The "first record"

On July 5, 1986, the Greek national team was playing its first ever World Cup game, against Panama, in Zaragoza (in a group with Brazil, Spain, the hosts, France and South Korea).


In the tournament in Spain, the "star" Nikos Galis shone brightly. In the first major event of his career, the "gangster" made sure to show his credentials. Right from the start of the competition, Galis sent a message of dominance, scoring 53 points against Panama in a 110-81 win for the national team.

These 53 points are a record in the history of the national basketball team (with 21/28 2-pointers, 1/1 3-pointers and 8/12 free throws), as no one has so far managed to surpass this incredible number while wearing the national jersey.


For the record, Nikos Galis finished the tournament with 337 points in ten games (33.7 avg.) and was the leading scorer of the '86 World Championship