23-year-old expatriate guard Nikos Galis wore the blue and white jersey for the first time in Switzerland in a match against Sweden on May 6, 1980. The Greek National Team was defeated by a score of 79-71 in a game during which Nick The Greek scored 25 points.

"I was very happy, impatient and proud to wear the jersey of the national team, but at the same time I was also feeling very nervous and pressured looking ahead to my first match of the season. I scored 25 points, but we lost and no one is happy when that happens.”

He later spoke again of his debut:

"At that time I thought that we had good points and that there was potential, but I could never have imagined that we would reach the triumph of 1987."

His legendary answer to Vassilis Skundis' question after winning the semifinals game of Greece vs. Italy (90-78) shows a man who was a warrior, a fighter that chased the achievement of the final goal.

"Is playing with the national team the happiest moment of your career? - "It is. but only until… the next game!"

#1 He led Greece's national team to the miracle of the gold medal at the 1987 European Championship in which he was awarded as MVP and followed that act with winning the silver medal at the 1989 European Championship. On that occasion he played perhaps the best game of his career, scoring 45 points against the mighty Soviet Union.
#2 He was the top scorer for the blue and white four times at the European Championships. and once in the World Championship.
#3 He is the all-time leading scorer for the national team (5,129 points in 168 games, average 30.5), with a personal best of 53 points in the Greece-Panama game.
#4 He played for the European mixed team five times, was named top European basketball player in 1987 and top Greek athlete in 1986 and 1987.
#5 On 13 August 2004, Galis became the first torchbearer in the Olympic Stadium in Athens. at the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games.