Kaspars Kambala

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Kaspars Kambala
Kaspars Kambala.JPG
Kambala with Latvia in 2009
Personal information
Born (1978-12-13) 13 December 1978 (age 45)
Jelgava, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityLatvian
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
High school Homestead (Mequon, Wisconsin)
College UNLV (1997–2001)
NBA draft 2001: undrafted
Playing career2001–2020
Position Power forward / center
Number11, 34
Career history
1993–1995Rīgas Laiks
2001–2003 Efes Pilsen
2003–2004 Real Madrid
2004–2005 UNICS Kazan
2005–2007 Fenerbahçe
2009 ASK Riga
2009–2010 Enisey
2010 Lukoil Akademik
2011 Aliağa Petkim
2011 Mahram Tehran
2011–2012 Türk Telekom
2013 Pİ Koleji
2013–2014 Ankara DSI
2014–2015 Barons
2015–2016 Adanaspor
2016–2017 Near East University
2019 Jūrmala
2019–2020 Ogres milži
2020 Varenie runči
Career highlights and awards

EuroLeague records since the 2000–01 season

  • Most points in a game
  • Most 2-point field goals made in a game
  • Most 2-point field goals attempted in a game

Kaspars Kambala (born 13 December 1978) is a Latvian former 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.

Contents

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 15 April 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.

Professional 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 12 December 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 Turkey and joined Aliağa Petkim. In July 2011 he signed with Türk Telekom B.K. for one season. [2]

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

On 7 June 2016 he signed with Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi Spor Kulübü for a one-year $48000 contract. [4] [5]

Latvian national men's basketball team

In 2001 was Kaspars Kambala's first appearance for the Latvian national basketball team when he participated in the European Championship. He also participated in two more Eurobasket tournaments (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 30 October 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. [6]

Honors and awards

Professional boxing record

4 fights3 wins0 losses
By knockout30
Draws1
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
5Win4–0–1 Flag of Belarus.svg Aliaksandr NiakhaichykTKO4 (4), 2:3323 Mar 2019 Flag of Latvia.svg Arēna Rīga, Riga, Latvia
4Win3–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Ronnie WeaverTKO1 (4), 2:088 Jul 2008 Flag of the United States.svg Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
3Win2–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Emile WhiterockUD49 May 2008 Flag of the United States.svg Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
2Win1–0–1 Flag of the United States.svg Mike GoinsKO2 (4), 1:487 Mar 2008 Flag of the United States.svg Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
1Draw0–0–1 Flag of Mexico.svg Álvaro MoralesMD411 Jan 2008 Flag of the United States.svg Orleans Hotel & Casino, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.

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References

  1. Lukoil Academic lands Kaspars Kambala
  2. Turk Telekom Ankara tabs Kaspars Kambala
  3. Kaspars Kambala signs with Adanaspor in TB2L
  4. "Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi'nden Dev Transfer". 7 June 2016.
  5. "Dev pivot YDÜ'de". 7 June 2016.
  6. Tava grāmatnīca [@JanisRoze] (April 22, 2014). "Apkopots pirktāko grāmatu TOP 10! 1. vietā joprojām @ArmandsPuche grāmata par @KambalaKaspars" (Tweet) via Twitter.