Aleksander "Sasha" VujačićOur Story - Aleksander Wine
/ref> ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Саша Вујачић; sl, Aleksander Saša Vujačič; often rendered in English as without

diacritic A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacriti ...

s; born March 8, 1984) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. He was selected by the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

in the first round of the

2004 NBA draft The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm ( EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur colle ...

with the 27th overall pick. In the 2007–08 season, Vujacic set the Lakers record for the best three-point field goal percentage (.437) in a single season. In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, he won the NBA championship with the Lakers. Vujacic is also a two-time Turkish Basketball League All-Star and a Turkish Basketball League MVP.

Early career

From 1998 to 2000, Vujačić played for Branik and Polzela. The following year, he played for the

Snaidero Udine Pallalcesto Amatori Udine, better known by the sponsorship name Snaidero Udine, was an Italian professional basketball club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In 2011, following the dissolution of the club, a new team, APU Udine, was founde ...

junior team, before joining the senior team in 2001. Vujačić played for the Slovenian junior national team and won a silver medal at the 2002 European Junior Championship.

Professional career

Italy (2001–2004)

From 2001 to 2004, Vujačić played for

of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A.

Los Angeles Lakers (2004–2010)

Vujačić was drafted by the

with the 27th overall pick in the

. He signed a multi-year deal with the Lakers on July 20, 2004.Sasha Vujacic Player Profile – RealGM
/ref> He recorded a then-career high 22 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets on November 29, 2007. In the 2007–08 season, Vujačić made 118 of his 270 three-point field goal attempts, setting the Los Angeles Lakers single-season record for the best three-point field goal percentage (.437). During Game 3 of the

2008 NBA Finals The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defea ...

, Vujačić scored a career playoff-high 20 points off the bench and was the only Laker, with the exception of

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

, to score in double figures. The Lakers went on to lose the series in six games to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. On July 28, 2008, Vujačić re-signed with the Lakers on a multi-year deal. Los Angeles made it back to the NBA Finals to face the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. The Lakers defeated the Magic in the

2009 NBA Finals The 2009 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2008–09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also the defending ...

in a 4–1 series, earning Vujacic his first NBA championship. In Game 6 of the

2010 NBA Finals The 2010 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2009–10 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers ...

, Vujačić led the Lakers' bench with 9 points, including two three-pointers. With 11 seconds left in Game 7 and the Lakers leading by two points, Vujačić made two free throws that sealed the Lakers' victory over the Celtics in a Game 7 for the first time in the longstanding Lakers-Celtics rivalry.

New Jersey Nets (2010–2011)

On December 15, 2010, Vujačić was traded to the New Jersey Nets in a three-team trade involving the Lakers and

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. Vujačić tied his career high of 22 points on January 1, 2011. On February 9, 2011, Vujačić set a new career high with 25 points in a win over the then New Orleans Hornets.

Anadolu Efes (2011–2013)

In July 2011, he signed a one-year contract with the option for another year with Anadolu Efes. In his first Euroleague season he averaged 13.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. On August 6, 2012, it was confirmed that Vujačić would stay with the team for one more season. In a Euroleague game against EA7 Milano on November 16, he scored 29 points, leading his team to a 77–71 victory. He averaged 12.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game across ten regular season games. Vujačić helped Efes advance to the

Top 16 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the French National Rugby League, also known by its French initialism o ...

round, edging Cedevita on the road by 81–73 in one of the most crucial games in group C.

Los Angeles Clippers (2014)

On February 3, 2014, Vujačić signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He did not re-sign with the Clippers after the first 10-day contract expired.

Reyer Venezia Mestre (2014–2015)

On March 25, 2014, Vujačić signed with Italian team Reyer Venezia Mestre for the rest of the 2013–14 season. He played 5 matches with the team, scoring 11 points per game.

Laboral Kutxa (2014–2015)

On October 28, 2014, Vujačić signed with the Spanish team

Laboral Kutxa Laboral Kutxa is a Basque credit union that provides banking, savings and investment services. It was created in March 2012 as a result of the merger of two smaller credit unions. The Caja Laboral Popular Sociedad Cooperativa de Crédito (known ...

for the rest of 2014–15 season. He left the team on December 30, 2014.

Istanbul BB (2014–2015)

On January 2, 2015, he signed with İstanbul BB of Turkey for the rest of the

2014–15 Turkish Basketball League The 2014–15 Turkish Basketball League, was the 49th season of the top professional basketball league in Turkey. The season started on October 11, 2014 and finished June 19, 2015. Fenerbahçe Ülker were the defending champions. Pınar Karşıy ...

season.

