Samuel Deguara

Samuel Deguara (born 21 June 1991) is a Maltese professional basketball player for the Tainan TSG GhostHawks of the T1 League.[1][2][3] He is the tallest man in Italy and Malta.[4] Standing at 7 ft 6.5 in (2.30 m), Deguara is currently the tallest active basketball player in the world.

Samuel Deguara
No. 13 – Tainan TSG GhostHawks
PositionCenter
LeagueT1 League
Personal information
Born (1991-06-21) 21 June 1991
Pietà, Malta
NationalityMaltese / Italian
Listed height7 ft 6.5 in (2.30 m)
Listed weight288 lb (131 kg)
Career information
Playing career2007–present
Career history
2007–2010Pallacanestro Treviso
2010–2011→BVO Caorle
2011–2012→CUS Bari Pallacanestro
2012–2013Pallacanestro Reggiana
2013–2014BUPA Luxol
2014Viten Getafe
2014–2015Fuenlabrada
2014–2015→Fundacion Fuenlabrada
2015Ferrol
2015Erie BayHawks
2016Niagara River Lions
2017BUPA Luxol
2017Farmcochem
2017PEA
2018Mono Vampire
2018–2019Hong Kong Eastern
2019CEB Puerto Montt
2019–2020San Miguel Alab Pilipinas
2020–2021Tokyo Excellence
2021–2022Taipei Fubon Braves
2022TaiwanBeer HeroBears
2022–presentTainan TSG GhostHawks
2023Hong Kong Bulls
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Malta
FIBA Europe U-18 Championship Division C
Gold medal – first place 2009 Valletta Team
Representing  Malta
FIBA European Championship for Small Countries
Gold medal – first place 2018 San Marino Team
Silver medal – second place 2014 Gibraltar Team
Silver medal – second place 2010 Valletta Team
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Serravale Team

Professional career

Beginnings in Italy

Deguara began his professional career after signing a nine-year contract with Benetton Treviso, breaking through the club's youth ranks.[5] After three years, Deguara was loaned to fellow Italian sides BVO Caorle and CUS Bari Pallacanestro over the course of the next two years. The following season, he played for Pallacanestro Reggiana in the Serie A, playing a single game against Armani Milano.

Malta

After an injury-plagued spell in Italy, Deguara decided to return to his native Malta, signing up for BUPA Luxol for the 2013–2014 season.[6] It was a successful stint for Deguara, where he averaged 29.5 points and 21.4 rebounds per game there.

Spain

After his stint in his native country, Deguara set out to Spain to continue his basketball career. He first played for Viten Getafe, scoring 5 points and 6 rebounds in 10 minutes of action.[7] After Getafe, Deguara continued his stint in Spain, playing for Fuenlabrada and also for its reserve team. Deguara also played for Ferrol, where he tallied 17 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks in his debut and averaged 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds a game.[8]

North America

Deguara continued his basketball career in America, where he was selected 98th overall in the sixth round by the Erie Bayhawks in the 2015 NBA Development League Draft. However, Deguara did not play a single game for the BayHawks.

Deguara was then signed by newly-formed NBL Canada side Niagara River Lions.[9][10] Despite his much-publicized and highly hyped signing with the Canadian club, he was largely absent from the team's debut campaign in the NBLC, playing in only 3 games, playing a total of 7 minutes and scoring only 2 points in all games.[11]

Lithuania

Deguara signed a contract with Lithuanian side BC Šilutė, playing in the Lithuanian second tier, the NKL.[12]

Return to Malta

Deguara returned to his native Malta for the second time, again playing for BUPA Luxol, where he led the club to its 13th Maltese championship, where they swept fellow Maltese club Floriana MCP Car Parks in a best-of-five series.[13]

Southeast Asia

Deguara headed to Asia for the first time in his career, where he signed with Malaysian NBL side Farmcochem, winning the Malaysia Pro League title in his only season with the club, scoring 24 points and 24 rebounds in the championship game against the KL Dragons.[14]

Shortly after his stint in Malaysia, Deguara was signed by another Southeast Asian club, PEA, of Thailand.

