{{short description|Greek basketball player}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Sotiris Nikolaidis | image = | image_size = | caption = | position = [[Coach (basketball)|Assistant coach]] | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1.25 | weight_lbs = 181 | league = | team = | number = | nationality = Greek | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|5|25}} | birth_place = [[Thessaloniki]], [[Greece]] | college = | high_school = | draft_round = | draft_pick = | draft_year = | draft_team = | career_start = 1995 | career_end = 2010 | career_position = [[Point guard]] / [[Shooting guard]] | career_number = | coach_start = 2010 | coach_end = | years1 = 1995–2000 | team1 = [[PAOK BC|PAOK]] | years2 = 2000–2001 | team2 = [[Maroussi B.C.|Maroussi]] | years3 = 2001–2002 | team3 = [[S.S. Basket Napoli|Napoli]] | years4 = 2002–2003 | team4 = [[Iraklis Thessaloniki B.C.|Iraklis]] | years5 = 2003–2005 | team5 = [[AEK B.C.|AEK]] | years6 = 2005–2006 | team6 = [[Maroussi B.C.|Maroussi]] | years7 = 2006–2007 | team7 = [[AEK B.C.|AEK]] | years8 = 2007–2008 | team8 = [[Rethymno Cretan Kings B.C.|Rethymno]] | years9 = 2008–2009 | team9 = [[Ilysiakos B.C.|Ilysiakos]] | years10 = 2009–2010 | team10 = [[Apollon Patras B.C.|Apollon Patras]] | cyears1 = 2010–2012 | cteam1 = [[HAN Thessaloniki BC|HANTH]] (youth) | cyears2 = 2012–2013 | cteam2 = [[MENT BC|MENT]] | cyears3 = 2013–2014 | cteam3 = [[Trikala Aries BC|Trikala Aries]] (assistant) | cyears4 = 2014–2016 | cteam4 = Stratoni | cyears5 = 2016–2018 | cteam5 = HANTH | cyears6 = 2019–2020 | cteam6 = Pefkochori | cyears7 = 2020 | cteam7 = [[Ionikos Nikaias B.C.|Ionikos Nikaias]] (assistant) | cyears8 = 2022–2023 | cteam8 = [[G.S. Lavrio B.C.|Lavrio]] (assistant) | highlights = '''As player:''' *[[FIBA Saporta Cup]] champion ([[2000–01 FIBA Saporta Cup|2001]]) *[[Greek Basketball Cup|Greek Cup]] winner (1999) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}} {{MedalCountry|{{bk|GRE}}}} {{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship]]}} {{MedalSilver|[[1991 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship|1991 Greece]]|[[Greece men's national under-16 basketball team|Under-16]]}} }} '''Sotiris''' "'''Sotos'''" '''Nikolaidis''' ({{langx|el|Σωτήρης "Σώτος" Νικολαΐδης}}; (born May 25, 1974, in [[Thessaloniki]], [[Greece]]), is a retired Greek professional [[basketball]] player and current [[basketball coach]]. During his [[sports club|club]] playing career, at a height of 1.86 m (6'1 {{1/4}}") tall, he played at the [[point guard]] and [[shooting guard]] positions.
==Professional career== Nikolaidis started his youth basketball career in Greece, with [[X.A.N. Thessaloniki B.C.|HAN Thessaloniki]]. In 1995, he transferred to the [[Greek Basket League]] club [[PAOK BC|PAOK Thessaloniki]], where he played for five years. With PAOK, he also played three seasons in Europe's top level competition, the [[EuroLeague|FIBA EuroLeague]] ([[1997–98 FIBA EuroLeague|1997–98]], [[1998–99 FIBA EuroLeague|1998–99]], [[1999–00 FIBA EuroLeague|1999–00]]). Moreover, Nikolaidis also won the [[Greek Basketball Cup|Greek Cup]] title with PAOK, in 1999.
