Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis ( el, Ιάκωβος Τσακαλίδης, ka, იაკოვოს წაკალიდას, born June 10, 1979) is a Georgian-born Greek former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player.
Tsakalidis, a
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
, holds dual citizenship in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, where he was born (he was born in what was at the time, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
's
Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц ...
), and in
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, where he was raised.
Professional career
Greece
Tsakalidis began his professional career in 1996, at the age of 17, with the
Greek League club
AEK Athens
A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greece, Greek multi-sport club based in Nea ...
. With AEK, he was a 2-time
Greek Cup
The Greek Football Cup ( el, Κύπελλο Ελλάδος Ποδοσφαίρου), commonly known as the Greek Cup or Kypello Elladas is a Greek football competition, run by the Hellenic Football Federation.
The Greek Cup is the second most im ...
finalist (1998, 1999), a
FIBA Saporta Cup
The FIBA Saporta Cup was the name of the second-tier level European-wide professional club basketball competition, where the domestic National Cup winners, from all over Europe, played against each other. The competition was organized by FIBA ...
winner (
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
), 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
Michalis "Mika" Kakiouzis (alternate spellings: Michail, Michailis, Mihalis) (Greek: Μιχάλης Κακιούζης; born November 29, 1976) is a Greek professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently working as head coach for K ...
and
Dimos Dikoudis
Dimosthenis "Dimos" Dikoudis (alternate spellings include: Demosthenis, Demos, Ntikoudis) ( el, Δημοσθένης "Δήμος" Ντικούδης; born June 24, 1977 in Larissa, Greece), is a retired Greek professional basketball player. He is ...
, in that area.
In 2000, Tsakalidis left Greece, and moved to the United States. He began his
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
career that year, when he signed with the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. He would spend the next 7 seasons playing with various NBA teams. In 2007, he returned to Greece, after leaving the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. He joined the Greek
EuroLeague club
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
.
NBA
Tsakalidis was selected by the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, 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
Charles "Bo" Outlaw (born April 13, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. Outlaw was known for his athleticism, tenacious defensive approach and sub-par free-throw shooting (.521 for his career).
Career
High school
He was ...
, to the
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, in exchange for
Brevin Knight
Brevin Adon Knight (born November 8, 1975) is an American former professional basketball point guard who played with nine teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1997 to 2009. Knight played college basketball at Stanford University ...
,
Robert Archibald
Robert Michael Archibald (29 March 1980 – 23 January 2020) was a Scottish professional basketball player. A power forward / center from the University of Illinois, he was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2002 NBA draft with the thir ...
, and
Cezary Trybański
Cezary Trybański (born September 22, 1979) is a Polish former professional basketball player. He is a 7'2" 235 lb center. He was the first Polish-born player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Born in Warsaw, he is the brother of ...
.
He was eventually traded by the Grizzlies to the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
, on February 13, 2007, for
small forward
The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...
Scott Padgett
Scott Anthony Padgett (born April 19, 1976) is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Manhattan. He was formerly the head coach at Samford University. He played for the National Basketball Association's ...
. Tsakalidis' final NBA game was played on April 28th, 2007 in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round against the Utah Jazz. This series went to 7 games but Tsakaldis only played in Game 4 where Houston lost 85 - 98 and he recorded 2 points and 4 rebounds.
In his
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
career, he averaged 4.8 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game.
National team career
Tsakalidis played with the senior men's
Greek national basketball team
The Greece men's national basketball team ( el, Eθνική Oμάδα Καλαθοσφαίρισης Ελλάδος) represents Greece in international basketball. They are controlled by the Hellenic Basketball Federation, the governing body for ...
at the
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Greece from 29 July to 9 August 1998. The tournament was contested by 16 n ...
, where his team finished in 4th place, at the
EuroBasket 1999
The 1999 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1999, was the 31st FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 2000 Olympic Tournament, giving a berth ...
