Giorgos Sigalas


Giorgos Sigalas , is a retired Greek professional basketball player and basketball coach. During the decade of the 1990s, the 2.01 m tall swingman was the regular team captain of the pro club Olympiacos Piraeus, of the Greek League and the EuroLeague, and also of the senior Greek national team. Nicknamed Rambo, during his playing career, Sigalas was one of the best European defensive players of his generation.
Sigalas helped Olympiacos Piraeus to win a EuroLeague title in 1997, as well as to make two more EuroLeague Finals appearances, in 1994 and 1995. With the senior Greek national team, he competed in six consecutive EuroBasket tournaments,, and he made it to the semifinals on the first three occasions. Sigalas was also instrumental on the Greek teams that made the semifinals of both the 1994 FIBA World Championship and the 1998 FIBA World Championship, as well as on Greece's team that finished in fifth place at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

Professional career

Greece

Sigalas won five consecutive Greek League championships, while playing with Olympiacos Piraeus, from 1993 to 1997. He also won two Greek Cup titles with Olympiacos, in 1994 and 1997. He also served as the team's captain.
In 1997, while playing with Olympiacos, Sigalas won the European basketball Triple Crown, meaning his team won the Greek League championship, the Greek Cup title, and also the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague championship, all in the same season. As of 2020, it is still the only time it has happened in the club's history.

Italy

Sigalas left Olympiacos Piraeus in 1997, after winning the EuroLeague championship with them, and he then joined the Italian League team Olimpia Milano. He played there during the 1997–98 season.

Return to Greece

Sigalas then returned to the Greek League the following year, to play with Aris Thessaloniki. He stayed with Aris until 2000, when he transferred to Aris' arch-rival PAOK Thessaloniki, with whom he played with from 2000 to 2002.

Spain

Sigalas next played in the Spanish League with Granada, at the beginning of the 2002–03 season.

Back to Italy

Sigalas returned to the Italian League, to play with Viola Reggio Calabria, at the end of the 2002–03 season.

End of career in Greece

In the last years of his pro playing career, Sigalas returned home to once again play in the Greek League, to finish his club career. He played with Makedonikos in the 2003–04 season, with Panionios in the 2004–05 season, and finally, Sigalas ended his career back with Aris, where he played from 2005, until he retired in the year 2007.

National team career

Greek junior national team

Sigalas was a member of the junior national teams of Greece. With Greece's junior national teams, he played at the 1990 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, and at the 1992 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he won a silver medal.

Greek senior national team

Sigalas was the long-time captain of the senior men's Greek national team. He played with the senior Greek national team in 185 games. With Greece's senior team, he competed in six consecutive EuroBaskets.
Sigalas also competed with Greece's senior national team at both the 1994 FIBA World Championship, and the 1998 FIBA World Championship, as well as at the 1996 Athens Summer Olympic Games.

Post-playing career

After retiring from playing professional club basketball, Sigalas worked as a TV basketball commentator in Greece, for EuroLeague games. He also worked as a basketball coach for the Greek Under-20 national team. He also coached the Greek club, Ermis Lagkada, during the 2009–10 season.
Later, he coached the Cypriot League team Keravnos, and the Greek team Aigaleo.
In January 2020, Sigalas was hired as the assistant coach of Ilias Kantzouris, for Greek Basket League club Iraklis Thessaloniki.

Awards and accomplishments

Pro club career