Georgi Glouchkov

Personal information
Born	(1960-01-10) January 10, 1960 (age 64) Tryavna, PR Bulgaria
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
Selected by the 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	Fontanafreda Siena
Career highlights and awards
FIBA Balkans Selection (1991 I)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Bulgaria European U-18 Championship 1980 Yugoslavia Under-18

Georgi Nikolov Glouchkov (alternate spelling: Gueorgui) (Bulgarian: Георги Николов Глушков; born January 10, 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]

Professional career

Glouchkov began playing with Bulgaria's national team as a teenager. After one successful season with the Luskov Yambol junior side, he got promoted to their senior side by his junior coach Simeon Varchev. They also worked together in BC Balkan Botevgrad and Akademik Varna.^[2] By the mid-1980s, he had established a reputation as one of Europe's top five players.^[3] After averaging 23 points and 19 rebounds during the 1984-85 season^[4] 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.^[3] The Suns signed him to much fanfare on September 25, 1985, releasing a special press kit which included a history of Bulgaria and a glossary of Bulgarian phrases.^[5]

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 impressed the Suns with his strong rebounding and became a regular member of the team's playing rotation; as the year went on, however, Glouchkov began gaining weight, and his productivity decreased. Some Suns' staff members attributed his weight gain to his taste for American fast food and candy, but rumors also surfaced that he was experimenting with steroids.^[4] He ended the 1985-86 NBA season with averages of 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.^[6]

As the season came to a close, 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.^[4] The Suns never determined the cause of his weight fluctuations, but after a poor performance in summer league competition, the Suns advised him to return to Europe.^[7]

Glouchkov did return 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.^[8] Glouchkov was a FIBA Balkans Selection in 1991.

Honours and titles

Domestic competitions

• Italian League

Runners-up (1): 1986–87

• Italian Cup

Winners (1): 1987–88

Runners-up (1): 1988–89

• Bulgarian Championships Winners (1) 1985
• Bulgarian Cup Winners (1) 1981

European competitions

• FIBA Saporta Cup

Runners-up (1): 1988–89

• FIBA Korać Cup

Semifinalist (1): 1986–87

National team career

Glouchkov began playing with the junior national teams of Bulgaria at the age of seventeen. He began playing with the senior men's Bulgarian national team at the age of 19.^[9]

He participated in 4 EuroBaskets. He played at the EuroBasket 1979, the EuroBasket 1985, the EuroBasket 1989, and the EuroBasket 1991.^[10]