Miha Zupan facts for kids
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| Power forward / center | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| Born | September 13, 1982 Kranj, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | Slovenian | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8.75 in (2.05 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2004 / Undrafted | ||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2000–2020 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2006 | Slovan Ljubljana | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Union Olimpija | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Trikala 2000 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Spartak St. Petersburg | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Türk Telekom | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Uşak Sportif | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | CSM Oradea | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Afyonkarahisar Belediyespor | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Helios Suns | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Naft Abadan | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Slovan Ljubljana | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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Miha Zupan (born September 13, 1982) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. He is famous for being a Deaf athlete who played at the highest levels of basketball in Europe. Miha is the only deaf person to have played in a professional basketball league and in the EuroCup. He played as a power forward or center. Miha also represented Slovenia at the Deaflympics five times between 1997 and 2017.
Contents
Miha Zupan's Early Life
Miha Zupan spent much of his childhood at a special school for the deaf. There, he learned to speak. Later, a special hearing aid helped him hear enough to understand what people were saying.
Discovering Basketball
Miha did not start playing basketball until he was 14 years old. Before that, he enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball. A basketball coach saw him playing in a schoolyard and noticed his talent. Miha quickly fell in love with the game.
He soon joined Slovenia's national basketball team for deaf players. With Miha as a star player, this team reached the finals of the European championships twice. He was chosen to play for Slovenia at the Deaflympics in 1997 when he was just 15. His team finished 5th in that competition.
Starting His Professional Career
When Miha was 17, he signed his first contract with a regular professional team called KD Slovan in Ljubljana, Slovenia. During his teenage years, he grew very quickly, about 20 centimeters (8 inches) in 18 months. This fast growth caused some knee problems, which meant he had to miss several months of playing early in his career.
Miha Zupan's Professional Basketball Journey
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At Slovan, Miha became a very promising player. He soon joined Slovenia's junior and under-20 national teams. He played in the Slovenian League All-Star Game in 2004 and 2006. In the 2004 game, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and also won the slam dunk contest!
Playing for the Deaf National Team
Miha continued to play for the Slovenia national deaf team. He helped them win the European championship in 2004. He also won silver medals with the national deaf basketball team at the 2001 Summer Deaflympics and the 2005 Summer Deaflympics.
Moving to Union Olimpija
In 2006, Miha signed with another team in Ljubljana, Union Olimpija. This was a dream come true for him. He almost made it to the 2006 FIBA World Championship with the main Slovenian national team, but he was the last player cut from the squad.
Miha faced some challenges when he joined Olimpija. There was a legal disagreement between Olimpija and his old team, Slovan, about his transfer. This meant he could not play for Olimpija for several months. This also stopped him from becoming the first deaf player to play in the Euroleague right away.
Making Euroleague History
The legal issues were finally resolved in February 2007. On October 24, 2007, Miha Zupan made history! He became the first deaf player to ever play in the Euroleague. He played for Olimpija in a game against Montepaschi Siena. In that game, he scored 5 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and made 2 assists in just over 13 minutes.
Playing in Different Countries
After his time with Olimpija, Miha played for several teams in different countries:
- In August 2009, he joined Trikala 2000 in Greece.
- In July 2010, he signed a two-year deal with Spartak St. Petersburg in Russia. That same year, he was named the ICSD Deaf Sportsman of the Year by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.
- In August 2012, he signed with Turk Telekom in Turkey.
- On January 1, 2016, he joined CSM Oradea in Romania.
- On July 31, 2017, Zupan signed with Helios Suns in Slovenia, but he left the team a few months later.
- On January 13, 2018, he signed with Naft Abadan in Iran.
Miha Zupan's career shows that with talent and determination, you can achieve great things, no matter the challenges!
See also
In Spanish: Miha Zupan para niños
- Lance Allred, another deaf basketball player who played professionally with hearing people.
