Friðrik Erlendur Stefánsson

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This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Friðrik.
Friðrik Erlendur Stefánsson
Personal information
Born (1976-10-06) 6 October 1976 (age 45)
Iceland
NationalityIcelandic
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
Playing career1993–2015
PositionForward / Center
Career history
1993–1994KR
1994–1995KFÍ
1995Þór Ak
1996–1998KFÍ
1998–2000Njarðvík
2000Lappeenrannan NMKY
2001–2015Njarðvík
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Iceland
Games of the Small States of Europe
Silver medal – second place 2001 San Marino National Team
Silver medal – second place 2003 Malta National Team
Silver medal – second place 2005 Andorra National Team
Gold medal – first place 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.[1]

In 2006 he was voted as the Úrvalsdeild domestic player of the year.[2]

Early life[]

Friðrik grew up in Vestmannaeyjar where he started practicing basketball at the age of 16 with a local team called Týr.[3] During a school trip in Njarðvík in 1992, he was spotted by Axel Nikulásson, the head coach of the Icelandic U-16 team,[4] who selected him for the team's games in August that year.[5][4] He was the first player to play for the Icelandic national team before playing in any official games organized by the Icelandic Basketball Federation.[6] In December 1993, he joined KR for the rest of the 1993-1994 season.[7] In March 1994, he was injured on practice after a backboard of a basket fell on him after a dunk.[8]

National team career[]

Between 1997 and 2008, Friðrik played 112 games for the Icelandic national team.[9] He was selected to Icelands squad for the 2005 Games of the Small States of Europe but missed the games after suffering an eye injury on practice.[10]

Health problems[]

In 2007 Friðrik had a heart surgery to correct an atrial flutter problem.[11] In the previous years he had collapsed twice while playing, in the 2005 playoffs and once with the Icelandic national team.[12][13] He missed the 2008 Úrvalsdeild playoffs due to irregular heartbeat.[14]

In 2014 he retired from top division play, siding various injuries,[15] 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[16] and had to be resuscitated.[17]

Awards and achievements[]

Club honours[]

Individual awards[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Friðrik segir stopp". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 27 January 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Helena og Friðrik eru best". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 22 April 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  3. ^ Valur B. Jónatansson (14 January 1997). "Ætlaði að hætta að æfa". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Friðrik byrjar feril sinn með landsliði". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 29 July 1992. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  5. ^ "1,99 á hæð og notar skó nr. 50". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 29 July 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Friðrik Stefánsson spilaði sinn 104 landsleik fyrir Ísland". eyjar.net (in Icelandic). 30 August 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Góður tími til að prófa". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 15 December 1993. p. 50. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Íþróttir Fólk". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 10 March 1994. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  9. ^ "KKÍ | A landslið". kki.is. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  10. ^ "Friðrik Stefánsson ekki með í Andorra". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 1 June 2005. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  11. ^ Stefán Stefánsson; Guðmundur Karl (12 October 2007). "Friðrik lætur aðgerð á hjarta ekki stöðva sig". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Friðrik Stefánsson á leið í hjartaaðgerð". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Friðrik Stefánsson á leið í hjartaþræðingu". Víkurfréttir (in Icelandic). 27 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  14. ^ "Friðrik Stefánsson ekki með Njarðvíkingum í úrslitakeppninni". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 26 March 2008. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Friðrik Stefánsson leggur skóna á hilluna". karfan.is (in Icelandic). 26 January 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  16. ^ Eiríkur Stefán Ásgeirsson (14 April 2015). "Friðrik hneig niður í leik með Njarðvík". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  17. ^ Skúli Sigurðsson (15 April 2015). "Fagmenn Vol. 2". karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 15 December 2018.
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