Jake Tsakalidis
 Tsakalidis, playing with the Memphis Grizzlies, in 2003. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 10, 1979 Rustavi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR |
| Nationality | Georgian / Greek |
| Listed height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| Listed weight | 290 lb (132 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA draft | 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | 1996–2008 |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 1996–2000 | AEK Athens |
| 2000–2003 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2003–2007 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2007 | Houston Rockets |
| 2007–2008 | Olympiacos |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Τσακαλίδης, Georgian: იაკოვოს წაკალიდას, born June 10, 1979) is a Georgian-born professional basketball player of Caucasus Greek descent.
Tsakalidis, a 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), 290 lb (130 kg) center, holds dual citizenship in Georgia, where he was born (he was born in what was at the time, the Soviet Union's Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic), and in Greece, where he was raised and became famous.
Greece
Tsakalidis began his professional career in 1996, at the age of 17 with the Greek League club AEK Athens. With AEK, he was a 2-time Greek Cup finalist (1998, 1999), a Saporta Cup winner (2000), and a Greek Cup winner (2000). In those years with AEK, Tsakalidis played at a great level, especially in the painted zone area, where he complemented his teammates, Michalis Kakiouzis and Dimos Dikoudis, in that area.
In 2000, Tsakalidis left Greece, and moved to the United States. He began his NBA career that year, when he signed with the Phoenix Suns. He would spend the next 7 seasons playing with various NBA teams. In 2007, he returned to Greece, after leaving the Houston Rockets. He joined the Greek EuroLeague club Olympiacos.
NBA
Tsakalidis was selected by the Phoenix Suns, in the 1st round (25th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft. On September 30, 2003, Tsakalidis was traded by the Suns, along with teammate Bo Outlaw, to the Memphis Grizzlies, in exchange for Brevin Knight, Robert Archibald, and Cezary Trybański.
He was eventually traded by the Grizzlies to the Houston Rockets, on February 13, 2007, for small forward Scott Padgett.[1] In his NBA career, he averaged 4.8 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game.[2]
Greek national basketball team
Tsakalidis played with the senior men's Greek national basketball team at the 1998 FIBA World Championship, where his team finished in 4th place, at the EuroBasket 1999, where his team finished in 16th place, and at the EuroBasket 2003, where his team finished in 5th place.
References
- ↑ Grizzlies swap C Tsakalidis to Houston for F Padgett., posted February 13th, 2007.
- ↑ Jake Tsakalidis. basketball-reference.com.