Nikos Zisis

Nikolaos "Nikos" Zisis (alternate spelling: Zissis; Greek: Νικόλαος "Νίκος" Ζήσης; born August 16, 1983) is a Greek basketball executive and former professional basketball player. During his pro club playing career, at a height of 1.97 m (6'5 3⁄4") tall,[1][2] he played at both the point guard and shooting guard positions. He was inducted into the Greek Basket League Hall of Fame in 2022.[3] He is currently the general manager of the senior Greek men's national basketball team.

Nikos Zisis
Zisis in action with Brose Bamberg, in 2018.
Greece
PositionGeneral manager
Personal information
Born (1983-08-16) August 16, 1983
Thessaloniki, Greece
NationalityGreek
Listed height6 ft 5.75 in (1.97 m)
Listed weight97 kg (214 lb)
Career information
NBA draft2005: undrafted
Playing career2000–2021
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Number6, 16, 1
Career history
2000–2005AEK Athens
2005–2007Benetton Treviso
2007–2009CSKA Moscow
2009–2012Montepaschi Siena
2012–2013Bilbao Basket
2013–2014UNICS Kazan
2014–2015Fenerbahçe
2015–2019Brose Bamberg
2019–2020Joventut Badalona
2020–2021AEK Athens
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
FIBA World Cup 0 1 0
FIBA Stanković World Cup 1 0 0
FIBA EuroBasket 1 0 1
Mediterranean Games 0 1 0
FIBA U-20 European Championship 1 0 0
Albert Schweitzer U-18 World Tournament 0 1 0
FIBA U-18 European Championship 0 0 1
FIBA U-16 European Championship 0 1 0
Total 3 4 2
Men's basketball
Representing  Greece
FIBA World Cup
Silver medal – second place2006 Japan
FIBA Stanković World Cup
Gold medal – first place2006 China
FIBA EuroBasket
Gold medal – first place2005 Serbia & Montenegro
Bronze medal – third place2009 Poland
Mediterranean Games
Silver medal – second place2001 TunisiaUnder-26
FIBA Under-20 European Championship
Gold medal – first place2002 LithuaniaUnder-20
Albert Schweitzer U-18 World Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2000 Mannheim Under-18
FIBA Under-18 European Championship
Bronze medal – third place2000 CroatiaUnder-18
FIBA Under-16 European Championship
Silver medal – second place1999 SloveniaUnder-16

During his senior men's club playing career, Zisis won the 2008 EuroLeague championship, while he was a member of the Russian club CSKA Moscow. Zisis also won nine national league championships, in various European domestic leagues. He won a Greek League title, four Italian League titles, two Russian League titles, and two German League titles.

In addition to that, he also won nine European national domestic cup titles. He won two Greek Cups, four Italian Cups, one Russian Cup, and two German Cups. He also won five European national domestic super cup titles. As he won four Italian Supercups and one German Supercup. Two of his club teams, HAN Thessaloniki and Brose Bamberg, retired his team jerseys.

As a member of the senior Greek national basketball team, Zisis won the gold medal at the 2005 EuroBasket, the silver medal at the 2006 FIBA World Cup, and the bronze medal at the 2009 EuroBasket.

Early years

Zisis started his basketball playing career in 1996, playing with the junior teams of HAN Thessaloniki (English: YMCA Thessaloniki). He was with the club until 2000. The club would later go on to retire his jersey, in 2021.

Professional career

AEK Athens

At the age of 17, Zisis moved to Athens, and to the Greek League team AEK, where he began his professional basketball career. With AEK, he won the Greek Cup in 2001, and also the Greek League championship, in 2002. He also won the Greek League Best Young Player award in 2002.

Benetton Treviso

After playing with the Greek club AEK Athens, Zisis moved to Treviso, Italy, and played on the Italian League team Benetton Treviso. With Treviso, he won the Italian Super Cup and the Italian League championship in the year 2006, and also the Italian Cup in the year 2007. He then left Italy, and moved to Moscow, Russia.

CSKA Moscow

On June 13, 2007, Zisis signed a 3-year contract worth €5 million euros net income with the Russian team CSKA Moscow.[4][5] With CSKA, Zisis won the EuroLeague championship at the 2008 EuroLeague Final Four. He also played in the 2009 EuroLeague Final with CSKA. While he was a member of CSKA, he also won two Russian League championships (2008, 2009).

Montepaschi Siena

In 2009, Zisis left CSKA Moscow, and signed a 2-year contract worth €1.6 million euros net income with the Italian League club Montepaschi Siena.[6] In 2010, he signed a 2-year extension with Montepaschi.[7] With Siena, he won three Italian League championships (2010, 2011, 2012), three Italian Cups winner (2010, 2011, 2012), and three Italian Cup Supercups (2010, 2011, 2012).

Bilbao Basket

In 2012, Zisis signed a 2-year contract, with the second year being an optional year, with the Spanish League club Bilbao.[8]

UNICS Kazan

After spending a season with the Spanish club Bilbao Basket, Zisis moved to the Russian VTB United League club UNICS Kazan, in July 2013.[9] With UNICS, he played in the 2014 Eurocup Finals. With UNICS, he also won the 2014 edition of the Russian Cup.

