Kristaps Valters
Encyclopedia
Kristaps Valters is a Latvia
n professional basketball
guard, who plays for Unicaja Málaga. He is also a member of the Latvian national basketball team. His father is a former Soviet basketball star, Valdis Valters
, and his brother, Sandis Valters
, plays professional basketball too.
. In 2000, Valters signed his first foreign contract, with Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi
, but played there only one season. He then returned to the Latvian Basketball League
, signing a two-year contract with the newly-created team Skonto. In 2003, he played in the NBA Summer League
for the Cleveland Cavaliers
. In the fall of that year, he return to Europe and played for Panionios.
Valters did not stay there for long and in December 2004, he returned to play for Skonto. From 2004 to 2006, he played for the German Federal League club EWE Baskets Oldenburg
. Then he went to Italy
and played for Pallalcesto Amatori Udine
.
In 2007, he signed a contract with Scafati Basket
, but never played there because he was injured and the team terminated his contract. In November 2007, Valters signed with Triumph Lyubertsy
. In the summer of 2008, he signed a contract with Fuenlabrada and had a breakout season. The team wanted to retain Valters and offered him a three-year contract for about two million dollars, but Valters opted to sign a two-year contract with DKV Joventut
in July 2009. In August 2010 he returned to Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
. For the 2011-12 season he signed with Unicaja Málaga.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
guard, who plays for Unicaja Málaga. He is also a member of the Latvian national basketball team. His father is a former Soviet basketball star, Valdis Valters
Valdis Valters
Valdis Valters is a retired Latvian basketball player.A point guard for the USSR, he is regarded as one of the greatest to have played the game in Europe in the 1980s....
, and his brother, Sandis Valters
Sandis Valters
Sandis Valters is a Latvian professional basketball shooting guard, who plays for BK VEF Rīga. He is member of Latvia national basketball team....
, plays professional basketball too.
Club career
He first played professionally in 1998, for ASK/Brocēni/LMTASK/Brocēni/LMT
ASK/Brocēni/LMT was a professional basketball team that was located in Riga, Latvia that existed from 1992 to 2000. The club played in the Latvian Basketball League. After 1999, the team split, forming two new teams, ASK Riga and Barons LMT....
. In 2000, Valters signed his first foreign contract, with Antalya Büyükşehir Belediyesi
Antalya Büyüksehir Belediyesi
-Notable players: Barış Hersek Can Akın Ersin Görkem Muratcan Güler Nedim Yücel Patrick Femerling Kristaps Valters Aaron Jackson Darryl Thompson Jamon Gordon Marcus Douthit Michael Green Patrick Christopher Ralph Mims Ricardo Marsh...
, but played there only one season. He then returned to the Latvian Basketball League
Latvian Basketball League
Latvian Basketball League is the national basketball championship of Latvia. The first LBL season was played in 1992. From 1992 to 1999 all championships were won by BK Brocēni, however from 2000 to 2006 BK Ventspils were the champions. In 2007, ASK Rīga stopped BK Ventspils winning streak. BK...
, signing a two-year contract with the newly-created team Skonto. In 2003, he played in the NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
. In the fall of that year, he return to Europe and played for Panionios.
Valters did not stay there for long and in December 2004, he returned to play for Skonto. From 2004 to 2006, he played for the German Federal League club EWE Baskets Oldenburg
EWE Baskets Oldenburg
EWE Baskets Oldenburg is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Oldenburg, Germany. The club plays in the Bundesliga and in the Eurocup. The club's name is derived from the team's main sponsor EWE AG, which is an electric utility company...
. Then he went to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and played for Pallalcesto Amatori Udine
Pallalcesto Amatori Udine
Snaidero Basketball is a prominent Italian basketball club based in Udine. It is also known as Snaidero Cucine Udine.-History:Its best finish so far is a 5th place in the Italian tournament in the 2005/06 season. The gold years for basketball in Udine were from 1965 to 1980, when the president and...
.
In 2007, he signed a contract with Scafati Basket
Scafati Basket
Scafati Basket, also known for sponsorship reasons as Harem Scafati, is an Italian basketball club from the town of Scafati, Campania. The club plays in LegADue, the second level of Italian basketball; it was relegated from Lega Basket after finishing last in the 2007-08 season...
, but never played there because he was injured and the team terminated his contract. In November 2007, Valters signed with Triumph Lyubertsy
Triumph Lyubertsy
BC Triumph Lyubertsy Moscow Region is a Russian professional basketball team that is located in Lyubertsy, Moscow Oblast, Russia. The club competes in the PBL. Their home court is SH Triumph.-History:...
. In the summer of 2008, he signed a contract with Fuenlabrada and had a breakout season. The team wanted to retain Valters and offered him a three-year contract for about two million dollars, but Valters opted to sign a two-year contract with DKV Joventut
Joventut Badalona
Club Joventut Badalona, S.A.D. is a Spanish professional basketball club based in Badalona, Catalonia, playing in the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto . Known to their fans as La Penya , it is one of only three teams that have never been relegated from the top division of the Spanish League...
in July 2009. In August 2010 he returned to Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, S.A.D. is a professional basketball team based in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain, currently playing in the Liga ACB. The club was founded in 1981 as C.B. Fuenlabrada, and promoted to the Spanish Top Division in 1996...
. For the 2011-12 season he signed with Unicaja Málaga.