| Position | Small Forward Power Forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| League | Italian League |
| Team | Virtus Bologna |
| Born | April 1, 1986 Tbilisi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR |
| Nationality | Georgian |
| College | Globe Tech Junior College |
| Draft | 42nd overall, 2004 Atlanta Hawks |
| Pro career | 2003–present |
| Career history | SAOS JDA Dijon (2003-06) MMT Estudiantes (2006-07) Dinamo Tbilisi (2008) Tartu Ülikool/Rock (2008-09) |
| Awards | Georgian League All-Star Game MVP 2008 Georgian League Slam Dunk Champ 2008 Estonian League Slam Dunk Champ 2009 |
Viktor Sanikidze (born April 1, 1986, in Tbilisi, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR)[1] is a Georgian professional basketball player. He plays at both the small forward and power forward positions.
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Sanikidze began his career with the Academy Tbilisi youth teams in the Georgian Republic. In the 2001-02 season, Sanikidze attended and played basketball for Globe Tech Junior College in New York City. In the 2002-03 season, he returned home to Georgia to play once again for Academy Tbilisi.
In 2003, Sanikidze signed with SAOS JDA Dijon, a pro club in the French Pro A League and a club competing in the European third tier league, the FIBA Euro Cup, at the time he joined the team. JDA Dijon made the Euro Cup finals, where they lost to Mitteldeutscher BC during Sanikidze's first season with the club.[1] He spent three seasons in France (2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06).
Sanikidze spent the 2006-07 season with the Spanish ACB League club MMT Estudiantes, a team that was also competing in the European third tier league, the FIBA Euro Cup, at the time he joined the team. He missed the entire the 2007-08 season due to injury.
Sanikidze joined the Estonian League club Tartu Ülikool/Rock for the 2008-09 season. Tartu Ülikool/Rock also competed in the EuroChallenge League, the third tier level of European-wide basketball and the regional Baltic League. In August 2009, he moved to the Italian League club Virtus Bologna.
Sanikidze was selected with the 42nd pick of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, but his draft rights were traded the same day to the San Antonio Spurs for a 2005 second-round pick and cash considerations.[2] The Spurs still hold his NBA player rights, but they have yet to sign him to a contract, and he continues to play in Europe. In July 2007, Sanikidze played for San Antonio's summer league squad during the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League, scoring 15 points in a Spurs loss to the Philadelphia 76ers' summer league squad.[3][4]
Sanikidze also played with the Republic of Georgia's junior national teams. With Georgia's junior teams, he played at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in 2004,[1] and also at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship B Division Tournament at Ostchem in 2006.[5]
He is currently a member of the senior Georgian national basketball team, which currently competes in the European A Division. With Georgia's senior team, he played at the 2008-09 European Championship B Division Qualifying Tournament.
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