, where his team finished in 16th place, and at the
EuroBasket 2003
The 2003 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 2003, was the 33rd FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as the Europe qualifier for the 2004 Summer Olympics, giving a berth ...
, where his team finished in 5th place.
Personal life
In 2000, Tsakalidis announced that his real name is Alexey Lentkov and he is not of
Caucasus Greek descent as previously believed. Moreover, after research by a Greek journalist, it was found that Lentkov was actually born in
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...
and changed his name in
Rustavi
Rustavi ( ka, რუსთავი ) is a city in the southeast of Georgia, in the region of Kvemo Kartli and southeast of capital Tbilisi. It has a population of 130,100 (2021), making it the fourth most populous city in Georgia. Its economy is ...
sometime in the 1990s.
contra.gr Ιάκωβος Τσακαλίδης: Ο άνθρωπος με τα δύο πρόσωπα!
Career statistics
NBA
Regular season
, -
, align="left" , 2000–01
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 57 , , 39 , , 16.6 , , .470 , , .000 , , .593 , , 4.2 , , .3 , , .2 , , 1.0 , , 4.5
, -
, align="left" , 2001–02
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 67 , , 47 , , 23.6 , , .475 , , .000, , .698 , , 5.6 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , 7.3
, -
, align="left" , 2002–03
, align="left" , Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 33 , , 27 , , 16.5 , , .452 , , .000 , , .672 , , 3.7 , , .4 , , .2 , , .5 , , 4.9
, -
, align="left" , 2003–04
, align="left" , Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 40 , , 28 , , 13.3 , , .504 , , .000 , , .590 , , 3.2 , , .5 , , .2 , , .6 , , 4.3
, -
, align="left" , 2004–05
, align="left" , Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 31 , , 1 , , 9.0 , , .500 , , .000 , , .778 , , 1.8 , , .3 , , .1 , , .5 , , 2.5
, -
, align="left" , 2005–06
, align="left" , Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 51 , , 19 , , 14.4 , , .606 , , .000 , , .655 , , 4.2 , , .3 , , .3 , , .6 , , 5.0
, -
, align="left" , 2006–07
, align="left" , Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 23 , , 7 , , 11.2 , , .400 , , .000 , , .583 , , 2.8 , , .1 , , .3 , , .5 , , 2.3
, -
, align="left" , 2006–07
, align="left" , Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 13 , , 0 , , 10.2 , , .409 , , .000 , , .800 , , 3.1 , , .1 , , .3 , , .5 , , 2.3
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 315 , , 168 , , 15.9 , , .490 , , .000 , , .657 , , 3.9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .7 , , 4.8
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 18.8 , , .375 , , .000 , , .000 , , 7.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.8 , , 3.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, style="text-align:left;", Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 3.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, style="text-align:left;", Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
, 4 , , 3 , , 14.9 , , .600 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.8 , , .5 , , .3 , , .3 , , 3.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, style="text-align:left;", Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 2.8 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 4.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 10 , , 7 , , 14.0 , , .462 , , .000 , , .833 , , 4.3 , , .2 , , .1 , , .8 , , 2.9
EuroLeague
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2007–08
, style="text-align:left;", Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...
, 13 , , 4 , , 11.1 , , .808 , , .000 , , .588 , , 2.5 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 4.0 , , 5.7
References
External links
NBA.com Profile
Euroleague.net Profile
Euroleague Statistics
{{authority control
1979 births
Living people
AEK B.C. players
Centers (basketball)
Expatriate basketball people from Georgia (country) in the United States
Georgian people of Greek descent
Greek men's basketball players
Greek Basket League players
Greek expatriate basketball people in the United States
Greek people of Georgian descent
Houston Rockets players
Memphis Grizzlies players
Men's basketball players from Georgia (country)
National Basketball Association players from Georgia (country)
National Basketball Association players from Greece
Olympiacos B.C. players
People from Rustavi
Phoenix Suns draft picks
Phoenix Suns players
1998 FIBA World Championship players