Tiago Splitter Beims (born January 1, 1985) is a Brazilian former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who played seven seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). He is currently serving as player development coach for the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. T ...

. A three-time All-EuroLeague Team selection prior to his NBA career, he became the first Brazilian-born player to win an NBA championship, in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

Early life

Splitter was born in Joinville, Brazil.

Professional career

Brazil and Spain (1999–2010)

Splitter began his professional career in 1999. In 2000, he began to play in Spain's top-level league, the Liga ACB. In 2004, Splitter became a naturalised citizen of Spain. Splitter was named the MVP of the Spanish Supercup tournament in both 2006 and 2007. He was also named to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the EuroLeague's 2007–08 season, after helping Saski Baskonia make it to the 2008 EuroLeague Final Four. The following year, Splitter reached the EuroLeague 2008–09 season's playoffs, but failed to make another EuroLeague Final Four participation. Nevertheless, his performances earned him a spot on the 2008–09 All-EuroLeague Second Team. Splitter was named the Spanish League MVP in 2010. Splitter was expected to declare for the 2006 NBA Draft, but because the expensive buyout of his contract discouraged NBA teams with high draft picks from drafting him, he remained in the

Spanish ACB League The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...

for that season. Splitter was automatically eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft, as he was at least 22 years of age at the time of the draft. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs, in the first round of the draft, with the 28th overall draft pick. On May 28, 2008, ESPN Brasil reported that Splitter had re-signed with Saski Baskonia, on a two-year contract that would keep him in the Spanish ACB League through the

2009–10 NBA season The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 1,230-game regular season (82 games for each of the 30 teams) began on October 27, 2009, and ended on April 14, 2010. The season ended when the Los Angel ...

. The contract allowed the Brazilian to make 8 times more than the NBA rookie scale salary cap would have allowed him to make with the San Antonio Spurs at that time. On June 7, 2008, the

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the state of Texas, with ...

reported that Spurs General Manager

R.C. Buford Robert Canterbury Buford (born 1960) is an American basketball executive, currently CEO of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named general manager in 2002 after five seasons serving as team president. Buf ...

, had stated that Splitter had informed the team that he would not be coming to San Antonio for the

2008–09 NBA season The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, four games to one. The 2008 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2008, and Derrick ...

. Splitter had instead signed an extension with Saski Baskonia, that would keep him in the Spanish ACB League through 2010. It was announced on July 9, 2010, that Splitter had opted out of his contract with Saski Baskonia, in order to sign in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio Spurs (2010–2015)

On July 12, 2010, Splitter signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs. The deal was believed to be worth $11 million over 3 years. He earned his first start of his NBA career on March 19, against the

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...

, in place of the injured Tim Duncan. In this game, Splitter recorded 8 points and 6 rebounds. Splitter bench

On February 8, 2012, Splitter and teammate

Kawhi Leonard Kawhi Anthony Leonard ( ; born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time NBA champion, he is a five-time All-Star with three All-NBA ...

, were selected to play in the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge. On February 17, it was revealed that both Splitter and Leonard would be teammates for Team Chuck. However, due to an injury, he was released from Team Chuck and was replaced by Derrick Favors. On May 29, 2012, in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals,

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

head coach Scott Brooks, attempted to slow San Antonio's offense through continual the fouling of Splitter, sending him to the free throw line with the " Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. He played his most productive season with the Spurs in 2012–13 NBA season, averaging 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while playing all but the final game of the regular season. He started 58 games, as the Spurs finished the West in the two-seed, behind the

. The Spurs would advance to the 2013 NBA Finals, only to lose to the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

in seven games, as Miami won their second straight NBA championship. On July 13, 2013, he re-signed with the Spurs. On June 15, 2014, Splitter won his first NBA championship, after the Spurs defeated the

, 4 games to 1 in the 2014 NBA Finals. After missing 20 out of the first 21 games of the 2014–15 season with a back injury, Splitter played out the rest of the season, until missing the final six games of the regular season, with a calf injury. He returned for the playoffs, but the Spurs were knocked out in the first round by the

Los Angeles 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 ...