Fenerbahçe

On December 29, 2014, the Turkish Super League club Fenerbahçe Ülker acquired Zisis.[10] With Zisis playing an average of 23.5 minutes per game with Fenerbahçe in the 2014–15 EuroLeague season, the team advanced to the 2015 EuroLeague Final Four. It was the first time in the team's history that they made it to the EuroLeague Final Four.[11] However, on May 15, 2015, they lost in the EuroLeague semifinals to the Spanish club Real Madrid, by a score of 96–87.[12]

Brose Bamberg

On July 16, 2015, Zisis signed a two-year contract with the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) club Brose Bamberg.[13] In 2017, he extended his contract with Brose, through the year 2019.[14] With Bamberg, he won two German BBL League championships (2016, 2017), two German Cups (2017, 2019), and the German Supercup (2015). In the 2019 German Cup Final, Zisis hit the game-winner, with 2.4 seconds left in the game, to give Bamberg an 83–82 win over Alba Berlin.[15] On September 7, 2019, Bamberg retired Zisis' number 6 jersey.[16]

Joventut Badalona

On July 15, 2019, Zisis signed a two-year deal with the Spanish Liga ACB club Joventut Badalona.[17]

Return to AEK Athens

In January 2020, Zisis left the Spanish club Joventut Badalona, and signed with his former club AEK Athens, of the FIBA Champions League.[18][19][20] With AEK, Zisis won the 2020 edition of the Greek Cup, in which he was also named the Greek Cup MVP. Zisis announced his retirement from playing professional club basketball in June 2021.[21][22]

National team career

Greek junior national team

With Greece's under-16 junior national team, Zisis won the silver medal at the 1999 FIBA Under-16 European Championship, and he also led the tournament in scoring. Zisis also won the silver medal with Greece's under-18 junior national team, at the 2000 Albert Schweitzer Under-18 World Tournament. He also won the bronze medal at the 2000 FIBA Under-18 European Championship. In addition, Zisis won the gold medal with the Greek under-20 junior national team at the 2002 FIBA Under-20 European Championship, where he was also named the tournament's MVP.

Greece national team

Zisis played with Greece's men's under-26 national selection at the 2001 Tunis Mediterranean Games. At the Mediterranean Games, he helped Greece win the silver medal at the tournament. As a member of the Greek men's national basketball team, Zisis won the gold medal at the 2005 EuroBasket, which was held in Serbia and Montenegro. He was Greece's leading scorer during the tournament, averaging 10.6 points per game. At the end of the semifinal game against the French national basketball team, Zisis drove the length of the court, drove into the middle of the floor, drew a double team, and then dished the ball out to Dimitris Diamantidis, who hit a game-winning 3 pointer. After his great performance at the EuroBasket in 2005, Zisis was named the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year.[23]

The next year, at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, which was held in Japan, Zisis hit a game winning 3-point shot at the end of the game against the Australian national basketball team, to give Greece a 72–69 victory. However, in the next game in the tournament, he was hit on the cheekbone and eye socket bone by the elbow of the Brazilian national basketball team's Anderson Varejão. Zisis suffered a severe facial injury that forced him to sit out for the remaining entirety of the 2006 World Championship, as the injury required surgery. Even though Greece lost Zisis, who was their leading scorer the year before at the 2005 EuroBasket, they were still able to win the silver medal (including an improbable upset victory over Team USA in the semifinals) during the World Championship tournament.

At the 2007 EuroBasket, Zisis was one of the two key Greek players, along with Theo Papaloukas, that led Greece's national team to the biggest comeback in the history of the EuroBasket, against the Slovenian national basketball team. The comeback was called "the miracle". Greece finished the tournament in 4th place.

Zisis also competed with Greece at the 2004 Summer Olympics, where Greece finished in 5th place in the world, and at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Greece also finished in 5th place in the world. He also played at the following tournaments: the 2009 EuroBasket, where he won a bronze medal, the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the 2011 EuroBasket, the 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the 2013 EuroBasket, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and the 2015 EuroBasket.[24]

After the conclusion of the 2015 EuroBasket tournament, Zisis retired from the senior Greek national team.[25][26] Zisis finished his national team career with Greece, having won a total of ten medals at all levels, eight of which came in FIBA competitions. In 2019, the Hellenic Basketball Federation honored Zisis, in recognition of his contributions to the senior Greece men's national basketball team, with which he had 189 caps (games played).[27]

Executive career

In October 2021, Zisis began a career working as a basketball executive, when he became the general manager of the senior Greek men's national basketball team.[28][29]

Player profile

At 1.97 m (6 ft 5 3⁄4 in) tall, Zisis played mainly at the point guard and shooting guard positions, while also playing sometimes at the small forward position. Over his playing career, his primary position with his pro club teams was point guard, while his primary position with the senior Greek men's national basketball team was shooting guard. During his playing career, Zisis was known as "The Lord of the Rings", because he is the Greek player with the most combined medals won at the cadet, junior, young men's, and senior men's European and world FIBA tournaments.[30]

