Georgi Glouchkov

Georgi Nikolov Glouchkov (alternate spelling: Gueorgui) (Bulgarian: Георги Николов Глушков; born January 10, 1960 in Tryavna) is a Bulgarian former professional basketball player and president of Bulgarian Basketball Federation. A 6 ft 8 in (204 cm) forward, he was the first player from an Eastern bloc country to compete in the American National Basketball Association (NBA).[1]

In this Eastern Slavic name, the patronymic is Nikolov and the family name is Glouchkov.
Georgi Glouchkov
Personal information
Born (1960-01-10) January 10, 1960
Tryavna, People's Republic of Bulgaria
NationalityBulgarian / Italian
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
NBA draft1985 / Round: 7 / Pick: 148th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Playing career1976–1997
PositionPower forward / Center
Number16
Career history
1976–1979Yambol
1980–1982CSKA Sofia
1983–1984Balkan Botevgrad
1984–1985Akademik Varna
1985–1986Phoenix Suns
1986–1990Juvecaserta Basket
1990–1991Sidis Reggio Emilia
1991–1992Akademik Varna
1993Tau Cerámica
1993–1996Akademik Varna
1996–1997Fontanafreda Siena
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Bulgaria
European U-18 Championship
1980 YugoslaviaTeam

Professional career

Glouchkov began playing with Bulgaria's national team as a teenager. After one successful season with the Luskov Yambol junior side, he got promoted to their senior side by his junior coach Simeon Varchev. They also worked together in BC Balkan Botevgrad and Akademik Varna.[2] By the mid-1980s, he had established a reputation as one of Europe's top five players.[3] After averaging 23 points and 19 rebounds during the 1984-85 season[4] in which his team Akademik Varna won the national championship, he attracted the attention of the Phoenix Suns, who selected him in the seventh round (148th pick overall) of the 1985 NBA Draft.[3] The Suns signed him to much fanfare on September 25, 1985, releasing a special press kit which included a history of Bulgaria and a glossary of Bulgarian phrases.[5]

Glouchkov knew very little English and was accompanied by Bozhidar Takev, a Bulgarian coach and trainer who translated for him. At the beginning of the season, Glouchkov impressed the Suns with his strong rebounding and became a regular member of the team's playing rotation; as the year went on, however, Glouchkov began gaining weight, and his productivity decreased. Some Suns' staff members attributed his weight gain to his taste for American fast food and candy, but rumors also surfaced that he was experimenting with steroids.[4] He ended the 1985-86 NBA season with averages of 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.[6]

As the season came to a close, Glouchkov began losing weight at a dramatic pace. When he reported to the Suns' 1986 summer league team, he weighed 25 pounds less than he had weighed when he first signed with the Suns.[4] The Suns never determined the cause of his weight fluctuations, but after a poor performance in summer league competition, the Suns advised him to return to Europe.[7]

Glouchkov did return to his homeland and continued to play basketball in the European leagues. He had his most post-NBA success with the Italian club Phonola Caserta, whom he led to the European Winner's Cup finals in 1989 before losing to Real Madrid.[8]

Bulgarian national team

Glouchkov began playing with the junior national teams of Bulgaria at the age of seventeen. He began playing with the senior men's Bulgarian national basketball team at the age of 19.[9]

He participated in 4 EuroBaskets. He played at the EuroBasket 1979, the EuroBasket 1985, the EuroBasket 1989, and the EuroBasket 1991.[10]

References
  1. The Official NBA Encyclopedia. Doubleday. 2000. p. 299. ISBN 0385501307.
  2. http://yambolbasketball.com/history/history-glushkov.php
  3. Johnson, Roy. F. "A sun far from home court". New York Times. November 12, 1985. p. 10.
  4. http://www.interbasket.net/players/glouchkov.htm. Retrieved 25 August 2006.
  5. Boyer, Mary Schmidt. "The International Player". The Official NBA Encyclopedia. New York: Doubleday, 2000.
  6. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gloucge01.html. Retrieved 25 August 2006.
  7. AP Sports Wire. August 20, 1986.
  8. "Glouchkov pioneered Europe's path into NBA" The Oregonian. March 21, 1991. p. D06.
  9. Gueorgui Nikolov GLOUCHKOV (BUL) participated in 12 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
  10. FIBAEUROPE.com:Glouchkov, Gueorgui Nikolov
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