June 12 1987
1987 EuroBasket Semifinal Yugoslavia vs Greece
Nikos Galis makes his Greek supporters in the stands erupt, leading Greece to a narrow victory over Drazen Petrovic and the multi-national country of Yugoslavia. Galis, a player that holds the rare feat being a male and never playing in the NBA but being in the Basketball Hall of Fame, was an exceptional scorer in Europe for more than a decade and at Seton Hall before his pro career.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, according to himself, Red Auerbach's single biggest mistake of his executive career running the Boston Celtics. A kid from Union City, New Jersey, starred at Seton Hall before being selected in the 4th round of the NBA draft-largely due to his height (6'0) and his agent not having him work out for a single NBA team-by the Celtics. Galis suffered a severe ankle injury in the upcoming training camp, and Gerald Henderson Sr was selected for the team ahead of Galis. So, Nikos turned to the Greek/Euroleague, where he would become a sensation. He would field offers from the NBA from his "hometown" state team, the New Jersey Nets, and the Celtics, but turned them down because of the FIBA rules barring a player in the NBA from representing their country. Being the son of two poor Greek immigrants, Galis chose his immense pride over an NBA career, and reaped the rewards in Europe as perhaps the top player not in the NBA at the time. Galis also showed immense stamina, almost never being subbed out of games, garnering the nickname "The Iron Man". He would dominate the European basketball landscape, lead Greece to FIBA and Olympic heights they had never reached before or since until a kid named Antetokounmpo arrived onto the scene with his brothers.
