Jef Eygel
Eygel with Racing Mechelen in 1969 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 March 1933 |
| Died | 3 April 2005 (aged 72) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0.25 in (1.84 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1950–1970 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Career history | |
| 1950–1968 | Antwerpse |
| 1969–1970 | Racing Mechelen |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Jozef "Jef" Fidelo Eygel (5 March 1933 in Antwerp – 3 April 2005) was a Belgian professional basketball player. At a height of 1.84 m (6'0 1⁄4") tall, he played at the point guard position. He is regarded as one of Belgium's greatest basketball players.[1]
Professional career
In 1950, Eygel began his professional career with his hometown team Antwerpse. The Belgian guard spent almost two decades with this team and helped Antwerpse to win 7 Belgian League titles. The final season of his career, the 37-year-old Eygel spent with another Belgian team, Racing Mechelen.
In 1958/59 season, Eygel made his EuroLeague debut. In total, he played 8 seasons in the EuroLeague, averaging 14.4 points per game and twice finishing the season in the Top 10 in scoring.[2] He finished his European journey with 517 points in 36 games.[2]
Eygel was a member of the FIBA European Selection, in 1964. He was a four-time Belgian Player of the Year (1959, 1961, 1963, 1964).
National team career
Eygel was a member of the senior Belgian national basketball team since 1951, when he made his debut as a 18-year-old in the Eurobasket. In total, Eygel played in 5 Eurobasket editions (1951, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1967), scoring 270 points in 40 games.[2]
He competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He played in all three of Belgium's games during the Olympic tournament, averaging 5.7 points per game.[3] In total, Eygel played a record of 133 times for the national team between 1951 and 1970.[4]
Awards and accomplishments
Team
- Belgian League: 1955–56, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64[5]
- Belgian Cup: 1960–61
- Belgian Cup: 1969–70[6]
Individual
- Gold Medal of Belgian Sporting Merit: 1954[7]
- Belgian Player of the Year: 1958–59, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64[8]
- FIBA European Selection: 1964
References
- ^ "Dirigent Jef Eygel (73) overleden". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 5 April 2005.
- ^ a b c "Jef Eygel - Biography & career statistics". Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jef Eygel Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ "EYGEL, Jef". basketballbelgium.be. 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Belgian League Winners". thisisbasketball.be. 12 June 2025.
- ^ "RACING CLUB MECHELEN - (Belgium-1 Landelijke)". basketball.eurobasket.com. 21 December 2019.
- ^ "Jef EYGEL". basketclubs.be. 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Jozef 'Jef' EYGEL". labdarugo.be (in Dutch). 13 August 2023.
External links