In January 2018, Deguara was signed by another Thai club and ASEAN Basketball League side Mono Vampire, where he replaced Reggie Johnson, who left the team due to personal reasons.[15][16]

Deguara returned to the Southeast Asian league with San Miguel Alab Pilipinas, replacing Adrian Forbes as the team's third import.[1]

Taiwan

On March 21, 2022, Deguara signed with the TaiwanBeer HeroBears of the T1 League.[17] On August 9, 2022, Deguara signed with the Tainan TSG GhostHawks of the T1 League.[18]

Hong Kong

On June 14, 2023, Deguara signed with the Hong Kong Bulls of the National Basketball League.[19]

Return to Taiwan

On September 8, 2023, Deguara re-signed with the Tainan TSG GhostHawks.[20]

National team career

Deguara is the tallest player on the Malta national basketball team, and has been in the national set-up since he was 14.[4] Deguara was also part of the Malta national team that won the Division C of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship on home soil in 2009, where he averaged 27.2 points and 23.8 rebounds per game. Deguara also played for the medal-winning teams of Malta that took part in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 European Championships for Small Countries, winning bronze, another bronze and silver medals, respectively, in these events.

In 2018, he helped Malta to win the tournament and achieved the MVP title. He accomplished this all while not starting a single game in the tournament.

Playing style

Despite his imposing stature and immense size, he is considered a good rebounder and an effective passer from the post.[21]

Personal life

Deguara wears US size 24 (43 cm) shoes (size 60 EU). Deguara is multilingual, speaking Italian, English, and Maltese fluently.

References
  1. Leongson, Randolph B. (December 5, 2019). "Giant boost as Alab signs 7-foot-4 Sam Deguara as new import". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  2. "NBL: Niagara River Lions signs 7-foot-5 big man Samuel Deguara". www.sportando.com.
  3. "Silute lands Samuel Deguara". www.eurobasket.com.
  4. Riches, Sam (9 February 2016). "Samuel Deguara is 7'5, Unemployed, And Looking For A Basketball Home". Vice Sports. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  5. Nilsen, Paul (11 May 2010). "MALTA'S DEGUARA AIMS FOR NEXT LEVEL". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  6. Colin Schembri (31 December 2013). "Bupa Luxol sign Samuel Deguara". Sport in Malta. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  7. "El techo del baloncesto español juega en el Viten Getafe" [The roof of Spanish basketball plays at Viten Getafe]. FBM.es (in Spanish). Spain. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  8. "International Hoopster Samuel Deguara Joins River Lions". www.riverlions.ca. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  9. "NBL: Niagara River Lions signs 7-foot-5 big man Samuel Deguara". www.sportando.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. Zelkovic, Chris (7 January 2016). "7-foot-5 Maltese basketball player hopes Canadian experience pays off". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  11. Samuel Deguara Player Profile, Niagara River Lions, International Stats, Game Logs, Awards - Real GM
  12. Silute lands Samuel Deguara
  13. Stewart, Said (23 April 2017). "BUPA Luxol Champions għat-13-il darba" [BUPA Luxol Champions for the 13th time]. NET News (in Maltese). Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  14. Kng Zheng Guan (30 October 2017). "Farmco's Guga and Ban Sin snuff out Dragons' fire in MPL final". The Star. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  15. "Samuel Deguara (ex Farmcochem) signs at Mono Vampire". www.asia-basket.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  16. "Mono Vampire Upsizes, Replaces Reggie Johnson with Samuel Deguara". www.aseanbasketballleague.com. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  17. "史上最高巨獸德古拉離開PLG勇士 轉戰台啤英熊". NOWnews. March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  18. "230公分德古拉又回來了！加盟台南獵鷹捍衛禁區". Liberty Times Net. August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  19. "香港金牛正式加盟NBL 7．2揭幕戰主場鬥上屆冠軍". Sportsroad. June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  20. "台鋼獵鷹與德古拉完成續約 「拉拉山連線」新賽季全數回歸". ETtoday. September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  21. "Samuel Deguara". legabasket.it.
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