Thomas Walkup

Thomas Ryan Walkup (Greek: Τόμας Γουόκαπ, born December 30, 1992) is an American-born naturalized Greek professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Greek national team in international competition. Widely considered one of the premier defensive players in European basketball, he was named the EuroLeague Best Defender in 2024.

Walkup played college basketball for Stephen F. Austin State University, before being named Southland Conference Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons (2015 and 2016). He reached five consecutive EuroLeague Final Four tournaments with Olympiakos between 2022 and 2026, including the competition's final in 2023 & winning it in 2026.

High school career Born in Pasadena, Texas, Walkup attended Deer Park High School in nearby Deer Park. He was a point guard in his junior season for the varsity basketball team and averaged 10.1 points, 5.0 blocks, 4.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Walkup also earned all-district honors after helping the Deer finish the season with a 24–11 record. He also lifted them to a bi-district round victory at the Class 5A playoffs. As a senior, Walkup averaged 25.9 points and 8.9 rebounds with Deer Park.

In November 2010, Walkup committed to play college basketball at Stephen F. Austin State University for the Lumberjacks. He chose the school because he aspired to compete in the NCAA Division I tournament and they ran a successful program. His father commented on Walkup's recruitment, "I'm sure scouts looked at him and said, 'Well, he's a 6–4 white guy and he can't shoot and he plays the four. And we don't need that.'"

College career Walkup immediately assumed a big role with the Lumberjacks as the team's sixth man during his freshman season. In 18.5 minutes per game, he averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds. He recorded a season-best 11 points twice, against Tulsa on November 24, 2012, and versus McNeese State on January 5, 2013. That season, the Lumberjacks won a school-record 27 games, winning their third Southland Conference title of all-time and qualifying for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

In the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, Walkup scored 33 points in a 70–56 upset over third-seeded West Virginia. However, he was later waived by the Bulls on October 21 after appearing in four preseason games. On October 30, he was acquired by the Windy City Bulls of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of Chicago.

On August 10, 2017, Walkup signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the German Basketball Bundesliga for the 2017–18 season. In April 2018, he was named to the All-German BBL First Team. On June 21, 2018, Walkup signed with Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League. Walkup received the LKL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2019. On 27 November 2019, Walkup extended his contract with Žalgiris until the summer of 2021.

On June 11, 2021, Walkup signed a three-year deal with Greek club Olympiacos of the EuroLeague. On April 12, 2023, he agreed on a three-year contract extension through 2027.

On May 24, 2026, he won the Euroleague with Olympiacos after defeating Real Madrid 92-85 in the final.

Greek national team career On April 18, 2023, Walkup received Greek citizenship through honorary naturalization, which was signed by the Minister of the Interior, Makis Voridis, and the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. This citizenship enabled him to play for the senior Greece national basketball team in major FIBA international competitions and to compete as a native player in Greece's top-tier domestic basketball competitions, including the Greek Basket League, the Greek Basketball Cup, and the Greek Basketball Super Cup.

Walkup played with Greece at the 2024 Olympic Games, where the Greek national team reached the quarterfinals.

Career statistics

EuroLeague

†Denotes season in which Walkup won the EuroLeague* Led the league

Basketball Champions League

Domestic leagues

† Denotes season in which Walkup won a League title Year Team League

College

Awards and accomplishments Club career Riesen Ludwigsburg FIBA Champions League Final Four Participation: (2018) Žalgiris Kaunas 3× Lithuanian LKL Champion: (2019, 2020, 2021) 2× King Mindaugas Cup Winner: (2020, 2021) Olympiacos EuroLeague Champion (2026) EuroLeague Finals Finalist: (2023) 5× EuroLeague Final Four Participation: (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026) 4× Greek League Champion: (2022, 2023, 2025, 2026) 3× Greek Cup Winner: (2022, 2023, 2024) 4× Greek Super Cup Winner: (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

Individual EuroLeague Best Defender: (2024) EuroLeague steals leader: (2023) Greek League Finals MVP: (2023) 3× Greek League Defensive Player of the Year: (2022, 2023, 2026) 2× Greek League All-Star: (2022, 2023) Lithuanian League Finals MVP: (2021) 3× Lithuanian League Defensive Player of the Year: (2019, 2020, 2021) All-Lithuanian League Team (2020) German League Best Defender: (2018) All-German League Team: (2018) German League All-Star: (2018) 2× AP Honorable Mention All-American: (2015, 2016) 2× Southland Player of the Year: (2015, 2016) 2× All-Southland First Team: (2015, 2016) 3× All-Southland Defensive Team: (2014, 2015, 2016) 3× Southland tournament MVP: (2014, 2015, 2016) Lou Henson Award: (2016)

Personal life Walkup was born on December 30, 1992, to Lisa and Raymond Walkup and was brought up in Pasadena, Texas. Entering that year's tournament, he had not shaved since November 1, 2015.

In September 2024, in a civil ceremony on the Greek island of Milos, Walkup married his girlfriend Estrella Nouri, a Swedish-born-and-raised model and actress of Iranian parentage.