SZOMBATHELY (Hungary) - Records are pretty special, aren't they? Individual records especially, because they speak of dedication, consistency, effort. Over and over again, repeated as an inevitable and immutable cycle.
Zoltan Perl is the name behind the concept of players dedicating their life to that cycle.
From summers with Hungary to autumns, winters, and springs with Falco-Vulcano Szombathely. Doing that for more than a decade, at a high level, can eventually lead you to glory, recognition, success.
And records.
Special ones.
Last week, in Season 11 of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, the Hungarian champs' leader entered the competition's history books not only once, but twice. Here's how:
He became the player with the most consecutive double-digit scoring games in BCL history, with 21.
He became the player with the most games scoring 20 or more points in BCL history, at 19.
Oh, we almost forgot: starting the 2026-27 campaign with the yellow-and-black Hungarian side, he also jumped to 6th place on the All-Time BCL scoring list. Pretty iconic accolades, and it's only October.
But Zoltan just didn't know.
"I didn’t know about these two records, as I didn’t know about becoming the 6th player on the all-time scoring list. I just saw these accolades on social media," he admitted to the BCL website.
"I think one has the wrong mentality if he just chases records."
"The team should always be put in first position. Let’s say that on Tuesday it was the perfect night: a win for the team and records for me," he also said.
"This is a fantastic league, with fantastic players. It’s really nice to play in it, and I’m extremely happy and proud to make this part of history for myself and for the club. It’s such a joy to be part of the Basketball Champions League. I enjoy it every time I step on the court," Falco's captain commented with pride.
His career and legacy are a concrete testament that, sometimes, an unbreakable bond can be shaped and created between a player and a club.
Someway, somehow, Zoltan Perl and Falco have always found each other.
Szombathely's kid became Falco's living legend
Hungary have been a sports powerhouse in the 20th century. Not only in football, where the myth of Ferenc Puskas inspired a whole generation of footballers, but in basketball as well.
They won three medals at FIBA EuroBasket between the 1940's and 1950's: bronze in 1946, silver in 1953, and gold in 1955.
On top of that, they also managed to qualify for the Olympic Games on quite a few occasions, ending in 7th place in the 1960 Rome edition.
As time passed by, however, the Central European country lost its status as a basketball powerhouse, and actual results turned into legendary memories, with players trying to find success abroad.
Zoltan Perl was born and raised in Szombathely. He grew up with those two colors on his body, and debuted professionally with Falco too, way back in 2012.
After three domestic seasons, he jumped on a plane directed to Sicily.
"It was a good opportunity for me to play at such a high level, in the Italian first division, when I was 20 in Capo d’Orlando. I think I improved a lot; we were practicing hard, I had great coaches [Giulio Griccioli and Gennaro Di Carlo, ed], and great teammates", he recalled.
Just to name a few: Gianluca Basile, Ryan Boatright, Drake Diener, Bruno Fitipaldo. And Nikola Ivanovic, who's also currently playing in the BCL as well with Galatasaray MCT Technic.
"Thinking back on it, it was a really nice period of my life. The same with Treviso: I really liked being there, and I would have loved to continue with them, but they didn’t extend my contract," Perl said.
That's when the first recall of home emerged.
"I decided to come back to Falco for one season. It was the 2017-18 season, right after FIBA EuroBasket 2017 with Hungary, when we reached the Round of 16, and I also played pretty well," he mentioned.
Leaving Hungary and Szombathely, again.
"The following year I went to Estudiantes, but I believe it was not the right choice for me. I wasn’t given enough playing time, and I didn’t feel trusted. I thought I needed some changes," the 31-year-old stated.
Guess what? He returned home, inevitably.
"I came back here. Since then, Falco has improved massively year by year: we’ve won leagues, cups, and played in the BCL. Why should I have left the club? I have always felt part of a community. It was, and it is, an easy decision."
Since last playing for Estudiantes in 2018-19, Zoltan Perl has never left Falco and Szombathely. Despite his constant growth, his rising responsibilities, and his undeniable leadership.
