| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-08-04)4 August 1957 (age 67) Riga,Latvian SSR,Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1976–1989, 1992–1997 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 10 |
| Coaching career | 1996–2003, 2006–2010 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1976–1989 | VEF Rīga |
| 1992–1997 | BK Brocēni |
| As coach: | |
| 1996–2000 | BK Brocēni |
| 2000–2003 | BK Skonto |
| 2006–2007 | ASK Juniors |
| 2007–2010 | VEF Rīga |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player
As head coach
| |
| FIBA Hall of Fame | |
Valdis Valters (born 4 August 1957) is a retired Latvian professionalbasketball player. He played at thepoint guard position for the seniorUSSR national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest players to have played the game in Europe in the 1980s. Considering his lengthy work and deep connection to the sport, Valters has been one of the most influential people in Latvian basketball history. He became aFIBA Hall of Fame player in 2017.[1]
Valters spent most of hisclub career playing with the Latvian clubVEF Rīga. In 1982, he set theUSSR Premier League's all-time record for points scored in a single game, when he scored 69 points againstDynamo Moscow.[2]
Valters first made his name in European basketball when he was namedthe MVP ofEuroBasket 1981,[3] after he averaged 16.7 points per game, to lead hisUSSR national team to the gold medal. He was also on theAll-Tournament Team ofEuroBasket 1985.[4]
Valters also played a key role on the USSR national team that won the gold at the1982 FIBA World Championship, in Colombia, where he was a startingpoint guard, and averaged 14.0 points per game.[5]
At the1986 FIBA World Championship, Valters helped the Soviet Union to rally from a nine-point deficit, in the final minute of the game,[6] by hitting athree-pointer at the end of regulation, to send the semifinal game againstYugoslavia toovertime, and eventually earn a 91–90 win.[7]
In 1992, after he had stopped playing basketball at the pro level, Valters returned to the court, and represented the seniorLatvian national team at the1992 Summer Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament.[8]
After his basketball playing career ended, Valters also worked as abasketball coach andgeneral manager. He founded his own basketball school, the Valtera Basketbola Skola (VBS), now known as Keizarmezs, whose alumni includes formerNBA playerAndris Biedriņš, as well as other top Latvian players.[9] He also helped to create the basketball league for Latvian youth players, the LJBL.
In 2013, Valters released his autobiographical book, called "Dumpinieks ar ideāliem" (Rebel with ideals).[10] He is currently working as an analyst for the Latvian TV channel,TV6, as a host of the weekly sports show Overtime.[11]
Both of his sons,Kristaps andSandis, are also professional basketball players.[12]
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