{{Short description|Slovenian basketball player (born 1957)}} {{BLP sources|date=February 2013}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Peter Vilfan | image = Peter Vilfan 2014 crop.jpg | image_size = 260px | caption = Peter Vilfan, in 2014. | position = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2.75 | weight_lbs = 195 | league = | team = | number = | nationality = Slovenian | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|6|29}} | birth_place = Maribor, PR Slovenia, FPR Yugoslavia | career_start = 1976 | career_end = 1993 | career_number = | career_position = Point guard / shooting guard | coach_start = | coach_end = | years1 = 1976–1978 | team1 = Jugoplastika | years2 = 1979–1984 | team2 = Smelt Olimpija | years3 = 1985–1986 | team3 = Partizan | years4 = 1987–1993 | team4 = Smelt Olimpija | highlights = '''As player''': *Yugoslav League champion (1977) *Yugoslav Cup winner (1977) *2× Slovenian League champion (1992, 1993) *2× Slovenian Cup winner (1992, 1993) | FIBA_HOF_player = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's basketball}} {{MedalCountry|{{bk|YUG}}}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA World Cup}} {{MedalGold|1978 Philippines|}} {{MedalBronze|1982 Colombia|}} {{MedalCompetition|EuroBasket}} {{MedalBronze|1979 Italy|}} {{MedalSilver|1981 Czechoslovakia|}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championship for Cadets}} {{MedalBronze|1975 Greece|Team}} }}
'''Peter Vilfan''' (born 29 June 1957) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player, sports journalist, commentator, and a politician. He resigned from the National Assembly due to DUI in 2014, and from the State Secretary position in 2019 amid tax evasion proceedings.
As a basketball player, he was a member of the senior Yugoslavia national team, with which he won a gold medal at the 1978 FIBA World Championship, in Manila. He was inducted into the Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame, in 2013.
==Basketball club career== [[File:KK Union Olimpija vs Maccabi Tel Aviv 2009-12-03 (23).jpg|thumb|300px|Vilfan working as an RTV Slovenia color commentator at the Union Olimpija vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv EuroLeague game at Hala Tivoli in December 2009.]]
During his club basketball playing career, Vilfan played with Maribor, Jugoplastika, Olimpija, and Partizan.
==Basketball national team career== ===Yugoslavian national team=== Vilfan made 121 appearances with the senior Yugoslavian national basketball team, between 1977 and 1983, making him the third most capped Slovenian player for Yugoslavia. He played in five major international FIBA tournaments: the 1978 FIBA World Championship, the EuroBasket 1979, the EuroBasket 1981, the 1982 FIBA World Championship, and the EuroBasket 1983. He won one gold and one bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup, and one silver and one bronze at the EuroBasket.
===Slovenian national team=== Vilfan was the first team captain of the senior Slovenian national basketball team, following Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia.
