Georgi Glouchkov
Bulgarian basketball player
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Georgi Nikolov Glouchkov (alternate spelling: Gueorgui) (Bulgarian: Георги Николов Глушков; born 10 January 1960) 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]
Glouchkov in 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 10 January 1960 | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Bulgarian / Italian | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 1985: 7th round, 148th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1976–1997 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward / center | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1976–1979 | Yambol | ||||||||||||||
| 1980–1982 | CSKA Sofia | ||||||||||||||
| 1983–1984 | Balkan Botevgrad | ||||||||||||||
| 1984–1985 | Akademik Varna | ||||||||||||||
| 1985–1986 | Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||
| 1986–1990 | Juvecaserta Basket | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Sidis Reggio Emilia | ||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Akademik Varna | ||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Tau Cerámica | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Akademik Varna | ||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Fontanafredda Siena | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Glouchkov has served as Bulgaria's Minister of Youth and Sports under Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev since 9 April 2024.[2]
Professional career
Glouchkov began playing with Bulgaria's national teams at age 17. After one successful season with the Luskov Yambol junior side, he got promoted to their senior side by his junior coach Simeon Varchev at age 19.[3] They also worked together in BC Balkan Botevgrad and Akademik Varna.[4] By the mid-1980s, he had established a reputation as one of Europe's top five players.[5] After averaging 23 points and 19 rebounds during the 1984–85 season[6] 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.[5] The Suns signed him on 25 September 1985, releasing a special press kit which included a history of Bulgaria and a glossary of Bulgarian phrases.[7]
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, by way of his rebounding ability, became a regular member of the team's playing rotation; as the year went on, however, Glouchkov began gaining weight, and his productivity decreased. He ended the 1985-86 NBA season with averages of 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.[8]
As the season concluded, 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.[6] After a poor performance in summer league competition, the Suns advised him to return to Europe.[9]
Glouchkov returned 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.[10] Glouchkov was a FIBA Balkans Selection in 1991.
He played in four EuroBaskets, having participated in 1979, 1985, 1989, and 1991.[11]
Career statistics
| 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 | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Source[8]
Regular season
Honours and titles
Domestic competitions
- Runners-up (1): 1986–87
- Winners (1): 1987–88
- Runners-up (1): 1988–89
- Bulgarian Championships Winners (1) 1985
- Bulgarian Cup Winners (1) 1981
European competitions
- Runners-up (1): 1988–89
- Semifinalist (1): 1986–87