Many consider him to be the greatest basketball player to ever play on the European courts and as one of the biggest talents that lost the way to the top in the course of his career. Roy Tarpley’s talent had been abundant. He did incredible things with the ball, when he wanted to, and no one would be able to stop him.

Many consider him to be the greatest basketball player to ever play on the European courts and as one of the biggest talents that lost the way to the top in the course of his career. Roy Tarpley’s talent had been abundant. He did incredible things with the ball, when he wanted to, and no one would be able to stop him.

Roy Tarpley was born November 28, 1964 in New York and studied in the Michigan University. He was drafted at number 7 by the Dallas Mavericks in 1986 and in his first year in the NBA he made the best starting five of the rookie team. In 1991 he made the first big mistake of his career, since he was found positive in a doping control test and he returned to Dallas for just one year in the 1994-95 season.

In the 1992-93 season, Roy Tarpley moves to Greece and to Aris winning the European Championship in the Turin Final against Efes Pilsen.

Next season, Roy signs a contract with Olympiacos and leads the “red and whites” to the Tel Aviv Final Four and to the conquering of its second consecutive championship. Besides Olympiacos and Aris, he also played with Iraklis and Esperos in the Greek League.

In the 280 games he played in the NBA, he averaged 12,6 points and 10 rebounds, while with Olympiacos he averaged 20.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks in 36 games in the Greek League and in the Euroleague in 19 games he averaged 20.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals.