David Stergakos

David Nelson Stergakos (Greek: Ντέιβιντ Στεργάκος; born 24 October 1956^[a]) is a Greek-American former professional basketball player. At a height of 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played at both the power forward and center positions.

David Stergakos

Personal information
Born	(1956-10-24) 24 October 1956 (age 68)[a] United States[b]
Nationality	Greek / American
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	Bloomfield (1974–1978)
NBA draft	1978: 4th round, 72nd overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career	1978–1991
Position	Power forward / center
Career history
1978–1991	Panathinaikos
Career highlights and awards
4× Greek League champion (1980–1982, 1984) 4× Greek Cup winner (1979, 1982, 1983, 1986) Greek League rebounding leader (1988) Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer (1986)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  Greece EuroBasket 1989 Yugoslavia

Early life and name

Stergakos was born in the United States.^[b] Hailing from Montclair, New Jersey, he was known as Nelson in the U.S. and Stergakos in Greece.^[7]

College career

Stergakos played four years of college basketball with Bloomfield College in New Jersey between 1974 and 1978.^[4][8] He averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds per game in 104 career games.^[4]

Professional career

Stergakos was selected by the Boston Celtics in the fourth round of the 1978 NBA draft^[8] with the 72nd overall draft pick.^[9]

Between 1978 and 1991, Stergakos played for Panathinaikos in Greece.^[6] He won four Greek League championships (1980, 1981, 1982, 1984) and four Greek Cups (1979, 1982, 1983, 1986).^[6] He was the Greek Cup Finals Top Scorer in 1986^[10][11][12] and he was the top rebounder in the Greek League in the 1987–88 season with an average of 12.2 rebounds per game.^[6] His final season came in 1990–91.^[6]

National team career

Stergakos played for the Greek national team and won a silver medal at the 1989 FIBA EuroBasket.^[6] The following year, he helped Greece finish sixth at the 1990 FIBA World Championship.^[6] He scored 585 points in 65 games with the national team.^[6]

Post-playing career

As of January 2007, Stergakos had been team manager of Maroussi for four years.^[13]

Notes

1. Some sources list him as being born on 24 October 1956,^[1][2] while others state he was born on 24 January 1956.^[3]
2. Stergakos' birth place is unclear. Some sources state he was born in Montclair, New Jersey,^[4][5] while others state he was born in Kansas City, Missouri.^[6]

References

1. "David Nelson Stergakos". fiba.com. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
2. "David Nelson Stergakos". fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
3. "ΣΤΕΡΓΑΚΟΣ ΝΤΕΙΒ". basket.gr. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016.
4. "Dave Nelson". thedraftreview.com. 27 February 2009. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020.
5. "Dave Nelson". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024.
6. "David Stergakos". paobc.gr. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023.
7. "They Call Him 'Stergakos' In Greek Pro Basketball". The Montclair Times. 4 January 1979. p. 22. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
8. "Greeks Show Basketball Skill". The New York Times. 18 November 1987. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023.
9. 1978 NBA Draft.
10. Όλοι οι τελικοί Κυπέλλου Ελλάδας (in Greek).
11. Σαν σήμερα: Το πρώτο Κύπελλο μες στο “Εξοχικό”! (in Greek).
12. "Κύπελλο Ελλάδας: Μια υπόθεση... «αιώνιων» (Vids) - Το μπάσκετ όπως το παίζουμε στη γειτονιά μας - agapotobasket".
13. "Στεργάκος: Παρελθόν για Μαρούσι". Εφημερίδα ΑΜΑΡΥΣΙΑ (in Greek). 30 January 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2020.

External links

• FIBA Archive Profile
• FIBA Europe Profile
• Hellenic Basketball Federation Profile (in Greek)