Kaspars Kambala facts for kids
Kambala with Latvia in 2009
|
|
| Power forward / center | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 December 1978 Jelgava, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| High school | Homestead (Mequon, Wisconsin) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 275 lb (125 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UNLV (1997–2001) |
| NBA Draft | 2001 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2001–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 1993–1995 | Rīgas 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
|
|
Kaspars Kambala (born December 13, 1978) is a famous former basketball player from Latvia. He also used to be a professional boxer. He is very tall, standing at 2.06 meters (about 6 feet 9 inches), and played as a forward or center in basketball.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Kaspars Kambala was born in Riga, Latvia. He moved to America for high school. He graduated from Homestead High School in Mequon, Wisconsin, in 1997.
High School Achievements
During his senior year (1996–97), Kaspars was a star player. He scored an average of 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds per game. He earned many awards, including All-Wisconsin honors. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Northshore Conference. His team, Homestead, had a good season with 16 wins and 9 losses. They finished second in their conference.
College Basketball Career
After high school, Kambala played college basketball for UNLV. He was part of the team from 1997 to 2001.
Leading the Team
Kaspars was a top scorer for UNLV. He led the team in points during the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons. He also led the team in rebounds for three out of his four years there. By the time he finished in 2001, he was one of UNLV's top 10 all-time scorers. He also ranked fourth in the school's history for total rebounds.
Professional Basketball Journey
Before playing in college, Kaspars Kambala actually started his professional basketball career as a teenager in Latvia. After college, he continued to play professionally in Europe.
Playing for Top European Teams
Kambala played for several well-known basketball clubs in Europe. These included teams like Efes Pilsen, Real Madrid, UNICS Kazan, and Fenerbahçe.
Returning to the Court
In December 2006, Kaspars faced a challenge and was unable to play basketball for a while. His break from the sport ended on December 12, 2008. After this, he was eager to return to playing at a high level. He briefly joined ASK Riga in Latvia. Soon after, he moved to Russia to play for Enisey Krasnoyarsk for about a year and a half. In September 2010, Kambala joined the Bulgarian team Lukoil Academic. Later that season, he returned to Turkey to play for Aliağa Petkim. In July 2011, he signed with Türk Telekom B.K. for one season. He continued his career playing for various teams until 2020.
Playing for Latvia's National Team
Kaspars Kambala proudly represented his home country, Latvia, in international basketball.
EuroBasket Tournaments
His first time playing for the Latvian national team was in 2001. He played in the European Championship, also known as EuroBasket, that year. He also participated in two more EuroBasket tournaments in 2003 and 2009.
Interesting Facts and Achievements
Kaspars Kambala has had a very interesting career, both on and off the basketball court.
From Basketball to Boxing
During a time when he couldn't play basketball, Kaspars decided to try something new. He became a professional boxer!
EuroLeague Scoring Record
Kambala holds a special record in the EuroLeague, which is a top European basketball league. On October 30, 2002, he scored 41 points in a game against FC Barcelona. This was the highest score by any player in a single EuroLeague game for that decade. He shares this record with three other great players: Bobby Brown, Carlton Myers, and the late Alphonso Ford.
His Autobiography
In April 2014, Kaspars Kambala released a book about his life. It was called "Kambala..., āmen!" and became a very popular book in Latvia.
Honors and Awards
Throughout his career, Kaspars Kambala earned several awards and honors.
- 1998: Western Athletic Conference Tournament Champions (with UNLV)
- 2000: Mountain West Conference Regular Season and Tournament (with UNLV)
- 2002, 2003: 2-time Turkish League champion
- 2002: Turkish Cup champion
- 2005, 2006: 2-time FIBA EuroCup All-Star Day participant
See also
In Spanish: Kaspars Kambala para niños
