Giorgos Kolokithas facts for kids
Kolokithas, in 2009.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | November 2, 1945 Greece |
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| Nationality | Greek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | March 2, 2013 (aged 67) Greece |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 6.75 in (2.00 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1960–1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1965 | Sporting | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1965–1972 | Panathinaikos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Giorgos Kolokithas (born November 2, 1945 – died March 2, 2013) was a famous Greek basketball player. Many people think he was one of the best scorers and players in Greek basketball history. He was even called the "Basket Machine" because he scored so many points! In 1991, he was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in the world.
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Playing for Clubs
Giorgos Kolokithas played for two Greek basketball clubs: Sporting and Panathinaikos. While playing with Panathinaikos, he helped his team win the Greek League championship four times. These wins were in 1967, 1969, 1971, and 1972.
He scored a huge number of points in the Greek League, totaling 3,529 points! In one game, he even scored 51 points all by himself. He was the top scorer in the Greek League three times: in 1964, 1966, and 1967.
Kolokithas also played in big European club tournaments. With Panathinaikos, he reached the semifinals of the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup in 1969. He also made it to the semifinals of the FIBA European Champions' Cup in 1972. In 1970, he was chosen to be part of the FIBA European Selection, which was a special team of the best players in Europe. He stopped playing basketball when he was 28 years old because of a knee injury.
Playing for Greece
Giorgos Kolokithas was a very important player for the Greek national team. With his national team, he won four medals at the Balkan Basketball Championship. He earned two silver medals and two bronze medals in this competition.
He also played for Greece in other major tournaments. He played in the 1964 FIBA European Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 1965 EuroBasket. In 1967, he played at the Mediterranean Games.
At the 1967 EuroBasket, Kolokithas was the top scorer of the entire tournament! He scored 229 points in total, averaging 25.4 points per game. He also led the 1968 FIBA European Olympic Qualifying Tournament in scoring, with an average of 22.8 points per game.
He was again the top scorer at the 1969 EuroBasket. In that tournament, he scored 161 points, averaging 23.0 points per game. Overall, he played 25 games in the FIBA EuroBasket tournaments, scoring 492 points. This means he averaged 19.7 points per game in those games.
In total, Kolokithas played 90 games for the senior Greek national team. He scored an amazing 1,807 points, averaging 20.1 points per game. He retired from the national team in 1971. In his very last game against Scotland, he scored 36 points!
After Playing: A New Role
After he stopped playing basketball, Giorgos Kolokithas continued to be involved in the sport. He became the President of all the Greek national basketball teams. He also served as the Vice President of the Hellenic Basketball Federation, which is the main organization for basketball in Greece.
His Amazing Achievements
Club and Personal Awards
- 3× Greek League Top Scorer: (1964, 1966, 1967)
- 4× Greek League Champion: (1967, 1969, 1971, 1972)
- FIBA European Selection: (1970)
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players: (1991)
Awards with Greece National Team
- 1963 Balkan Championship:
Silver
- 1966 Balkan Championship:
Bronze - 1967 Balkan Championship: Bronze
- 1969 Balkan Championship: Silver
- 2× EuroBasket Top Scorer: (1967, 1969)
- European Olympic Qualifying Tournament Top Scorer: (1968)
His Passing
Giorgos Kolokithas passed away on March 2, 2013, after having a heart attack.
