Just over a month after the start of the season, Bayern Basketball has made another squad update: German international Niels Giffey, 31, returns to the Bundesliga after two stints abroad and commits himself to the EuroLeague quarterfinalists of the past two years on a long-term contract until summer 2025. The forward had left his hometown Berlin after the 2020/2021 season and had moved to Lithuania's flagship Zalgiris Kaunas. At the beginning of this season, he played in the strong Spanish ACB for Murcia, this commitment has now been prematurely terminated in favor of the move to Munich.
„I'm especially looking forward to playing with guys like Paul, Nick, Izzy and Andi who I know well.”
Niels Giffey
Giffey last appeared last weekend in Murcia's 88-76 win over Badalona for just under 23 minutes (4 points, 4 rebounds); of the four games with the German club they won three. Niels Giffey has been in Munich since Sunday and completed all the medical checks at the beginning of the week; on Monday evening he took part in team training at the Audi Dome for the first time.
Two national players: Isaac Bonga welcomes Niels Giffey to the Audi Dome.
"A big move that has been really thought through"
"I am happy to return to the BBL and the EuroLeague," said Giffey, who will wear number 7 in the future. "This is of course a special step for me and also an emotional one that I thought through for a long time. But Munich is now a very good option for me, also because of the longer-term perspective. I'm especially looking forward to playing with guys like Paul, Nick, Izzy and Andi, who I know well. That's why I knew there was a good core here, that was also a reason for my decision."
With Giffey's addition, the Bayern Basketball team once again strengthens its German rotation; they already signed three players with national team experience this summer in Isaac Bonga, Elias Harris and Niklas Wimberg. Niels Giffey wore the jersey of the German national team a total of 92 times and was involved in the successes of the past two years, the Olympic participation in Tokyo (7.3 ppg) and winning the bronze medal of the DBB team at the European Championship 2022 (5.9 ppg).
"Niels will impact immediately"
"Niels will add even more stability to our rotation and, more specifically, his versatility, experience and ability to spread the court wide will help us," says FCBB sporting director Daniele Baiesi. The Italian expects the adjustment period to be short: "Niels is a guy you put on the court and then he works immediately. He is always very motivated and ready to fight together with his teammates. We are very happy to welcome him to the Bayern family."
The winger, who can be used at the three and four positions, left his long-time club Alba Berlin in 2021, after seven seasons and winning the championship. In the BBL, Giffey played 245 games, and in his final season in Berlin he had a scoring average of 10.2 points with a three-point percentage of 40 percent. In the EuroLeague, including the year in Kaunas, where he celebrated the 2022 Cup victory, he has played in four seasons so far. In 104 games, his statistics show an average of 6.9 points, 50.3 percent twos and 41.2 percent threes.
Niels Giffey wore the jersey of the German national team a total of 92 times. (c) DBB
92 games, bronze medal at Euro 2022
Niels Giffey first left Berlin after his training period with TuS Lichterfelde and the Alba youth team and played four years at the University of Connecticut. In his very first year, he won the prestigious NCAA title with the Huskies and he even managed to do so again in the "March Madness" at the end of 2014. After stints in the NBA Summer League (Utah, Memphis), he returned and signed on with the Capital Club. From 2017 until his departure, he was Alba's team captain.
With his original hometown club, the Marzahner Basket Bears, Giffey won the German U16 championship in 2006 (by defeating Bayern Nachwuchs in the final). He played for all the DBB selection teams and finished fifth with the German U20 team at the 2011 European Championships. In July 2013, he made his debut with the senior national team; his best game came in the preliminary round of the European Championship this September in Cologne against Hungary (19 points).
Zan Mark Sisko not in FCBB squad until further notice
While Giffey has joined the team, Zan Mark Sisko will continue to be missing there. The 25-year-old Slovenian, who has been under contract in Munich since December 2019, was forced to take a break due to a thumb injury and illness after three competitive appearances at the start of the season. Now the point guard will no longer be available to the FCBB for private reasons until further notice.
NIELS GIFFEY
(*8. Juni 1991, Berlin)
Small Forward – 2,00 m – 93 kg
- 2007 - 2008: TuS Lichterfelde
2008 - 2010: Alba Berlin (NBBL, Regionalliga, ProB)
2010 - 2014: University of Connecticut (NCAA)
2014 - 2021: Alba Berlin
2021 - 2022: Zalgiris Kaunas (LTU)
until Nov. 2022: UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Achievments/Awards
- Olympic participation 2021
Bronze medal EM 2022
German Champion 2020, 2021
German Cup Winner 2016, 2020
Lithuanian Cup Winner 2022
NCAA Champion 2011, 2014
German U19 Champion 2009
German U16 Champion 2006
NBA Summer League 2014 (Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies)
BBL Allstar Game 2015, 2017