Nikolaos "Nikos" Stavropoulos (Greek: Νικόλαος "Νίκος" Σταυρόπουλος; born June 17, 1959), a.k.a. Professor Nicholas "Magic" Stavropoulos, is a former Greek professional basketball player and coach. During his club playing career, at a height of 1.96 m (6'5") tall, Stavropoulos played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. During his playing career, Stavropoulos was known for his dazzling passing skills, and his spectacular play-making ability, which garnered him the nickname "Magic", or "Greek Magic", after NBA player Magic Johnson, who played during the same era, and was also known for his dazzling passes and play-making ability.[1]
Stavropoulos is the first player to make a 3-point basket in the Greek League, after the 3-point shot was first introduced into the league, in the 1984–85 season.[1]
Playing career
Club career
Stavropoulos began his club playing career with the Greek club Gymnastikos S. Larissas, in 1975. He was transferred to PAOK Thessaloniki in 1983, for the amount of 10 million Greek drachmas, which was the highest amount for a player transfer fee in the league's history to that point in time.[2] With PAOK, Stavropoulos won the Greek Cup title in 1984, in which he was the Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer without 25 points.
Stavropoulos was born in Larissa, Greece, on 17 June 1959. After his playing career, Stavropoulos opened up his well-known basketball camp called, "Magic Basketball Camp".[5] At his basketball camp, he often worked with legendary basketball coach Bob Knight, whom he had also previously worked for as an assistant coach, on the Indiana Hoosiers Men's Basketball Team, from 1994 to 1997.[1]