, in seven games.

Atlanta Hawks (2015–2017)

On July 9, 2015, Splitter was traded to the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, in exchange for the draft rights to Georgios Printezis, and a future second-round pick. On February 16, 2016, he was ruled out for the rest of the season, after electing to have surgery to repair his right hip. On October 11, 2016, Splitter was ruled out for four weeks with a grade 2 hamstring strain. He was ruled out for a further six weeks, on November 26, after an MRI exam revealed a grade 2 right calf strain.

Philadelphia 76ers (2017)

On February 22, 2017, Splitter was traded, along with a second-round draft pick, to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...

, in exchange for Ersan İlyasova. On March 21, 2017, he was assigned to the Delaware 87ers, the 76ers' D-League affiliate. He was recalled six days later. On March 28, 2017, he made his debut for the 76ers, recording two points and three rebounds, in seven minutes of playing time, in a 106–101 win over the

. Splitter, who had been nursing a right calf injury, entered the game late in the first quarter, and played in his first game since January 31, 2016, when he was a member of the Atlanta Hawks, before undergoing hip surgery. He played a handful of games with a prosthetic hip.

Retirement

On February 19, 2018, Splitter announced his retirement from playing professional basketball, due to a hip injury that had hindered the back-end of his career.

National team career

Splitter won gold medals with the senior Brazilian national basketball team at the 2003 FIBA South American Championship, the

2003 Pan American Games The 2003 Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from August 1 to 17, 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when Dominican Republic had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America. Al ...

, the 2005 FIBA AmeriCup, the

2009 FIBA AmeriCup The 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was the continental championship held by FIBA Americas, for North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. This FIBA AmeriCup championship served as a qualifying tourname ...

, and the silver medal in

2011 FIBA AmeriCup The 2011 FIBA Americas Championship for Men, later known as the FIBA AmeriCup, was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Americas, at the 2012 Summer Olympics men's basketball tournament, in London. This FIBA AmeriCup tournament was held in Mar del ...

. With Brazil, he also played at the

2002 FIBA World Cup The 2002 FIBA World Championship was the 14th edition of the competition now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the international world championship for men's basketball teams. The tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in ...

, the 2006 FIBA World Cup, the

2010 FIBA World Cup The 2010 FIBA World Championship was the 16th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from 28 August to 12 September 2010. It was co-organised by the Inte ...

, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the

2014 FIBA World Cup The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. Hosted by Spain, it was the last tournament to be held on the then-current four-year cycle. ...

Coaching career

On April 24, 2018, Splitter was hired by the

, as a pro scout, with added duties related to on-court player development. On September 23, 2019, he was promoted by the Nets to player development coach. In 2021, Splitter was named an assistant coach of the Brazilian national team. In 2022, Splitter was the head coach of the Brazilian U23 national team at the GLOBL Jam Tournament in Toronto, Canada, where the team won the gold medal.

Personal life

Splitter is the son of Cassio and Elisabeth Splitter. He was raised a Christian, although his father is of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

descent. In 2009, Splitter's sister Michelle, also a basketball player, died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

, at the age of 19. In 2017, Splitter married his wife, Fernanda.

