Michael Meeks (basketball)
Michael Meeks ( born February 23, 1972 in Kingston, Jamaica ) is a former Canadian basketball player and current basketball coach, who also has German citizenship for several years.
College
Meeks played in college in Buffalo and one of the most successful collectors points in the history of Canisius College. In his last year of college, they won the championship of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, in which Meeks as the "Most Valuable Player " of the final tournament was elected, and he was able to qualify the team for the NCAA finals in the history of the College for first time since the fifties again. For his achievements he was in the " Sports Hall of Fame" ( German: Hall of Fame Sports) in late 2006 appointed his college.
Despite his good performances in college, he was not considered in the NBA Draft 1996, that shares the fate of the future NBA All-Stars Ben Wallace. In this Draft but was also particularly strong competition, alongside his compatriot Steve Nash nine other All-Stars were selected in this year.
Europe
Except in the Spanish ACB League and the Greek A1 Ethniki Meeks has played in all the more important European basketball leagues during his career actually. His first stop in the German Bundesliga was in season 1997/98 Brandt Hagen. The club had six years later file for bankruptcy. A similar fate befell later his former Italian club Fabriano Basket in 2008. During the season 2005/ 06 Telekom Baskets Bonn was his second German station, where he was immediately appointed as the new team captain. Inglorious culmination of his year in Bonn was an unsportsmanlike foul on Bamberger Uvis Helmanis in a heated play-off quarter-finals, giving him six game suspension earned at the end of his time in Bonn. In November 2009, Meeks was initially a three - month contract, which was then extended until the end of the season at the Bundesliga BG Göttingen at the age of 37 years. Mid-November 2010 he returned to BG Göttingen, after first having obtained a new contract for the 2010/2011 season. He should help as veteran to lead the young team through the season.
Coaching career
For the season 2011/2012 Meeks ended his active career and was an assistant coach at his previous club BG Göttingen. After a weak start to the season was Meeks from Stefan Mienack as Head Coach of the BG Göttingen. But even under Meeks could not prevent the descent. After a long time it was unclear whether the Göttingen can start in the Pro A due to financial problems 2012/2013 in June 2012 green light from sides of the club and the league was given. In order to create a complete restart, the club decided but in the second division to undertake a new head coach and to not continue working with Michael Meeks together.
Michael Meeks was then new Assistant Coach of the s.Oliver Baskets from Würzburg. He got there first a contract until 2013, which was renewed in the summer of 2013 to 2014. In November 2013 Meeks was promoted to interim head coach after Marcel Schröder was sacked after a poor start to the season.
National
Michael Meeks played several years for the Canadian national team. At finals, he was able to participate in the Basketball America championships in 1995, 1997, 1999 (Silver ) & 2001 ( bronze ) at the World Basketball Championship in 1998 and 2002 and at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
Achievements
- 2000: Seventh place 2000 Olympics
- 2001: Russian runner-up in 2001 and semi-finals Saporta Cup
- 2003: Adriatic League champion, Croatian Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals and championship
- 2004: Vice- Croatian league and cup
- 2008: Vice- Belgian Championship and Cup semifinals
- 2010: Winner of the Euro Challenge with the BG Göttingen
Others
In his spare time enjoys playing guitar Meeks and is active as a photographer.