Haukur Pálsson Explained

Haukur Pálsson
Birth Date:18 May 1992
Birth Place:Reykjavík, Iceland
Height M:1.98
Position:Power forward / small forward
League:Úrvalsdeild karla
Team:Álftanes
Nationality:Icelandic
High School:Montverde Academy
(Montverde, Florida)
College:Maryland (2010–2011)
Career Start:2007
Years1:2007–2009
Team1:Fjölnir
Years2:2011–2013
Team2:Manresa
Years3:2013–2014
Team3:Breogán
Years4:2014–2015
Team4:LF Luleå
Years5:2015
Team5:Baskonia
Years6:2015
Team6:Manresa
Years7:2015–2016
Team7:Njarðvík
Years8:2016–2017
Team8:Rouen Métropole
Years9:2017–2018
Team9:Cholet
Years10:2018–2019
Team10:Nanterre 92
Years11:2019–2020
Team11:Unics Kazan
Years12:2020–2021
Team12:Andorra
Years13:2021–2023
Team13:Njarðvík
Years14:2023–present
Team14:Álftanes
Highlights:

Haukur Helgi Briem Pálsson (born 18 May 1992) is an Icelandic basketball player for Úrvalsdeild karla club Álftanes and the Icelandic national team. With Iceland, he participated at the EuroBasket in 2015 and 2017.

High school

Haukur played one year of high school basketball in the United States at Montverde Academy under Kevin Sutton.[1]

Club career

Haukur came up through the junior ranks of Fjölnir and was first brought up to the senior team during the 2006-2007 Úrvalsdeild karla season when he was an unused substitute in seven games.[2] During the 2007–2008 season he appeared in nine games in the Úrvalsdeild karla for Fjölnir, averaging 1.0 points.[3] In December 2008, he was invited by Stella Azzura to play with its junior team in the Junior EuroLeague during the days of 27-29 December.[4] Following the tournament, he returned to Fjölnir. After finishing the season in the second tier 1. deild karla,[5] where he was named to the Domestic All-First team,[6] he left the club to join Montverde Academy in the United States and in 2010 he joined the University of Maryland.[7]

In October 2015, Haukur signed with Icelandic powerhouse Njarðvík.[8] The team finished seventh in the Úrvalsdeild karla.[9] In the playoffs they knocked out second seed Stjarnan in the first round[10] before bowing out to the eventual champions KR in the semi-finals.[11] For the season he averaged 18.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and was selected to the Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team and as the Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the Year.[12]

He spent the 2016–2017 season with Rouen Métropole Basket in the LNB Pro B where he averaged 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game. In June 2017 Haukur signed with the LNB Pro A club Cholet Basket.[13]

On 18 July 2018 Haukur switched teams in the LNB Pro A and signed with Nanterre 92.[14] On 5 February 2019, he helped Nanterre to the Round of 16 in the 2018–19 Basketball Champions League after scoring 12 points in a 74–62 victory against Hapoel Holon.[15] On 12 March 2019, he scored 11 points in Nanterre's 62–60 victory against Beşiktaş in the Round of 16 in the Champions League.[16]

During the summer of 2019, Haukur was offered to play with New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Summer League but turned it down due to the birth of his first child.[17] In July 2019, he signed with Unics Kazan.[18]

On 8 July 2020 Haukur signed with Andorra of the Liga ACB.[19] In November 2020, he was diagnosed with COVID-19[20] along with several of Andorra's staff and players.[21] In April 2021, he was ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury that required a surgery. In 19 games in the Liga ACB, he averaged 8.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.7% from the three point line.[22] He also appeared in 9 games in the EuroCup where he averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 rebounds and shot 40.0% from the three point line.[23]

On 1 June 2021, Haukur returned to the Úrvalsdeild karla and signed a 3-year contract with Njarðvík.[24] He spent most of the first half of the season recovering from an ankle surgery but returned to the court on 3 December 2021 in a victory against Vestri.[25]

On 4 May 2023, Haukur announced he was leaving Njarðvík.[26] On 24 May, he signed with newly promoted Álftanes.[27]

