Efthimios Rentzias facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Efthimios Rentzias
Ευθύμιος Ρεντζιάς

Personal information
Born	(1976-01-11) January 11, 1976 (age 49) Trikala, Greece
Nationality	Greek
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Pro career	1993–2006
Career history
1993–1997	PAOK Thessaloniki
1997–2002	FC Barcelona
2002–2003	Philadelphia 76ers
2003–2004	Ülkerspor
2004–2005	Montepaschi Siena
2005–2006	Forum Valladolid
Career highlights and awards
2× FIBA Korać Cup champion (1994, 1999) 2× Spanish League champion (1999, 2001) Spanish Cup winner (2001) Italian Supercup winner (2004) Greek Cup winner (1995) 2× Greek League All-Star (1996 I, 1996 II) Greek League Hall of Fame (2022) Turkish Cup winner (2004) Turkish Supercup winner (2003) FIBA Under-19 World Cup MVP (1995) Acropolis Tournament MVP (1998)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  Greece FIBA Under-19 World Cup Gold 1995 Greece Under-19 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship Gold 1993 Turkey Under-16 Silver 1991 Greece Under-16

Efthimios "Efthimis" Rentzias, born on January 11, 1976, is a famous retired Greek basketball player. He was known for playing as a center because he was very tall, standing at 2.12 meters (about 6 feet 11 inches). During his career, he played for big teams like FC Barcelona in Spain and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. In 2022, he was honored by being added to the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in Europe

Rentzias started playing basketball with youth teams in his hometown of Trikala, Greece. He began his professional career at just 17 years old. This was with PAOK Thessaloniki in the Greek Basket League during the 1993–94 season. With PAOK, he helped his team win the FIBA Korać Cup in 1994. This was a big European competition at the time. He also won the Greek Basketball Cup in 1995 with PAOK.

Later, in 1997, he moved to Spain to play for Barcelona Bàsquet. At Barcelona, he won his second FIBA Korać Cup in 1999. He also helped Barcelona win the Spanish League championship twice, in 1999 and 2001. In his last year with Barcelona (2001–02), he played well in both the Spanish League and the EuroLeague.

Playing in the NBA

The Denver Nuggets picked Rentzias as the 23rd player in the 1996 NBA draft. However, he decided to stay in Europe at that time. His draft rights were later traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 1997. Then, in 2002, his rights were traded again, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rentzias finally played in the NBA with the 76ers during the 2002–03 season. He played in 35 games and was one of the first Greek-born players to join an NBA team. After that season, he left the 76ers in August 2003.

Returning to Europe

After his time in the NBA, Rentzias went back to Europe. He played for teams like Ülkerspor in Turkey, Montepaschi Siena in Italy, and Forum Valladolid in Spain. He had hoped to finish his career back with PAOK, his first professional team. Sadly, in August 2006, he had to retire from basketball at age 30. This was due to injuries.

Playing for Greece

Junior National Teams

Rentzias was a key player for Greece's junior national basketball teams. He won a silver medal at the 1991 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. He then won a gold medal at the 1993 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship.

In 1995, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. He led Greece to win the gold medal in that tournament. In the final game against Australia, he scored 33 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. During this tournament, Greece also beat a strong U.S.A. team that included future NBA stars like Vince Carter. At this time, many people thought Rentzias was one of the most promising young players in Europe.

Senior National Team

Rentzias also played for the senior men's Greek national team from 1992 to 2003. He played in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. This was only the second time Greece's senior men's team had played in the Summer Olympics.

He also represented Greece in other major tournaments. These included the 1994 FIBA World Championship and several FIBA EuroBasket tournaments (1995, 1997, 2001, 2003). In 1998, he was named the MVP of the Acropolis International Basketball Tournament.

NBA Statistics

Regular Season Games

Here are Rentzias' statistics from his time playing in the NBA:

Awards and Achievements

Professional Career Awards

• 2× FIBA Korać Cup Champion: (1994, 1999)
• Greek Cup Winner: (1995)
• 2× Greek League All-Star (1996 I, 1996 II)
• 2× Spanish League Champion: (1999, 2001)
• Spanish Cup Winner: (2001)
• Turkish Supercup Winner: (2003)
• Turkish Cup Winner: (2004)
• Italian Supercup Winner: (2004)
• Greek League Hall of Fame: (2022)

Greek Junior National Team Awards

• 1991 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship: 2 Silver

• 1993 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship: 1 Gold

• 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: 1 Gold

• 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: All-Tournament Team
• 1995 FIBA Under-19 World Cup: MVP

Greek Senior National Team Awards

• Acropolis Tournament MVP: (1998)

See also

In Spanish: Efthimios Rentzias para niños