Friðrik Erlendur Stefánsson
{{Short description|Icelandic basketball player}}
{{Icelandic name|Friðrik|Stefánsson}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Friðrik Erlendur Stefánsson
| nickname = "Heimakletturinn"
| image =
| caption =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 8
| weight_lbs = 260
| nationality = Icelandic
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|10|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = Iceland
| career_start = 1993
| career_end = 2015
| years1 = 1993–1994 | team1 = KR
| years2 = 1994–1995 | team2 = KFÍ
| years3 = 1995–1996 | team3 = Þór Ak
| years4 = 1996 | team4 = ÍV
| years5 = 1996–1998 | team5 = KFÍ
| years6 = 1998–2000 | team6 = Njarðvík
| years7 = 2000 | team7 = Lappeenrannan NMKY
| years8 = 2001–2015 | team8 = Njarðvík
| highlights =
- Úrvalsdeild Domestic player of the Year (2006)
- Úrvalsdeild Defense Player of the Year (2005)
- Úrvalsdeild Young Player of the Year (1997)
- 6× Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team (1998, 2000, 2002, 2005–2007)
- 3× Icelandic champion (2001, 2002, 2006)
- 3× Icelandic Basketball Cup (1999, 2002, 2005)
- 6× Icelandic Supercup (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004–2006)
- Icelandic All-Star Game MVP (2004)
| medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's basketball}}
{{MedalCountry|{{ISL}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Games of the Small States of Europe}}
{{MedalSilver | 2001 San Marino | National Team}}
{{MedalSilver | 2003 Malta | National Team}}
{{MedalSilver | 2005 Andorra | National Team}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 Andorra | National Team}}
}}
Friðrik Erlendur Stefánsson (born 6 October 1976) is an Icelandic former professional basketball player who spent 17 seasons with Njarðvík, winning the Icelandic national championship three times and the Icelandic Basketball Cup three times.{{cite news |title=Friðrik segir stopp |url=https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1496113/ |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=27 January 2014 |language=Icelandic}}
In 2006 he was voted as the Úrvalsdeild domestic player of the year.{{cite news |title=Helena og Friðrik eru best |url=https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1078115/ |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=22 April 2006 |language=Icelandic}}
Early life and career
Friðrik grew up in Vestmannaeyjar where he started practicing basketball at the age of 16 with a local team called Týr.{{cite news |author1=Valur B. Jónatansson |title=Ætlaði að hætta að æfa |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1870539 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=14 January 1997 |language=Icelandic}} During a school trip in Njarðvík in 1992, he was spotted by Axel Nikulásson, the head coach of the Icelandic U-16 team, who selected him for the team's games in August that year.{{cite news |title=1,99 á hæð og notar skó nr. 50 |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1768768 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=29 July 1992 |page=2 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |title=Friðrik byrjar feril sinn með landsliði |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1768819 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=29 July 1992 |language=Icelandic |via=Tímarit.is}} {{open access}} He was the first player to play for the Icelandic national team before playing in any official games organized by the Icelandic Basketball Federation.{{cite news |title=Friðrik Stefánsson spilaði sinn 104 landsleik fyrir Ísland |url=https://eyjar.net/read/2007-08-30/fridrik-stefansson-spiladi-sinn-104-landsleik-fyrir-island/ |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=eyjar.net |date=30 August 2007 |language=Icelandic}} In December 1993, he joined KR for the rest of the 1993-1994 season.{{cite news |title=Góður tími til að prófa |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1797673 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=15 December 1993 |page=50 |language=Icelandic}} In March 1994, he was injured on practice after a backboard of a basket fell on him after a dunk.{{cite news |title=Íþróttir Fólk |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1802602 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=10 March 1994 |language=Icelandic |via=Tímarit.is}} {{open access}} After starting the 1994-95 season with KR, he joined 1. deild karla club KFÍ in October. He started the following season with KFÍ, but left to join Úrvalsdeild club Þór Akureyri in November 1995. He left the club in February 1996 after failing to break into the rotation.