Juan Antonio San Epifanio

Epi
	undrafted
Playing career	1977–1995
Position	Shooting guard / Small forward
Number	15
Career history
1977–1995	FC Barcelona
Career highlights and awards
	1985); 1987); Mister Europa (1984); EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1984); 3× FIBA European Selection (1980, 1982, 1991); 2× FIBA Saporta Cup champion (1985, 1986); FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer (1981); FIBA Korać Cup champion (1987); 101 Greats of European Basketball (2018); 7× Spanish League champion (1981, 1983 LEB, 1987–1990, 1994 ACB); 10× Spanish Cup winner (1978–1983, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994); 3× Spanish Cup Finals Top Scorer (1981, 1983, 1984); FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991); 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008); No. 15 retired by FC Barcelona; ISF World Schools' Championship champion (1977);
	FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Men's basketball
Representing Spain
Summer Olympic Games
FIBA EuroBasket
European U-18 Championship

Juan Antonio San Epifanio Ruiz (born 12 June 1959), most commonly known as "Epi",

Mister Europa European Player of the Year in 1984, by the Italian basketball magazine Superbasket, and the Best European Player of the 1980s decade, by the French sports newspaper L'Équipe. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players

in 1991.

At the

swingmen

to have ever played in Europe.

Early life and career

San Epifanio, known by almost everyone as simply, "Epi", grew up in Zaragoza, and began to play the sport of basketball in his native city. In 1973, Epi made his club debut with CN Helios, in the Spanish third division. However, his local club eventually rejected him. In 1974, FC Barcelona signed his older brother, Herminio, to a contract. Herminio then insisted that Epi would also join him at the club, and so the two moved to Barcelona. FC Barcelona's senior men's team head coach, Ranko Žeravica, gave Epi the opportunity to play with the club's youth teams.

Professional career

FC Barcelona

In 1977, Epi joined the senior men's team of

Chicho Sibilio, Audie Norris, Juan de la Cruz, Andrés Jiménez

, and other well-known players.

In a total of eighteen seasons with FC Barcelona (1977–78 to 1994–95), he won the top-level Spanish League title seven times, as he won the

1991), he never lifted the most important trophy in European-wide club

basketball.

He was

FIBA Club World Cup's 1987 edition. His 54 points scored in a game against Joventut Badalona, in 1984, counts among his most memorable performances. It is the second best single-game scoring total ever in the history of the top-tier level Spanish league (since 1957), and the highest ever single-game scoring mark in the history of the Spanish Liga ACB

(since 1983).

National team career

In 1979, Epi made his first appearance with the senior

J. C. Navarro). He was also the first Spanish national team player that took part in four Summer Olympic Games, from the (1980 Moscow Summer Olympics, to the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics

).

He was a silver Olympic medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and a silver medalist at the EuroBasket 1983. He also won a bronze medal at the EuroBasket 1991.

Post-playing career

San Epifanio concluded his professional basketball playing career on 25 May 1995, as

Canal+ Spain

.

References

External links

[1] 2016 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Juan Antonio San Epifanio.

[2] Super Epi, a Spaniard with a Yugoslavian wrist.