In 2000, he moved to the Greek club [[Maroussi B.C.|Maroussi Athens]], and with them he won the European-wide secondary level [[FIBA Saporta Cup]]'s [[2000–01 FIBA Saporta Cup|2000–01 season]] championship. Nikolaidis was the hero of the 2001 [[FIBA Saporta Cup Final]], after he scored the game's two winning points, with [[free throw]]s made 15 seconds before the end of the game. He also played in the Greek Basket League with [[Iraklis Thessaloniki B.C.|Iraklis Thessaloniki]], [[AEK B.C.|AEK Athens]], and [[Rethymno Cretan Kings B.C.|Rethymno]]. With AEK, he also played two seasons in Europe's top level [[EuroLeague]] ([[2003–04 EuroLeague|2003–04]] and [[2004–05 EuroLeague|2004–05]]).
Nikolaidis then played with [[Ilysiakos BC|Ilysiakos Athens]] in the [[Greek A2 Basket League|Greek 2nd Division]], and in the [[semi-professional sports|semi-pro]] level [[Greek B Basket League|Greek 3rd Division]], with [[Apollon Patras B.C.|Apollon Patras]]. He ended his [[sports club|club]] playing career in the Greek minor leagues, with HAN Thessaloniki.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://northbasket.gr/%CE%BF-%CF%83%CF%89%CF%84%CE%AE%CF%81%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%90%CE%B4%CE%B7%CF%82-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7-%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B8/|title=Ο Σωτήρης Νικολαΐδης στη ΧΑΝΘ|website=northbasket.gr |date= |accessdate=2017-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sport24.gr/Basket/to-marousi-olhs-ths-elladas.2215318.html|title=Το Μαρούσι όλης της Ελλάδας|website=sport24.gr |date= |accessdate=2017-07-26}}</ref>
==National team career== With [[Greece men's national under-16 basketball team|Greece's Under-16 junior national team]], Nikolaidis won the silver medal at the [[1991 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship]]. He also played in one [[cap (sports)|cap]] (game) with the senior [[Greek national basketball team]], in a game against [[Belgian national basketball team|Belgium]], at the [[1999 FIBA EuroBasket qualification]] tournament.
==Personal life== His sons [[Alexandros Nikolaidis (basketball)|Alexandros]] and Apostolos also became professional basketball players.<ref>[https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/926375/olympiacos-signs-youngster-alexandros-nikolaidis/ Olympiacos signs youngster Alexandros Nikolaidis.]</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=BVO#!careerstats Euroleague.net profile] *[http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_,Uz02qBnJiADOq5VntEf53.season_2000.roundID_2571.playerID_10573.teamID_1003.html FIBA EuroLeague profile] *[https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/rpp//q/Sotirios%20NIKOLAIDIS/pid/10573/_//players.html FIBA Archive profile]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} *[http://basket.gr/index.php/playerview?playerid=372 Hellenic Basketball Federation profile] {{in lang|el}} *[http://www.esake.gr/el/action/EsakeplayerView?idplayer=000003AD&mode=4&idteam=0000000E&idchampionship=00000006 Greek Basket League] {{in lang|el}} *[http://widgets.baskethotel.com/site/esake/player/5110221/ Greek Basket League profile] {{in lang|en}} *[https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Sotiris-Nikolaidis/Greece/AS-Apollon-Patras/12837 Eurobasket.com profile] *[http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Sotiris-Nikolaidis-35603/ Draftexpress.com profile] *[https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/6500/sotirios-nikolaidis ProBallers.com profile] *[http://www.kapasports.gr/portfolio/sotiris-nikolaidis/ KapaSports coach profile]
{{Maroussi B.C. 2000–01 Saporta Cup Winners}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikolaidis, Sotiris}} [[Category:1974 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:AEK B.C. players]] [[Category:Apollon Patras B.C. players]] [[Category:S.S. Basket Napoli players]] [[Category:Greek basketball coaches]] [[Category:Greek men's basketball players]] [[Category:HANTH B.C. coaches]] [[Category:HANTH B.C. players]] [[Category:Ilysiakos B.C. players]] [[Category:Iraklis Thessaloniki B.C. players]] [[Category:Lavrio B.C. coaches]] [[Category:Maroussi B.C. players]] [[Category:M.E.N.T. B.C. coaches]] [[Category:P.A.O.K. BC players]] [[Category:Basketball players from Thessaloniki]] [[Category:Point guards]] [[Category:Rethymno B.C. players]] [[Category:Shooting guards]]