New York Knicks (2015–2017)

On August 7, 2015, Vujačić signed with the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. He made his debut for the Knicks in the team's season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 28, recording 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in a 122–97 win. On March 9, 2016, Vujačić scored a season-high 23 points to help the Knicks defeat the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

128–97. Vujačić re-signed with the Knicks on July 14, 2016. On February 1, 2017, he made Knicks history by converting two four-point plays during the Knicks 95–90 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Auxilium Torino (2017–2018)

Vujačić signed with Italian club Auxilium Torino for the 2017–18 season on August 29, 2017. On February 18, 2018, Vujačić scored the game-winning layup to win the

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

edition of the Italian Basketball Cup with Fiat Torino, beating Germani Basket Brescia 69–67 in the Finals.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 35 , , 3 , , 11.5 , , .282 , , .270 , , .947 , , 1.8 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 82 , , 4 , , 17.7 , , .346 , , .343 , , .885 , , 1.9 , , 1.7 , , .6 , , .0 , , 3.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 73 , , 4 , , 12.8 , , .392 , , .373 , , .878 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .6 , , .0 , , 4.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 72 , , 0 , , 17.8 , , .454 , , .437 , , .835 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .1 , , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 80 , , 0 , , 16.2 , , .387 , , .363 , , .921 , , 1.7 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 67 , , 1 , , 8.6 , , .402 , , .309 , , .848 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 11 , , 0 , , 4.9 , , .348 , , .429 , , .500 , , .4 , , .5 , , .1 , , .0 , , 1.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey , 56 , , 17 , , 28.5 , , .404 , , .369 , , .851 , , 3.3 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .1 , , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , .400 , , .500 , , .000 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , .5 , , .0 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 61 , , 25 , , 14.9 , , .383 , , .364 , , .821 , , 2.4 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .1 , , 4.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 42 , , 4 , , 9.7 , , .309 , , .311 , , .708 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , .0 , , 3.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 581 , , 58 , , 15.3 , , .390 , , .367 , , .858 , , 1.9 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .1 , , 5.3

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 7 , , 0 , , 18.4 , , .423 , , .600 , , 1.000 , , 2.4 , , .9 , , .6 , , .0 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 4 , , 0 , , 10.8 , , .556 , , .250 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 21 , , 0 , , 21.7 , , .399 , , .392 , , .857 , , 2.2 , , .8 , , .6 , , .2 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

† , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 23 , , 0 , , 10.9 , , .264 , , .314 , , .833 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .4 , , .2 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

† , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 10 , , 0 , , 7.6 , , .435 , , .400 , , .833 , , .8 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , 3.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 65 , , 0 , , 14.7 , , .366 , , .384 , , .879 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , .4 , , .1 , , 5.0

Euroleague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;", Anadolu Efes , 16 , , 16 , , 29.0 , , .407 , , .338 , , .864 , , 3.3 , , 1.7 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 13.9 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, style="text-align:left;", Anadolu Efes , 24 , , 7 , , 21.7 , , .376 , , .376 , , .758 , , 3.0 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .1 , , 9.1 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 8 , , 2 , , 21.7 , , .318 , , .292 , , .667 , , 1.9 , , .8 , , .3 , , .1 , , 4.9 , , 1.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 48 , , 25 , , 24.1 , , .409 , , .349 , , .803 , , 2.9 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .1 , , 10.0 , , 7.4

Personal life

Vujačić was born in

Maribor Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...

, Slovenia, to a

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...

father and Slovenian mother. His father was a Serbian basketball coach,Prominent Slovenian Athletes in the United States
by Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia, January 2007. while his mother Ksenija was a Slovenian volleyball player. His mother was playing volleyball for a top Yugoslav women's club, Branik Maribor, but quit her career at the age of 19 when she got pregnant with Sasha. His parents divorced when he was 2, and he lived with his mother and stepfather Goran Bjeković . He has two siblings, a sister named Nina, and a brother named Aljosa. In addition to playing basketball, he enjoys volleyball, tennis, and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

. He was once engaged to professional tennis player Maria Sharapova, but the two separated in 2012. In 2020, it was revealed that Vujacic and TV presenter Kristine Leahy were in a relationship.

References

External links

Sasha Vujačić
at euroleague.net
Sasha Vujačić
at tblstat.net * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vujacic, Sasha 1984 births Living people Anadolu Efes S.K. players Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino players İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor basketball players Lega Basket Serie A players Los Angeles Clippers players Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players National Basketball Association players from Slovenia New Jersey Nets players New York Knicks players Reyer Venezia players Saski Baskonia players Shooting guards Slovenian expatriate basketball people in Italy Slovenian expatriate basketball people in the United States Slovenian men's basketball players Slovenian people of Serbian descent Sportspeople from Maribor