Kaspars Kambala

Kaspars Kambala

Kambala with Latvia in 2009
No. 11 – Adanaspor
Position Power forward / Center
League Turkish Second League
Personal information
Born (1978-12-13) December 13, 1978
Riga, Latvia
Nationality Latvian
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
High school Homestead (Mequon, Wisconsin)
College UNLV (1997–2001)
NBA draft 2001 / Undrafted
Playing career 2001–present
Career history
2001–2003 Efes Pilsen
2003–2004 Real Madrid
2004–2005 UNICS Kazan
2005–2007 Fenerbahçe
2009 ASK Riga
2009–2010 Enisey Krasnoyarsk
2010 Lukoil Akademik
2011 Aliağa Petkim
2011 Mahram Tehran
2011–2012 Türk Telekom
2013 Pİ Koleji
2013–2014 Ankara DSI Era
2014–2015 Barons/LDz
2015–present Adanaspor
Career highlights and awards

Kaspars Kambala (born December 13, 1978) is a Latvian professional basketball player and a former professional boxer. Standing at 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in), he plays at the position of forward-center. He currently plays for Adanaspor of the Turkish Basketball Second League.

High school

A 1997 graduate of Homestead High School in Mequon, Wisconsin and a native of Riga, Latvia. He averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds in his senior season (1996–97) and earned All-Wisconsin honors, all-state, MVP of the Northshore Conference and all-county. Homestead compiled a 16-9 overall record and finished second in conference. Kambala played in the Eddie Jones Classic All-Star game, which was held at the Pyramid in Long Beach, California, on April 15, 1997.

College

Kambala played college basketball at UNLV from 1997 to 2001. He led the team in scoring in 1999-2000 (18.5 average) and 2000-01 (16.9). He finished up in 2001 as the program's 10th all-time highest scorer and ranks fourth on the school's all-time rebounding list, leading the team in boards in three of his four seasons on campus.

Pro career

Kaspars Kambala actually played professional basketball as a teenager in Latvia before going to America where he attended high school in Wisconsin and played college basketball at UNLV. He continued his career in Europe, playing for such high-level clubs as Efes Pilsen, Real Madrid, UNICS Kazan, Fenerbahçe.

In December 2006 he was suspended for doping. His suspension in basketball ended on December 12, 2008. When his sanction from playing basketball ended, Kas, as he is often called by fans, stated that he was in great shape and that he was once again ready to play at the highest level of European basketball. For few games he joined ASK Riga, but soon after went to Russia to play for Enisey Krasnoyarsk, where he spent next year and a half. In September 2010 Kambala joined Bulgarian team Lukoil Academic.[1] In the middle of the season Kambala returned to Turkay and joined Aliağa Petkim. In July 2011 he signed with Türk Telekom B.K. for one season.[2]

On July 11, 2015, Kambala signed with Adanaspor.[3]

Latvian national men's basketball team

In 2001 was Kaspars Kamabala's first appearance for the Latvian national basketball team when he participated in European Championship. He also participated in two more Eurobasket tournament (2003, 2009).

Trivia

During his suspension from basketball Kaspars decided to become a professional boxer.

Kambala shares the Euroleague's single-game scoring record for last decade - 41 points against FC Barcelona on October 30, 2002 - with three players, Bobby Brown, Carlton Myers and the late Alphonso Ford.

In April 2014, Kambala released his autobiography "Kambala..., āmen!" that became a bestseller in Latvia.[4]

Honors and awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lukoil Academic lands Kaspars Kambala
  2. ↑ Turk Telekom Ankara tabs Kaspars Kambala
  3. ↑ Kaspars Kambala signs with Adanaspor in TB2L
  4. ↑ https://twitter.com/JanisRoze/status/458563953941966848

External links

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