Vassilis Symtsak (alternative spellings: Vasilis, Vasileios, Simtsak) (Greek: Βασίλης Σίμτσακ; (born 3 March 1981) is a Greek professional basketball coach and former player, currently an assistant coach for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague, under head coach Ergin Ataman. Standing at 2.07 m (6 ft 9 1⁄2 in), he mainly played at the center position.[1]
| Panathinaikos | |
|---|---|
| Position | Assistant coach |
| League | GBL EuroLeague |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 3 March 1981 Athens, Greece |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9.5 in (2.07 m) |
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 2003–2018 |
| Position | Center |
| Number | 14, 17 |
| Coaching career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2000–2006 | A.C. Doukas |
| 2006–2007 | Sporting |
| 2007–2008 | AEK Athens |
| 2008–2009 | PAOK Thessaloniki |
| 2009–2010 | Trikala |
| 2010–2012 | Kavala |
| 2012–2013 | Ikaros Kallitheas |
| 2013–2014 | Panionios |
| 2014–2017 | Aris Thessaloniki |
| 2017–2018 | Peristeri |
| As coach: | |
| 2018–2021 | UNICS Kazan (assistant) |
| 2021–2022 | Panathinaikos (assistant) |
| 2022–2023 | Tofaş (assistant) |
| 2023–present | Panathinaikos (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Professional career
editSome of the clubs that Symtsak has played with in his pro career include: Doukas, Sporting, AEK Athens, PAOK, Trikala 2000, Kavala, Ikaros Kallitheas, and Panionios.[2] In 2014, he signed with the Greek League club Aris. He then re-signed with Aris in 2015.[3]
After the end of the 2016–17 season, Symtsak completed 10 seasons in the Greek Basket League, counting 1,068 points, 1,095 rebounds, 154 assists, 116 steals, and 43 blocks, in a total of 258 appearances.
On 19 July 2017, Symtsak penned a single-season deal with Greek A2 Basket League club Peristeri B.C. Averaging 6.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, he helped the club with his experience to celebrate the championship and the return to Greek Basket League after five years.
On July 21, 2022, he signed with Tofaş of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi as an assistant coach.[4] On February 21, 2023, he returned to Panathinaikos as an assistant to Christos Serelis.
Personal life
editSymtsak is of mixed Polish and Greek descent.[5] His father is Polish, while his mother originates from a Greek family that found refuge in Poland, after the Greek Civil War.[6]
Awards and accomplishments
edit- 2× Greek 2nd Division Champion: (2007, 2018)
- As assistant coach
- EuroLeague Champion (2024) (with Panathinaikos)
- Greek League champion: 2024 (with Panathinaikos)
- Greek Super Cup Winner: 2021 (with Panathinaikos)
References
edit- ^ Vassilis Symtsak Height 2.07.
- ^ Eurocupbasketball.com PANIONIOS picks up big man Symtsak.
- ^ Aris re-signs veteran big man Symtsak.
- ^ "TOFAŞ'a Yunan asistan" (in Turkish). basketfaul. July 21, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
- ^ Σίμτσακ: "Θετικός για Άρη ο Καββαδάς" (in Greek). 16 June 2016.
- ^ "Από τον… κακό λύκο στο "Nick Galis Hall" ο Σίμτσακ!" (in Greek). 4 April 2016.