You think of Falco, and Perl comes to mind. You think of Perl, and you see yellow-and-black.
"It’s a privilege for me to play here. It’s pretty rare to be born and raised in the same city where you would eventually play basketball, reach high levels, and be one of the faces of the club," he said.
"I was a fan before being a player for Falco; I was going to the games with my family. It’s really a privilege to be able to play in front of my family and friends," Perl added with a big smile emerging on his face.
With love, passion, and dedication for such a cause, the other side of it plays a part as well, as Perl believes that his role demands "extra motivation and extra pressure" as well. It's a matter of closeness.
"People want more from local and homegrown players, especially when the situation gets harder or the season doesn’t go as planned. But it’s a nice pressure. I like it, and I expect myself to play well in every single game."
Not able to collect any shining hardware in his first two stints with Falco, he has been a crucial factor in the Szombathely representative's latest dominant run.
Since 2018-19, when Perl returned home for the second time, they have won five Hungarian leagues and three Hungarian cups. All while representing Hungary for seven years, six straight, in the BCL.
"When I started to play basketball as a kid, I would have never expected that I could reach this level. It’s surely above my expectations. I feel so much pride in playing for Falco and the Hungarian national team," Perl said.
"I haven’t missed a single training camp of the national team in the last 11 years. It’s always nice to play with your people to achieve goals for your country, possibly living chapters that Hungary haven't had so far. I have had a fantastic career; I’ve played twice at FIBA EuroBasket, and I won leagues and cups," he added.
However, there's something left he has to achieve while repping his country's colors.
The cherry on top of the cake would be reaching the FIBA Basketball World Cup with Hungary. We have never been on the world stage. That would be the proudest moment of my career, and it would be huge for Hungarian basketball as a whole, too. That’s my biggest goal.
"We have four games left in the Qualifiers; we have a young, talented, and motivated group: I’m sure all of my teammates want to feel this as well," he commented a few weeks before returning to play for Hungary.
At the moment, they are 5th in Group L of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, tied at 4-4 with both Slovenia and Sweden.
Zoltan has been averaging 19.3 points per game. The usual.
"It will be really difficult, but if we stay together and show all of our will, I think we have a chance."
Off the bench
If it wasn't for their 2025-26 campaign in FIBA Europe Cup, who knows if Zoltan Perl would have broken those records even in Season X? He has certainly had the tools and abilities to do it.
But it looks like he's aging like fine wine, while at the same time not competing at the highest stages of the competition. Something they have yet to achieve, for example, is a spot in the BCL Quarter-Finals.
Twice, however, they were able to make it past the Group Stage or Play-Ins.
"We’ve played a couple of games in the BCL… [he laughs, ed]. Our sweetest memory? Probably the two times we went to the Top 16," he said.
"The first time [in 2021-22] we won our group, and that was our sweetest and biggest achievement," he commented on their third BCL campaign, when they had a 5-1 record in Group D of the Regular Season.
"The second one belongs to the crazy game against Maccabi Ramat Gan when we were very close to elimination and my teammate, Marcell Pongo, made the winning shot from half court. It was an amazing night."
"I have plenty of nice memories of playing for Falco in the BCL: I hope I can get more of them in the future," he commented, stating some of the best guards he has been able to square up against in the league.
"Kendrick Perry, Marcelinho Huertas, David Holston… these are just some of the amazing point guards I’ve faced. This is a strong and competitive league, with high-level players. I’m really honored to be part of it."
When looking at Zoltan Perl's career overall, there's something extra standing out. Not the championships, not the wins, not even the highlights provided week by week. But his non-starting routine.
Falco's captain is writing his name among the elite of the BCL while coming off the bench. It's the Perl way.
"Gasper Okorn, our previous head coach, first had this idea around 2020. He started to put me on the bench, and at first it was hard for me because I didn’t know the reason behind it," he recalled.