==Post-playing career== After his retirement from playing professional basketball, Vilfan began working at the Slovenian radio and television network, as a sports commentator. He also opened a basketball school for children.<ref>[http://www.petervilfan.com/index.php/kosarkarska-sola-peter-vilfan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028085708/http://petervilfan.com/index.php/kosarkarska-sola-peter-vilfan |date=2016-10-28 }} Basketball school</ref>
==Political career== In 2011, Vilfan joined the Positive Slovenia (PS) party, and was elected to the National Assembly. For the May 2014 European Parliament elections, he was placed last (8th place) on the list of candidates by the PS.<ref>[http://www.dnevnik.si/slovenija/zadnja-vilfanova-usluga-jankovicu Dnevnik.si - Zadnja Vilfanova usluga Jankoviću]</ref> On 29 April 2014, he left the PS party.<ref>[http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/ps-je-razpadel-odhajajoci-ustanavljajo-svojo-skupino/335746 RTVSLO.si - PS je razpadel. Odhajajoči ustanavljajo svojo skupino.]</ref>
On 10 May 2014, he was driving under the influence, and hit an elderly pedestrian, who needed hospitalization. The next day, he admitted to the DUI event, and resigned as a member of the National Assembly.<ref>[http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/vilfana-bo-v-dz-ju-najverjetneje-nadomestila-alenka-lampe-ki-ostaja-v-ps-ju/336614 RTVSLO.si - Vilfana bo v DZ-ju najverjetneje nadomestila Alenka Lampe, ki ostaja v PS-ju]</ref><ref>[http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/vilfan-ni-vec-poslanec-ne-pijte-alkohola-ko-vozite/336839 RTVSLO.si - Vilfan ni več poslanec. "Ne pijte alkohola, ko vozite."]</ref>
On 31 May 2014, he became a vice-president of the newly founded party Alliance of Alenka Bratušek.<ref>[http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/zelim-da-ob-dveh-crkah-ne-vidite-le-mojega-imena-ampak-zacetnici-abecede/338236 RTVSLO.si - "Želim, da ob dveh črkah ne vidite le mojega imena, ampak začetnici abecede"]</ref> In 2018 elections, Vilfan was not elected to the National Assembly and he became a State Secretary in Prime Minister's cabinet. In 2019, he resigned over tax evasion accusations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.total-slovenia-news.com/politics/3146-sports-state-of-secretary-in-pm-s-office-resigns-over-tax-dodging|title=Sports Secretary of State in PM's Office Resigns Over Tax Dodging|website=www.total-slovenia-news.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> Upon his resignation he paid €30,000 of additional taxes levied on him by tax authorities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.24ur.com/novice/slovenija/peter-vilfan-sarcu-poslal-odstopno-izjavo.html|title=Vsak dan prvi - 24ur.com|website=www.24ur.com|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> In his resignation statement, he wrote that he had not reported his income correctly due to "bookkeeping error" and that he was resigning amid "two months of media pursuit, defamation, and pressure."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vecer.com/peter-vilfan-odstopil-ni-vec-sarcev-drzavni-sekretar-6669294|title=Peter Vilfan odstopil, ni več Šarčev državni sekretar, pravi, da definitivno odhaja iz politike|date=2019-03-01|website=www.vecer.com|language=sl-si|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref>
==Personal life== Vilfan's son-in-law is the Macedonian professional basketball player Vlado Ilievski.<ref>[http://www.slovenskenovice.si/sport/time-out/v-tezavah-tudi-vilfanov-zet-italijani-mu-ocitajo-utajo-davkov Slovenskenovice.si - V težavah tudi Vilfanov zet, Italijani mu očitajo utajo davkov]</ref>
==See also== *Yugoslav First Federal Basketball League career stats leaders
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *[https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/lid_38135_cp/1/pid/11118/q/peter%20vilfan/rpp//_//players.html FIBA Profile 1]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} *[https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/lid_38135_cp/1/pid/101374/q/peter%20vilfan/rpp//_//players.html FIBA Profile 2]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} *[http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_,Uz02qBnJiADOq5VntEf53.season_1993.roundID_2564.playerID_11118.teamID_1184.html FIBA Europe Profile]
{{Yugoslavia Squad 1978 FIBA World Championship}} {{Yugoslavia Squad EuroBasket 1979}} {{Yugoslavia Squad EuroBasket 1981}} {{Yugoslavia Squad 1982 FIBA World Championship}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vilfan, Peter}} Category:1957 births Category:1978 FIBA World Championship players Category:1982 FIBA World Championship players Category:FIBA World Championship–winning players Category:KK Olimpija coaches Category:KK Olimpija players Category:KK Partizan players Category:Living people Category:Members of the 6th National Assembly of Slovenia Category:Members of the 7th National Assembly of Slovenia Category:Point guards Category:Positive Slovenia politicians Category:Shooting guards Category:Slovenian men's basketball players Category:Slovenian sports commentators Category:Slovenian sports journalists Category:Slovenian sportsperson-politicians Category:Sportspeople from Maribor Category:Yugoslav men's basketball players