National team career

Haukur played his first game with the Icelandic national team in 2011.[28] He participated with the team at EuroBasket 2015[29] and EuroBasket 2017.[14]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Palsson finds his role at Montverde. Lawlor. Christopher. 2010-01-28. ESPN. 2017-07-02.
  2. Web site: Tölfræði - Fjölnir - 2006-2007 . kki.is . . 19 July 2018 . Icelandic.
  3. Web site: Tölfræði - Fjölnir - 2007-2008 . kki.is . . 19 July 2018 . Icelandic.
  4. News: Stórlið sýna Hauki áhuga . 9 April 2021 . . 20 December 2008 . Icelandic.
  5. News: Stórlið sýna Hauki áhuga . 19 July 2018 . . 20 December 2008 . Icelandic.
  6. News: Marvin og Bárður valdir bestir í 1. deild karla . 19 August 2018 . . 3 May 2009 . Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson . Icelandic.
  7. News: Haukur Pálsson til Maryland . 19 July 2018 . karfan.is . 8 March 2010 . Icelandic.
  8. Web site: Haukur Helgi skrifaði undir hjá Njarðvík. Jónsson. Óskar Ófeigur. 2015-10-28. Vísir. 2017-07-02.
  9. http://kki.is/motamal/leikir-og-urslit/motayfirlit/Deildir-flokkar?season_id=90989 2015-2016 Úrvalsdeild
  10. Web site: Njarðvík áfram eftir einn allra besta leik tímabilsins. Ólafsson. Jón Björn. 2016-03-31. Karfan.is. 2017-07-02.
  11. Web site: KR í úrslit þriðja árið í röð. Ólafsson. Hjörvar. 2016-04-15. Mbl.is. 2017-07-02.
  12. Web site: Helena og Haukur Helgi valin bestu leikmenn tímabilsins. Jónsson. Óskar Ófeigur. 2016-05-06. Vísir. 2017-07-02.
  13. Web site: Haukur Helgi í frönsku A-deildina. 2017-06-04. mbl.is. 2017-07-02.
  14. News: Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson . Haukur Helgi skiptir um lið í Frakklandi . 18 July 2018 . . 18 July 2018 . Icelandic.
  15. News: Anton Ingi Leifsson . Haukur og félagar í 16-liða úrslit Meistaradeildarinnar . 6 February 2019 . . 5 February 2019 . Icelandic.
  16. News: Anton Ingi Leifsson skrifar . Haukur Helgi í átta liða úrslit Meistaradeildarinnar . 12 March 2019 . . 12 March 2019 . Icelandic.
  17. News: Sindri Sverrisson . Haukur hafnaði NBA-boði vegna fæðingar dóttur sinnar: "Mun aldrei sjá eftir þessu" . 18 April 2020 . . 17 April 2020 . Icelandic.
  18. News: Sigurður Orri Kristjánsson . Haukur Helgi til Unics Kazan . 4 July 2019 . Karfan.is . 4 July 2019 . Icelandic.
  19. News: Andorra, Haukur Palsson officially agree to 2-year deal. July 8, 2020. Sportando. En. July 8, 2020. Borghesan . Ennio Terrasi .
  20. News: Anton Ingi Leifsson . Haukur Helgi með kórónuveiruna . 9 April 2021 . . 6 November 2020 . Icelandic.
  21. News: Orri Freyr Rúnarsson . Íslenskur landsliðsmaður greinist með COVID-19 . 9 April 2021 . . 7 November 2020 . Icelandic.
  22. News: Sindri Sverrisson . Haukur Helgi úr leik fram í ágúst . 9 April 2021 . . 8 April 2021 . Icelandic.
  23. Web site: Palsson, Haukur - Welcome to 7Days EuroCup . 9 April 2021 . FIBA EuroCup.
  24. News: Runólfur Trausti Þórhallsson . Haukur Helgi í Njarðvík . 2 June 2021 . . 1 June 2021 . Icelandic.
  25. News: Atli Arason . Ég var eins og lítill krakki . 4 December 2021 . . 3 December 2021 . Icelandic.
  26. News: Smári Jökull Jónsson . Haukur Helgi yfirgefur Njarðvík . 5 May 2023 . . 4 May 2023 . Icelandic.
  27. News: Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson . Haukur Helgi til Álftaness . 24 May 2023 . . 24 May 2023 . Icelandic.
  28. Web site: A Landslið . kki.is . . 2 September 2018 . Icelandic.
  29. Web site: Profile. eurobasket2015.org. 5 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151013053133/http://www.eurobasket2015.org/en/compID_qMRZdYCZI6EoANOrUf9le2.season_2015.roundID_9322.teamID_300.playerID_71302.html. 13 October 2015.