coach George Karl for another season (1989 to 1990).
Luyk returned to Real Madrid as the head coach from 1991 to 1994. During this time, he led the team to win two Spanish League championships. They also won a FIBA Saporta Cup and a Spanish King's Cup. He coached Real Madrid when they lost to Limoges CSP in the 1993 EuroLeague Final Four. He coached Real Madrid again during the 1998–99 season. Since 2009, he has been a special adviser to the club.
Family Life
In 1970, Clifford Luyk married Paquita Torres Pérez. She was a former Miss Spain (1966) and Miss Europe (1967).
Luyk and Torres had three children. Their son, Sergio Luyk, also played college basketball for St. John's University. He later played professionally for Real Madrid and other top Spanish teams. Sergio passed away at age 36 after a battle with cancer. Their daughter, Estefanía Luyk, is a professional model.
See also
In Spanish: Clifford Luyk para niños
