There are a lot more famous basketball players from Bulgaria than you may think. The country has produced some incredibly talented players, including a variety of centres, guards, and forwards. This is a comprehensive list of some of the best basketball players that have come out of Bulgaria.

Cedric Simmons

Born in 1986, Cedric Simmons is an American-born Bulgarian basketball player who made a name for himself by playing for San-en NeoPhoenix in Japan. He plays as a small forward and power forward and was originally picked to represent the New Orleans Hornets in the 2006 NBA draft.

Dimitar Angelov

This Bulgarian player who was born in 1979 is now a retired professional. He used to play as a power forward or a small forward. Even though he no longer plays, Angelov still sits by the court as the assistant coach for Levski Sofia in the Bulgarian League. Because of the similarities between his style of play and that of Toni Kukoc, he is often referred to as the Bulgarian Kukoc. If you ever were putting a bet on a basketball game, Angelov would always have great basketball odds in his favour due to his unique style of play.

Doneeka Lewis

This American-Bulgarian professional, born in 1982, is currently playing basketball for the Greek side Olympiacos. He is a 5” 9 guard and was drafted as the 25th overall pick of the 2004 Los Angeles Sparks.

Filip Videnov

Born in 1980, Filip Videnov is a Bulgarian retired professional basketball player who has previously played for the NBL team Beroe. Not only that, but he was a long-time member of the Bulgarian men’s national team. He headed over to the United States when he was in college in order to play for Western Kentucky University; he also played at Washington College Academy in Limestone, Tennessee.

Georgi Glouchkov

One of the older players on this list, Georgi Nikolov Glouchkov, was born in 1960 and was a professional basketball player as well as the president of the Bulgarian Basketball Federation. At 6” 8 he used to play as a forward and interestingly was one of the first players from an Eastern bloc country to play professionally in the National Basketball Association (otherwise known as the NBA).

Michael Batiste

One of the younger players on this list, Michael Batiste, was born in 1977 and is a professional player and coach who has served teams such as Orlando Magic who are a prevalent force in the National Basketball Association. He has a great track record as he managed to win the Euro League championships in the years 2007, 2009, and 2011 with the team Panathinaikos.

Conclusion

When you think of professional basketball players, people’s minds tend to stray towards that of Americans. Rightly so in some instances, given it has been the home to legends such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. That being said, it shouldn’t be underestimated just how much of an impact Bulgaria has had on the sport as many players have gone on to play professionally and contribute towards the sport in a massive way.

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