Sasha Vujačić facts for kids
Vujačić playing for the Knicks in 2017
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| Shooting guard / point guard | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Born | March 8, 1984 Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | Slovenian / American | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27th overall | ||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||
| Pro career | 2001–2019 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Snaidero Udine | ||||||||||
| 2004–2010 | Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | New Jersey Nets | ||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Anadolu Efes | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Los Angeles Clippers | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Reyer Venezia Mestre | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Laboral Kutxa | ||||||||||
| 2015 | İstanbul BB | ||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | New York Knicks | ||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Auxilium Torino | ||||||||||
| 2019 | Scaligera Basket Verona | ||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Medals
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Aleksander "Sasha" Vujačić (born March 8, 1984) is a former professional basketball player from Slovenia. He is often called "Sasha." He was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft. This means he was one of the top players picked to join the NBA.
Sasha is famous for his amazing three-point shots. In the 2007–08 season, he set a record for the Lakers. He had the best three-point shooting percentage that season. He also won two NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. Later in his career, he became a two-time All-Star in the Turkish Basketball League. He was even named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Turkish Basketball League All-Star Game in 2012.
Contents
- Sasha's Early Basketball Days
- Playing Professional Basketball
- Starting in Italy (2001–2004)
- Time with the Los Angeles Lakers (2004–2010)
- Moving to the New Jersey Nets (2010–2011)
- Playing for Anadolu Efes (2011–2013)
- Brief Time with the Los Angeles Clippers (2014)
- Playing in Italy and Spain (2014–2015)
- Back to Turkey with Istanbul BB (2015)
- Playing for the New York Knicks (2015–2017)
- Winning a Cup in Italy (2017–2018)
- Career statistics
- Sasha's Life Outside Basketball
- See also
- Images for kids
Sasha's Early Basketball Days
Sasha started playing basketball when he was young. From 1998 to 2000, he played for teams called Branik and Polzela. The next year, he joined the junior team of Snaidero Udine in Italy. He then moved up to their main team in 2001.
Sasha also played for Slovenia's junior national team. In 2002, his team won a silver medal at the European Junior Championship. This was a big achievement early in his career.
Playing Professional Basketball
Starting in Italy (2001–2004)
From 2001 to 2004, Sasha played for Snaidero Udine. This team is part of the top basketball league in Italy, called Lega Basket Serie A.
Time with the Los Angeles Lakers (2004–2010)
The Los Angeles Lakers picked Sasha in the 2004 NBA draft. He was the 27th player chosen overall. He signed a contract with them in July 2004.
On November 29, 2007, Sasha scored 22 points in a game against the Denver Nuggets. This was his highest score at that time. In the 2007–08 season, he made 118 out of 270 three-point shots. This set a new Lakers record for the best three-point shooting percentage in one season.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, Sasha scored 20 points in Game 3. He was the only Lakers player, besides Kobe Bryant, to score more than 10 points. Even with his great play, the Lakers lost the series to the Boston Celtics.
Sasha signed another contract with the Lakers in 2008. The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in 2009. They played against the Orlando Magic and won the series 4–1. This was Sasha's first NBA championship!
In Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals, Sasha scored 9 points. He made two important three-pointers. In Game 7, with only 11 seconds left, Sasha made two free throws. These shots helped the Lakers win the game and the championship. It was a huge win against their rivals, the Celtics.
Moving to the New Jersey Nets (2010–2011)
On December 15, 2010, Sasha was traded to the New Jersey Nets. This trade involved three teams: the Lakers, the Nets, and the Houston Rockets. On January 1, 2011, Sasha tied his career high by scoring 22 points. A month later, on February 9, 2011, he set a new career high. He scored 25 points in a game against the New Orleans Hornets.
Playing for Anadolu Efes (2011–2013)
In July 2011, Sasha signed a contract with Anadolu Efes. This is a basketball team in Turkey. In his first season playing in the Euroleague, he scored about 13.9 points per game.
Sasha stayed with Anadolu Efes for another season in 2012. On November 16, he scored 29 points in a Euroleague game. He helped his team win 77–71. He continued to play well, helping Efes reach the Top 16 round of the Euroleague.
Brief Time with the Los Angeles Clippers (2014)
On February 3, 2014, Sasha signed a short 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He did not sign another contract after this one ended.
Playing in Italy and Spain (2014–2015)
After his time with the Clippers, Sasha went back to Italy. He signed with Reyer Venezia Mestre in March 2014. He played 5 games and scored about 11 points per game.
In October 2014, Sasha signed with a Spanish team called Laboral Kutxa. He played with them for a few months before leaving in December 2014.
Back to Turkey with Istanbul BB (2015)
On January 2, 2015, Sasha signed with İstanbul BB in Turkey. He played for them for the rest of the 2014–15 season.
Playing for the New York Knicks (2015–2017)
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On August 7, 2015, Sasha signed with the New York Knicks. He played his first game for them on October 28. He scored 11 points and helped the Knicks win. On March 9, 2016, Sasha scored his season-high of 23 points. This helped the Knicks beat the Phoenix Suns.
Sasha signed again with the Knicks in July 2016. On February 1, 2017, he made Knicks history. He completed two "four-point plays" in one game. This helped the Knicks win against the Brooklyn Nets.
Winning a Cup in Italy (2017–2018)
Sasha signed with an Italian club called Auxilium Torino in August 2017. On February 18, 2018, Sasha made the winning shot in the 2018 Italian Basketball Cup Finals. His team, Fiat Torino, won the cup by beating another team 69–67.
Career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Sasha played many games in his career. He was known for his good shooting and defense.
Sasha's Life Outside Basketball
Sasha was born in Maribor, Slovenia. His father was a basketball player and coach from Montenegro. His mother was a volleyball player from Slovenia.
Sasha's parents divorced when he was two years old. He grew up with his mother and stepfather. He has two siblings, a sister named Nina and a brother named Aljosa. Besides basketball, Sasha also enjoys playing volleyball, tennis, and soccer.
He was once engaged to famous tennis player Maria Sharapova. They separated in 2012. In 2020, it was shared that Sasha was in a relationship with American TV presenter Kristine Leahy. They met when he was a guest on her TV show.
See also
In Spanish: Sasha Vujačić para niños
- List of European basketball players in the United States
Images for kids
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Sasha playing for the Knicks in 2017
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Sasha with Anadolu Efes
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Sasha playing for the Knicks in 2015