{{cite news |title=Friðrik hættur hjá Þórsurum |url=https://timarit.is/page/2714505 |access-date=28 July 2022 |work=Dagur |date=15 February 1996 |page=11 |language=Icelandic |via=Tímarit.is}} {{open access}} In March 1996, he appeared in two games for Íþróttafélag Vestmannaeyja (ÍV) in the 2. deild karla where he averaged 18.5 points per game.{{cite news |title=Unnu báða andstæðinga sína |url=https://timarit.is/page/6103036 |access-date=28 July 2022 |work=Eyjafréttir |date=21 March 1996 |page=18 |language=Icelandic |via=Tímarit.is}} {{open access}}
National team career
Between 1997 and 2008, Friðrik played 112 games for the Icelandic national team.{{cite web|url=http://kki.is/landslid/karlar/leikjafjoldi/a-landslid/|publisher=kki.is|title=KKÍ | A landslið |accessdate=2017-05-14}} He was selected to Iceland's squad for the 2005 Games of the Small States of Europe but missed the games after suffering an eye injury on practice.{{cite news |title=Friðrik Stefánsson ekki með í Andorra |url=https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1020532/ |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=1 June 2005 |language=Icelandic}}
Health problems
In 2007 Friðrik had a heart surgery to correct an atrial flutter problem.{{cite news |author1=Stefán Stefánsson |author2=Guðmundur Karl |title=Friðrik lætur aðgerð á hjarta ekki stöðva sig |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=4172716 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=12 October 2007 |language=Icelandic}} In the previous years he had collapsed twice while playing, in the 2005 playoffs and once with the Icelandic national team.{{cite news |title=Friðrik Stefánsson á leið í hjartaaðgerð |url=http://www.visir.is/g/200770927080/fridrik-stefansson-a-leid-i-hjartaadgerd |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Vísir.is |date=27 September 2007 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |title=Friðrik Stefánsson á leið í hjartaþræðingu |url=http://www.vf.is/ithrottir/fridrik-stefansson-a-leid-i-hjartathraedingu/33158 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Víkurfréttir |date=27 September 2007 |language=Icelandic}} He missed the 2008 Úrvalsdeild playoffs due to irregular heartbeat.{{cite news |title=Friðrik Stefánsson ekki með Njarðvíkingum í úrslitakeppninni |url=https://www.mbl.is/sport/korfubolti/2008/03/26/fridrik_stefansson_ekki_med_njardvikingum_i_urslita/ |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=26 March 2008 |language=Icelandic}}
In 2014 he retired from top division play, siding various injuries,{{cite news |title=Friðrik Stefánsson leggur skóna á hilluna |url=http://www.karfan.is/read/2014-01-26/fridrik-stefansson-leggur-skona-a-hilluna/ |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=karfan.is |date=26 January 2014 |language=Icelandic}} but continued to play with Njarðvík's B-team in the lower divisions. In 2015, in a game with the B-team, he collapsed once again{{cite news |author1=Eiríkur Stefán Ásgeirsson |title=Friðrik hneig niður í leik með Njarðvík |url=http://www.visir.is/g/2015150419441/fridrik-hneig-nidur-i-leik-med-njardvik |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Vísir.is |date=14 April 2015 |language=Icelandic}} and had to be resuscitated.{{cite news |title=Fagmenn Vol. 2 |url=https://www.karfan.is/2015/04/fagmenn-vol-2/ |accessdate=15 December 2018 |work=karfan.is |date=15 April 2015 |author=Skúli Sigurðsson |language=Icelandic}}
Awards and achievements
=Club honours=
- Icelandic Champion: (3)
- 2001, 2002, 2006
- Icelandic Basketball Cup: (3)
- 1999, 2002, 2005
- Icelandic Basketball Supercup: (6)
- 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Icelandic Company Cup (3)
- Winners (3): 2001, 2003, 2005
- Icelandic Division I champion:
- 1996
=Individual awards=
- Úrvalsdeild Domestic player of the Year:
- 2006
- Úrvalsdeild Defense Player of the Year:
- 2005
- Úrvalsdeild Young Player of the Year:
- 1997
- Úrvalsdeild Domestic All-First Team: (6)
- 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005–2007
External links
- [https://korisliiga.fi/korisliiga/ottelut/pelaaja/?season_id=50&player_id=3481 Korisliiga statistics]
- [http://gamli.kki.is/tolfraedi_ferill_leikmanns.asp?Felaganumer=8056 Úrvalsdeild statistics (1993–2007)] at Icelandic Basketball Association
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stefansson, Fridrik Erlendur}}