Personal life

Zisis is very close friends with fellow former Greek men's national basketball team players Vassilis Spanoulis, Ioannis Bourousis, and Panos Vasilopoulos. He is also friends with former Italian national basketball team player Andrea Bargnani. He married Fani Skoufi in 2010, with Vassilis Spanoulis being his best man.[31] His nickname is "The Lord of the Rings."[32]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

EuroLeague
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2000–01 AEK 2217.0.400.000.0001.5.0.0.02.0-2.5
2001–02 19214.2.528.450.588.91.1.4.04.52.7
2002–03 14923.2.378.143.5773.01.1.7.05.73.6
2003–04 141326.3.455.318.6332.62.1.8.08.66.9
2004–05 202030.5.558.317.7803.14.4.8.011.613.7
2005–06 Benetton 7733.5.448.263.8002.74.91.0.08.110.0
2006–07 202033.1.470.345.8282.54.31.2.111.012.3
2007–08† CSKA Moscow 25215.4.544.167.8331.81.4.4.04.34.1
2008–09 21216.2.571.350.9001.31.7.2.05.35.6
2009–10 Siena 16116.0.481.167.8061.31.7.5.05.44.6
2010–11 221021.5.388.257.8481.92.6.9.06.06.8
2011–12 20419.5.414.259.8001.72.6.3.04.55.4
2014–15 UNICS 10719.5.405.421.8892.83.6.3.07.08,6
2014–15 Fenerbahçe 191319.5.450.333.6002.03.6.4.15.45,2
2015–16 Brose Bamberg 242026.0.500.388.8002.73.6.4.010.111.8
2016–17 302424.0.436.288.9132.04.5.5.07.79.8
2017–18 272022.3.444.410.8182.12.8.5.06.36.9
Career 31017622.1.418.312.7902.12.9.6.06.97.4

Awards and accomplishments
Zisis celebrating Greece's win against Turkey (76–74), at the 2009 EuroBasket.

Club titles and national team medals won
AEK Athens
Treviso
Montepaschi Siena
CSKA Moscow
UNICS Kazan
Brose Bamberg

Greek junior national team

Greek senior national team

Individual awards

References
  1. ZISIS, NIKOS HEIGHT: 1.97
  2. Nikolaos Zisis CM 197
  3. Greek League Hall of Fame welcomes Ford, Bodiroga, Radja, Wilkins, Tarpley.
  4. "Basketblog.gr Zisis signs with CSKA. {{in lang|el}}". Archived from the original on 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
  5. "CSKA lands Nikos Zisis". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  6. Μάνος Μίχαλος (1 July 2009). "Στη Σιένα ο Ζήσης!". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  7. "Zisis to renew with Siena". 28 June 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  8. "ACB.COM - Nikos Zisis, nuevo base del Gescrap Bizkaia Bilbao Basket". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  9. "UNICS KAZAN brings Zisis back to Russia - Eurocup 2013-14 - Welcome to Eurocup". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  10. "Fenerbahce Ulker stocks backcourt with Zisis". Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  11. "Fenerbahce for the first time in the Final Four". eurohoops.net. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  12. "Real Madrid heads to third straight final after beating Fenerbahce". euroleague.net. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  13. "Brose Baskets signs Zisis, Idbihi". Euroleague.net. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  14. Bamberg lock up captain Harris until 2020.
  15. "83:82 über Berlin – Zisis macht Bamberg zum Pokalsieger: Dreier des Griechen entscheidet Finale". www.easycredit-bbl.de. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  16. "Der "My Part of History Tag" war (nahezu) ein voller Erfolg". Brose Bamberg Basketball. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  17. "Joventut signs experienced playmaker Zisis". EuroCupBasketball.com. 15 July 2019. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  18. Nikos Zisis returns to AEK Athens after 15 years.
  19. Nikos Zisis officially joins AEK.
  20. AEK Athens officially signs Nikos Zisis.
  21. Nikos Zisis announces retirement.
  22. After Spanoulis, Nikos Zisis retires from basketball after a successful 21-year career (videos).
  23. "Zisis To Lift Player Of The Year Trophy In Treviso - FIBA Europe". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  24. Nikos ZISIS (GRE).
  25. CAPTAIN NIKOS ZISIS RETIRES FROM NATIONAL TEAM.
  26. Zisis announced his retirement from Greece National Team.
  27. Nikos Zisis honoured by the Greek Basketball Federation.
  28. Nikos Zisis to take over team manager's role in the Greek National Team.
  29. Sotiris Manolopoulos named Greek NT head coach, Nikos Zisis takes on GM duties.
  30. "Nikos Zisis - 2010 FIBA World Championship - FIBA.COM". FIBA.COM. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  31. Olagiatogamo.gr Νίκος Ζήσης & Φανή Σκουφή (in Greek). Archived 2013-11-04 at the Wayback Machine
  32. "Madrid 2015 - Welcome to EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  33. Greek League Hall of Fame welcomes Ford, Bodiroga, Radja, Wilkins, Tarpley.
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