Jake Tsakalidis

Jake Tsakalidis
Ιάκωβος Τσακαλίδης
იაკოვოს წაკალიდას

Tsakalidis, playing with the Memphis Grizzlies, in 2003.
Personal information
Born (1979-06-10) 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
20002003 Phoenix Suns
20032007 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

  1. Grizzlies swap C Tsakalidis to Houston for F Padgett., posted February 13th, 2007.
  2. Jake Tsakalidis. basketball-reference.com.
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