Rodions Kurucs facts for kids
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| Baskonia | ||||||||||||||
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| Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 February 1998 Cēsis, Latvia |
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| Nationality | Latvian | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Brooklyn Nets | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2012–present | |||||||||||||
| League | Liga ACB EuroLeague |
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| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | VEF Rīga | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | FC Barcelona | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | →Barcelona B | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Brooklyn Nets | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | →Long Island Nets | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Houston Rockets | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Partizan | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Real Betis | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | SIG Strasbourg | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Murcia | |||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Baskonia | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Rodions Kurucs (born February 5, 1998) is a professional basketball player from Latvia. He currently plays for Baskonia in Spain's Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Rodions is 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall and plays as a small forward.
Contents
Rodions Kurucs: A Basketball Journey
Starting Out in Latvia
Rodions Kurucs began his basketball journey in Latvia. In March 2014, he signed a contract with VEF Rīga. He had already played for their youth team, VEF Rīga Skola.
He joined VEF Rīga's main team during the 2014–15 season. This was his first time playing in Latvia's top league, the LBL. He also played in the VTB United League and the EuroCup. In 2015, he took part in the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament.
Playing for FC Barcelona
In July 2015, Rodions signed a four-year deal with the famous Spanish team, FC Barcelona. He spent the 2015–16 season playing for their junior club.
After turning 18 in 2016, Kurucs moved to FC Barcelona's reserve team, FC Barcelona B. This team plays in the LEB Oro, which is the second-highest league in Spain.
He made his debut in the top European league, the EuroLeague, on March 24, 2017. In this game, he played for three minutes and scored two points. Rodions left FC Barcelona on July 13, 2018. However, the club kept his rights in case he ever returned to play in Europe.
NBA Draft Experience
Rodions Kurucs put his name forward for the 2017 NBA draft. Many experts thought he would be picked in the first round. But he decided to withdraw his name before the deadline on June 12, 2017.
He tried again for the 2018 NBA draft on April 21, 2018. This time, he was one of many young players hoping to join the NBA.
Time with the Brooklyn Nets
On June 21, 2018, the Brooklyn Nets selected Rodions Kurucs. He was the 40th player picked overall in the second round. He signed a multi-year contract with the Nets on July 16, 2018.
Rodions played his first NBA game on October 17, 2018. He scored three points in a close loss to the Detroit Pistons. On December 21, he scored a career-high 24 points against the Indiana Pacers.
Just two days later, on December 23, he achieved his first double-double. He scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win against the Phoenix Suns. On December 26, he had 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in a double overtime win. On January 7, 2019, he again scored 24 points against the Boston Celtics. In January 2019, Rodions was chosen to play in the Rising Stars Challenge as part of the World Team.
Moving to Other NBA Teams
On January 14, 2021, Kurucs was traded to the Houston Rockets. This was part of a big trade involving three teams.
Later, on March 19, 2021, he was traded again to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played in five games for the Bucks before being released on May 12, 2021.
Return to Europe
After his time in the NBA, Rodions returned to play in Europe. On July 7, 2021, he signed with Partizan in Serbia. He played for them until May 2022.
In August 2022, he signed with Real Betis in Spain. Then, in December 2022, he moved to SIG Strasbourg in France.
On July 19, 2023, he signed with UCAM Murcia in Spain. Most recently, on July 9, 2025, he signed a three-season contract with Baskonia, another top team in Spain and Europe.
Playing for Latvia's National Team
Rodions Kurucs has also played for his home country, Latvia. He was part of the Latvian national under-16 team. He played in the 2014 Baltic Sea Cup and the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship.
He was a key player in helping Latvia win the silver medal at the 2014 championship. He averaged 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Because of his great performance, he was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also selected for the Eurobasket.com's All-European Championship Under-16 First Team.
Career Statistics
Here are some of Rodions Kurucs' basketball statistics:
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Brooklyn | 63 | 46 | 20.5 | .450 | .315 | .783 | 3.9 | .8 | .7 | .4 | 8.5 |
| 2019–20 | Brooklyn | 47 | 9 | 14.6 | .446 | .367 | .632 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 4.6 |
| 2020–21 | Brooklyn | 5 | 0 | 3.2 | .333 | .500 | — | .6 | .4 | .0 | .0 | .6 |
| Houston | 11 | 0 | 6.8 | .238 | .133 | .500 | 1.0 | .4 | .5 | .4 | 1.2 | |
| Milwaukee | 5 | 0 | 6.8 | .625 | .750 | 1.000 | 1.8 | .8 | .6 | .0 | 3.0 | |
| Career | 131 | 55 | 16.1 | .444 | .329 | .739 | 3.1 | .9 | .6 | .3 | 6.0 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Brooklyn | 4 | 3 | 17.0 | .400 | .250 | .778 | 5.0 | .8 | .5 | .0 | 6.3 |
| 2020 | Brooklyn | 4 | 1 | 14.5 | .550 | .000 | .000 | 3.3 | .8 | .3 | .5 | 5.5 |
| Career | 8 | 4 | 15.8 | .475 | .125 | .636 | 4.1 | .8 | .4 | .3 | 5.9 | |
Personal Life
Rodions Kurucs has a brother named Artūrs, who is also a professional basketball player.
See also
In Spanish: Rodions Kurucs para niños
