Sotiris Nikolaidis


Sotiris "Sotos" Nikolaidis, is a retired Greek professional basketball player and current basketball coach. During his club playing career, at a height of 1.86 m tall, he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions.

Professional career

Nikolaidis started his youth basketball career in Greece, with X.A.N. [Thessaloniki B.C.|HAN Thessaloniki]. In 1995, he transferred to the Greek Basket League club PAOK Thessaloniki, where he played for five years. With PAOK, he also played three seasons in Europe's top level competition, the FIBA EuroLeague. Moreover, Nikolaidis also won the Greek Cup title with PAOK, in 1999.
In 2000, he moved to the Greek club Maroussi Athens, and with them he won the European-wide secondary level FIBA Saporta Cup's 2000–01 season championship. Nikolaidis was the hero of the 2001 FIBA Saporta Cup Final, after he scored the game's two winning points, with free throws made 15 seconds before the end of the game. He also played in the Greek Basket League with Iraklis Thessaloniki, AEK Athens, and Rethymno. With AEK, he also played two seasons in Europe's top level EuroLeague.
Nikolaidis then played with Ilysiakos Athens in the Greek 2nd Division, and in the semi-pro level Greek 3rd Division, with Apollon Patras. He ended his club playing career in the Greek minor leagues, with HAN Thessaloniki.

National team career

With Greece men's national under-16 [basketball team|Greece's Under-16 junior national team], Nikolaidis won the silver medal at the 1991 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. He also played in one cap with the senior Greek national basketball team, in a game against Belgium, at the 1999 FIBA EuroBasket qualification tournament.

Personal life

His sons Alexandros and Apostolos also became professional basketball players.