Gregory Vargas
Vargas with Maccabi Haifa in 2015
No. 5 – Gladiadores de Anzoátegui
PositionPoint guard
LeagueVenezuelan SuperLiga
Personal information
Born (1986-02-18) 18 February 1986
Ocumare Del Tuy, Venezuela
NationalityVenezuelan
Listed height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Listed weight91 kg (201 lb)
Career information
NBA draft2008: undrafted
Playing career2004–present
Career history
2004Patriotas de Guarico
2004–2005Pescadores de Cumana
2005–2008Panteras de Miranda
2006–2007Pescadores de Sucre
2008–2016Marinos de Anzoátegui
2008Centauros de Cojedes
2008Petroleros de Falcon
2008–2011Angeles de Puebla
2009Piratas Saludcoop Bogota
2009Lanceros de Cojedes
2009Tiburones de Vargas
2011Reales de La Vega
2011–2012Halcones Rojos Veracruz
2012–2013Halcones UV Xalapa
2013Caquetíos de Falcón
2014Brujos de Guayama
2014Maratonistas de Coamo
2014Protectores de Miranda
2015–2016Maccabi Haifa
2016SLUC Nancy
2016–2017Maccabi Haifa
2017–2018Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
2018–2019Guaros de Lara
2019–2020Maccabi Haifa
2020–2021Cluj
2021Cocodrilos de Caracas
2021–2022Hapoel Haifa
2022–presentGladiadores de Anzoátegui
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Venezuela
FIBA South American Championship
Gold medal – first place2014 Venezuela
Gold medal – first place2016 Venezuela
Silver medal – second place2012 Argentina
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal – first place2015 Mexico

Gregory Maxdier Vargas Díaz[1] (born 18 February 1986) is a Venezuelan professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He was the Israeli Basketball Premier League Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017, and the Israeli Premier League Assists Leader in 2017 and 2020.

Professional career

In the 2015–16 season, Vargas averaged 13.9 points and 6.4 assists per game in the Israeli Premier League, with Maccabi Haifa.[2]

Vargas also played against the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies as a part of Maccabi Haifa, in an NBA preseason game.[3] He scored over 20 points in 8 games, and had 10 or more assists in 3 games as well, during the 2015–16 season.[4][5][6]

On 7 July 2016, Vargas signed with French club SLUC Nancy.[7] In November 2016, he left Nancy after appearing in eight games.[8]

On 17 December 2016, he returned to his former club Maccabi Haifa.,[9] During his season with the club he won Israeli Super League Defensive Player of the Year award and helped Haifa reaching the Israeli League Finals. He was the Israeli Basketball Premier League Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017. He was also the Israeli Premier League Assists Leader in 2017.

On 20 July 2017, Vargas signed with the Spanish club Baloncesto Fuenlabrada of the Liga ACB for the 2017–18 season.[10]

On 1 August 2019, Vargas returned to Maccabi Haifa for a third stint, signing a one-year deal.[11] On 3 February 2020, Vargas recorded a triple-double 16 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists, leading Haifa to a 93–84 win over Hapoel Gilboa Galil. He was subsequently named Israeli League Round 18 MVP.[12] He was the Israeli Premier League Assists Leader in 2019–20.

On 2 July 2020, he signed with Cluj of the Romanian Liga Națională.[13]

Vargas played with Cocodrilos de Caracas in the 2021 season of the Venezuelan SuperLiga and was named the league MVP after averaging 17.4 points and 7.7 assists for the team.[14]

National team career

Vargas is a member of the senior men's Venezuelan national basketball team. As a member of the team at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship,[15] he helped Venezuela to defeat Uruguay[16] and Canada to win the gold medal. That was Venezuela's first FIBA Americas Championship,[17] and allowed them to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where Vargas also played with Venezuela.[18]

Player profile

Vargas was described as a tough FIBA player, who could be a college basketball All-American, by ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla.[19]

Personal

Vargas' older brother José is also a professional basketball player. The two brothers have played together on the senior men's Venezuelan national team.

References

  1. ↑ "ASISTENCIAS". lnbp.com.mx (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "Gregory Vargas profile – Game center – FIBA.com". Archived from the original on 25 December 2015.
  3. ↑ Contributing Writer (11 October 2015). "Lakers Vs. Maccabi Hafia Preview: L.A. Looks To End Three Game Losing Streak". Lakers Nation.
  4. ↑ "Gregory VARGAS | Season 2015/2016". Archived from the original on 18 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Mac Tel Aviv humiliated on the road by Mac Haifa". The Jerusalem Post – JPost.com.
  6. ↑ "Greens grab dramatic victory over Ness Ziona". The Jerusalem Post – JPost.com.
  7. ↑ "SLUC Nancy inks Gregory Vargas".
  8. ↑ "Pro A : Gregory Vargas quitte Nancy". L'Équipe.
  9. ↑ "Maccabi Haifa signs Gregory Vargas".
  10. ↑ "Gregory Vargas signs with Fuenlabrada".
  11. ↑ "הוא חוזר: גרגורי ורגאס שוב ירוק". basket.co.il (in Hebrew). 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "מצטיין המחזור ה-18: גרגורי ורגאס". basket.co.il (in Hebrew). 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  13. ↑ "Gregory Vargas inks with Cluj". Sportando. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Férrea lucha por el MVP de la Superliga 2021 – Triángulo Deportivo" (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "2016 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men – Vargas, Venezuela hope for another incredible summer – FIBA.com". FIBA.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "FIBA Americas results and recap, featuring Jack Michael Martinez vs. Luis Scola". ProBasketballTalk. September 2013.
  17. ↑ "Canadian Men's Basketball fails to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics". The Brock Press.
  18. ↑ AP Member Choice Complete (11 September 2015). "John Calipari acknowledges former players as he enters Hall of Fame". Los Angeles Times.
  19. ↑ Baltimore Sun (23 July 2015). "Experience in Pan American games will help Melo Trimble, ESPN analyst says". baltimoresun.com.
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