Peter Lisicky

Peter Lisicky (born March 3, 1976) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in several countries, including a stint in Italy's Lega Basket Serie A and EuroLeague.

Early life

Lisicky grew up in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Allentown, in a family of eight children. His father Jack played a season of basketball at LaSalle University with television color commentator Bill Raftery. Five of his siblings played collegiate sports. Three played basketball: Gabe at East Tennessee State, Mary at Georgetown, and Jack at the University of Scranton; Andy played football at the Penn; Alex was a collegiate coed cheerleader at both Penn State and the North Carolina.

Basketball career

High school

Lisicky was a four-year starter at Whitehall High School and he is the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,974 points. He was rated as a top 50 recruit in the nation and attended the invitation-only Nike Camp in 1992 and 1993. He was featured on ESPN for winning the three-point contest in 1993. Pete was invited to and participated in the Nike Fab 40[1] weekend, where other attendees included Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, and Stephon Marbury.[2][3] He was twice named Pennsylvania AP All-State and has been voted one of the top 150 Pennsylvania scholastic players of all time.[4]

College

Lisicky finished as the second all-time leading scorer in Penn State history (now stands at fifth all-time). He led the Lions to one NCAA tournament appearance as a 5-seed in 1996, as well as two NIT Final Fours at Madison Square Garden (Penn State finished in third in 1995 and as runners-up in 1998). In 1996, PSU reached as high as #8 in the AP Top 25 poll. He was All Big Ten 1996, 1997, and 1998; earned Honorable Mention for AP All-American in 1996, and holds numerous Penn State records. He was a member of the USA under-22 National Team,[5] which played an exhibition game against the United States men's national basketball team in 1996. Pete held the Big Ten record for career three-point field goals made from 1998–2010 (332), was voted Penn State's Male Athlete of the Year in 1998, was a three-time GTE Academic All-American, and was a finalist for the Anson Mount National Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1998.

Professional
Lisicky playing with Braunschweig, 2003

Lisicky played eleven uninterrupted seasons of professional basketball in Europe:

  • 1998 Benetton Treviso (Italy), Saporta Cup Champions
  • 1999 Vacallo Win (Switzerland), Swiss Cup Champions
  • 2000 Vacallo Win (Switzerland), Swiss Cup Champions
  • 2001 Benetton Fribourg (Switzerland)
  • 2002 Lugano Snakes (Switzerland), Swiss Cup Champions (MVP), Swiss League Champions
  • 2003–2005 Braunschweig (Germany)
  • 2005 Paris Basket Racing (France)
  • 2006 Anwil Włocławek (Poland), Polish League Runner-up
  • 2007–2009 Air Avellino (Italy), Italian Cup Champions, Euroleague participant

A third generation Slovak-American,[6] Lisicky also played on the Slovakian national team, representing the country at the 2005 European Championship (Division B), averaging 10,2 points per contest.[7]

Post-basketball career

Since retiring from the European professional ranks, Lisicky works in wealth management as a Certified Financial Planner in Scottsdale, Arizona.[8] He is active in community and philanthropic activities, including coaching in a recreational league and organizing/participating in events supporting the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer campaign. He organized "Pete Lisicky's Scorer's Clinic," a three-night event in Allentown benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. For a contribution to the organization, kids learned about basketball fundamentals and shooting tips from Whitehall High's all-time leading scorer.[9] He is still active in basketball, coaching AAU teams and at the Boys and Girls Club.[10]

He currently resides in Scottsdale with his wife Kristin and son Charles.

References
  1. "Scorecard - 10.04.93 - SI Vault". Archived from the original on 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
  2. "Possible Cager recruit caught in Nike dispute". Archived from the original on 2013-06-26. Retrieved 2013-04-14.
  3. "Archives". Los Angeles Times.
  4. Hostutler, Mark (2010-11-29). Heads of State: Pennsylvania's Greatest High School Basketball Players of the Modern Era. ISBN 9781450267090.
  5. "The Morning Call | Lehigh Valley & Allentown PA News, Weather, Business & Sports - the Morning Call".
  6. "Pete Lisicky is alive and well in Europe ** Ex-Whitehall star is playing pro ball in Germany and is a member of the Slovakian national team". mcall.com. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  7. "Peter Matthew Lisicky profile, EuroBasket 2005". FIBA.COM. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  8. "Where Are They Now Q&A: Pete Lisicky". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  9. "The Morning Call | Lehigh Valley & Allentown PA News, Weather, Business & Sports - the Morning Call".
  10. "Catching up with: Boys basketball standout Pete Lisicky from Whitehall Area High School (Class of '94)". 20 December 2010.
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