Otar Korkia Explained

Otar Korkia
Height M:1.95
Weight Kg:93
Birth Date:10 May 1923
Birth Place:Kutaisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality:Soviet / Georgian
Death Place:Tbilisi, Georgia
Career Position:Center
Career Number:7, 10
Career Start:1940
Career End:1958
Coach Start:1958
Coach End:1970
Years1:1940–1947
Team1:Dinamo Kutaisi
Years2:1947–1958
Team2:Dinamo Tbilisi
Cyears1:1958–1959
Cteam1:Soviet Union Under-20
Cyears2:1959–1968
Cteam2:Dinamo Tbilisi
Cyears3:1968–1970
Cteam3:Cambodia
Highlights:As player:

As head coach:

Otar Korkia (Georgian: ოთარ ქორქია, Russian: Отар Михайлович Коркия; 10 May 1923 – 15 March 2005) was a Georgian professional basketball player and coach. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players, in 1991. He was also named the Best Georgian Basketball Player of the 20th Century, and the Best Georgian Sportsman of the 20th Century.[1] He was born in Kutaisi.

Club career

During his club career, Korkia played with Dinamo Kutaisi, from 1940 to 1947, and with Dinamo Tbilisi, from 1947 to 1958.[2] He won three USSR League championships (1950, 1953, and 1954) and two USSR Cups, (1949 and 1950).

National team career

Korkia was a member of the senior Soviet Union national basketball team, which won the silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games. He played in seven games during that tournament.[3] He later became the captain of the senior Soviet national team.

He also won gold medals at the 1947 EuroBasket, the 1951 EuroBasket, and the 1953 EuroBasket. Additionally, he won the bronze medal at the 1955 EuroBasket.

Coaching career

Korkia was the head coach of Dinamo Tbilisi, when the club won the FIBA European Champions Cup (later called EuroLeague) championship, in the 1961–62 season. He was named an Honored Coach of the USSR, in 1967.

Titles won

Player

Head coach

Personal life

Korkia died in Tbilisi, aged 81. His nephew, Mikheil, was also a well-known senior Soviet national basketball team player.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_3,AO8O15HK6q0ZJOVKr0e0.articleMode_on.html GEORGIA LOSES LEGEND KORKIA.
  2. Book: All about Olympic Games.. Boris Khavin. Fizkultura i sport. 2nd. 306. 1979. Moscow. ru.
  3. Otar Korkia Olympic Results . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418071855/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/otar-korkia-1.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . 15 June 2018.