"I felt I was playing well, but he still put me on the bench. Later on, he explained to me that I’m the type of player who can change the rhythm of a game; if we start well and I come in, it’s okay, but if we start the game badly and I come in, I can give energy to the team," Perl added.
"I needed time to feel perfectly comfortable in that position, but I’ve now figured it out," Falco's combo guard explained, mentioning that nothing has changed with a new head coach in town.
"I’ve been working with Milos Konakov, our current head coach, for a few years now, as he was our assistant coach as well before," he said about the one publishing Perl's ISO highlights on his own YouTube channel.
"We have known each other for a decade, and he has used the same system. Today it’s a normal thing for me."
"I also want to show the right example and mentality," he added.
"If the captain can come off the bench and he has no problem with that, the others can accept this role and still be extremely important."
There's something more to it, as well.
"I have an advantage because I can scout the opponents in the first quarter, seeing how they defend the pick-and-rolls, how they rotate," Perl said.
"But also what they like to play on offense, who comes into the rhythm... When I come in, I try to catch the rhythm as soon as possible: if I have the ball, I try to be active immediately, penetrating, shooting, making an impact. I’m not an overthinker. I try to feel the game and what it can give to me."
He's not an overthinker. He goes straight to it, in his own way. He explains it with his own words.
All-round efficiency
Giorgi Shermadini, Marcelinho Huertas, Vojtech Hruban, Levi Randolph, Tim Abromaitis. These are the only five names ahead of Zoltan Perl in the BCL All-Time scoring list. Guys who have written the history books.
Behind those names, there are very different ways of being impactful on the offensive end. There are short-rolls, post-ups, corner spot-up threes, smooth layups. There are all-arounders. Perl is one of them.
"My goal is to give my 100 percent every time, be aggressive on the court, and help the team in every way possible. It helps as well that everyone in the club, from the coaching staff to my teammates, trusts me a lot."
"They are always giving me huge responsibilities. I can take the shots when I feel it’s necessary, but I always do it thinking about what’s best for the team," he commented.
Which kind of shots? His shots.
"Jump shots from the midrange are not really appreciated in modern basketball. Not every coach likes them. Fortunately, our coach trusts me, and he lets me take them," Perl explained.
"I've really worked on it during my whole career, both in the summer and through the season. I like to take jump shots because if you are good at it, it’s hard to defend. Everybody expects that I would go to the rim, but a couple of steps before reaching the basket, I stop and shoot. And I try to be as efficient as possible in this."
That's right: everybody expects him to attack the basket, because his quickness on that first step always puts the defender in trouble. You never know what will be his next move, and that's a fact.
Perl himself believes he's mostly effective when going close to the basket, while mentioning another aspect of the game he has tried to improve with years passing by, learning from one of Europe's finest.
"I’d say that offensively, attacking the bigs is one of my biggest strengths. Also, the decision-making, which I would say is the most important skill one could have to be successful on a basketball court."
My favorite European player has always been Dimitris Diamantidis. I loved his leadership and his all-around skills. When it was necessary, he was a threat on offense, but he could also be impactful with assists, defensive stops, steals, and rebounds,
From a Diamond to a Pearl.
"He was more of a point guard than I am, but in modern basketball, positions are not really clear. You have to be able to adjust and mold your game to contribute in every aspect of it," he added.
"I’ve also worked on my three-point shots, as I have never been super confident in taking them. When I was younger, I wasn’t taking threes from the dribble," Falco's captain looked back.
"I was always shooting in catch-and-shoot situations, going all over for the jump shot when putting the ball on the floor. But I understood I needed to be dangerous from the arc as well. I believe a good shot is always the result of your practice and confidence in it, wherever you take it," Perl finally concluded.
It takes a couple of experiences abroad to find yourself at home. It takes coming off the bench to give the right spark. It takes embracing responsibilities and unconventional shots to be remembered.
The kid from Szombathely has just begun to impress us with his magic.
Zoltan The Pearl continues to shine.