The founding of the city in which he grew up in Greece, Aristotle University of Thessalonikihonors him Nikos Galis. The best basketball player will be announced honorary doctorate from the Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences. AUTH for his outstanding contributions to sports and culture and for the valuable services he offered to the community.

“He also achieved what few athletes in his category managed to achieve: to receive universal recognition and love,” the foundation’s rationale for the decision says, among other things.

For example, according to AUTH, Nikos Galis is the top scorer in the history of the Greek Championship, as well as in all European club competitions of all time. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) recognized him as the top scorer in Europe of all time. In 2007, he became the first Greek basketball player to join the FIBA Hall of Fame and in 2017 in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame USA, thus entering the pantheon of world basketball.

According to AUTH, “Nikolaos Galis, through his perfectionism and professionalism, uniquely adopted scientific practice at a time when myths about sports and training flourished. His athletic training has become a benchmark of best practice, described in some of the most advanced athletic training theories in the scientific literature. He used various trajectories of the ball in accordance with the principles of biomechanics and, using his biokinetic, physical characteristics, overcame the obstacles of taller opponents that he encountered in matches. The successes achieved by Nikos Galis with his teams and the Greek national team, as the foundation notes in justifying its decision, “had a significant social effect, since people of all ages, but especially young people and children, having him as a role model, turned to sports, fell in love basketball and adopted a sporty lifestyle. He succeeded in a period when the sport was mostly amateur, to stand out, emphasizing professional views and standards worthy of admiration and recognition. He also achieved what few athletes in his category managed to achieve: to be universally recognized and loved, even rivals, universal fame and leave a significant legacy to the people. The modest and humble behavior of such an outstanding person to this day is an example to follow and defines the difference between the temporal and the eternal. Nikolaos Galis, at every opportunity, demonstrates his socially responsible attitude to the daily problems of the society and the city in which he lives, and continues to offer whenever he is asked.” The announcement ceremony will take place on Friday, March 3 at 8:15 pm at the AUTH Ceremony Hall.