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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Medals
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Miha Zupan (born September 13, 1982) is a famous basketball player from Slovenia. He is deaf, but he played against players who could hear, even in the biggest leagues in Europe. He is very tall, about 2.05 meters (6 feet 8 inches), and plays as a power forward or sometimes a center. Miha Zupan is the only deaf person ever to play in a professional basketball league and in the EuroCup, which is a huge achievement! He also played in the Deaflympics (like the Olympics for deaf athletes) five times between 1997 and 2017.
Early Life and Learning Basketball
Miha Zupan spent most of his childhood at a special school for deaf children. There, he learned how to speak. Later, a special hearing aid helped him hear enough to understand what people were saying.
He didn't start playing basketball until he was 14 years old. Before that, he enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball. One day, his first basketball coach saw him playing in a schoolyard. Miha quickly fell in love with the game. Soon, he joined Slovenia's national basketball team for deaf players. This team reached the finals of the European championships twice, with Miha as their best player.
Miha was chosen to play for Slovenia at the Deaflympics in 1997 when he was just 15. His team finished 5th in that competition. When he was 17, he signed his first contract with a regular professional team called KD Slovan in Ljubljana. During his teenage years, he grew about 20 centimeters (8 inches) in just 18 months! This fast growth caused some knee problems that kept him from playing for a few months early in his career.
Playing Professional Basketball
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At Slovan, Miha became a very promising big player. He soon joined Slovenia's regular junior and under-20 national teams. He played in the Slovenian League All-Star Game in both 2004 and 2006. In the 2004 game, he was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and won the slam dunk contest! He also continued to play for the Slovenian national deaf team, helping them win the European championship in 2004.
Miha was also part of the national basketball team that won silver medals at the 2001 Summer Deaflympics and the 2005 Summer Deaflympics.
In the 2005–06 season with Slovan, he scored about 11.5 points and grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game in the Slovenian League. He also played well in the Adriatic League, a major competition for teams from several countries.
In 2006, Miha signed with another team in Ljubljana, Union Olimpija. This was a dream come true for him. He almost got to play for the main Slovenian national team in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, but he was the last player cut from the team.
His chance to play for Olimpija in the Euroleague (a top European basketball league) was delayed for several months. There was a legal disagreement between Olimpija and Slovan about his transfer. After a long legal battle, Olimpija and Slovan reached an agreement in February 2007. Olimpija paid a fee to Slovan, and Miha was finally able to play for his new team.
On October 24, 2007, Miha Zupan made history! He finally became the first deaf player to play in the Euroleague. He played for Olimpija in a game against Montepaschi Siena. He scored 5 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and made 2 assists in just over 13 minutes of playing time.
After Olimpija, Miha played for several other teams:
- In August 2009, he joined the Greek team Trikala 2000.
- In July 2010, he signed a two-year deal with Spartak SPB 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 the Iranian Super League.
See also
Template:Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Miha Zupan para niños
- Lance Allred, a Deaf American basketball player who also plays professionally alongside hearing people