Career statistics

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2003–04 , style="text-align:left;", Tau Cerámica , 16 , , 1 , , 11.2 , , .619 , , .000 , , .632 , , 2.4 , , .3 , , .4 , , .3 , , 4.0 , , 3.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2004–05 , style="text-align:left;", Tau Cerámica , 19 , , 2 , , 17.8 , , .533 , , .000 , , .487 , , 4.5 , , .9 , , .7 , , .7 , , 7.0 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;", Tau Cerámica , 24 , , 11 , , 21.6 , , .599 , , .000 , , .547 , , 4.6 , , .6 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 9.5 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2006–07 , style="text-align:left;", Tau Cerámica , 20 , , 12 , , 24.7 , , .580 , , .000 , , .529 , , 6.0 , , .8 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , 10.7 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007–08 , style="text-align:left;", Tau Cerámica , 25 , , 13 , , 22.5 , , .618 , , .000 , , .645 , , 5.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 14.0 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;", Tau Cerámica , 17 , , 12 , , 24.7 , , .655 , , .000 , , .602 , , 5.4 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , 1.6 , , 14.0 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;", Caja Laboral , 16 , , 14 , , 26.7 , , .535 , , .000 , , .636 , , 5.4 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .5 , , 13.0 , , 15.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", , 137 , , 65 , , 21.5 , , .593 , , .000 , , .582 , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , .7 , , 10.5 , , 12.3

NBA regular season

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

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, 60 , , 6 , , 12.3 , , .529 , , .000 , , .543 , , 3.4 , , .4 , , .5 , , .3 , , 4.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 2 , , 19.0 , , .618 , , .000 , , .691 , , 5.2 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .8 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 58 , , 24.7 , , .560 , , .000 , , .730 , , 6.4 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , .8 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 50 , , 21.5 , , .523 , , .000 , , .699 , , 6.2 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .5 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 52 , , 35 , , 19.8 , , .558 , , .000 , , .750 , , 4.8 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .7 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, 36 , , 2 , , 16.1 , , .523 , , .000 , , .813 , , 3.3 , , .8 , , .6 , , .3 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, 8 , , 0 , , 9.5 , , .452 , , .333 , , .818 , , 2.8 , , .5 , , .1 , , .1 , , 4.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 355 , , 153 , , 19.2 , , .555 , , .143 , , .697 , , 5.0 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .6 , , 7.9

NBA playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011 , style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 16.7 , , .625 , , .000 , , .000 , , 4.7 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

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

, 13 , , 0 , , 12.9 , , .638 , , .000 , , .372 , , 2.8 , , .8 , , .4 , , .3 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

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

, 19 , , 15 , , 20.4 , , .536 , , .000 , , .788 , , 3.1 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .7 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

† , align="left" ,

, 23 , , 18 , , 22.4 , , .610 , , .000 , , .718 , , 6.1 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .5 , , 7.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

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

, 7 , , 7 , , 17.6 , , .375 , , .000 , , .316 , , 4.4 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , .1 , , 3.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 65 , , 40 , , 19.1 , , .572 , , .000 , , .586 , , 4.3 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .5 , , 6.3

References

External links

*
Tiago Splitter
at euroleague.net *
Tiago Splitter
at acb.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Splitter, Tiago 1985 births Living people Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players at the 2003 Pan American Games Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Bilbao Basket players Brazilian basketball scouts Brazilian emigrants to Spain Brazilian expatriate basketball people in the United States Brazilian expatriate basketball people in Spain Brazilian men's basketball players Brazilian people of German-Jewish descent Brooklyn Nets scouts Centers (basketball) Delaware 87ers players Jewish men's basketball players Liga ACB players National Basketball Association players from Brazil Naturalised citizens of Spain Olympic basketball players of Brazil Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil Pan American Games medalists in basketball People from Joinville Philadelphia 76ers players Power forwards (basketball) San Antonio Spurs draft picks San Antonio Spurs players Saski Baskonia players Valencia Basket players Spanish people of German-Jewish descent 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players 2010 FIBA World Championship players 2006 FIBA World Championship players 2002 FIBA World Championship players Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games Sportspeople from Santa Catarina (state)

Early life

Professional career

Brazil and Spain (1999–2010)

San Antonio Spurs (2010–2015)

Atlanta Hawks (2015–2017)

Philadelphia 76ers (2017)

Retirement

National team career

Coaching career

Personal life

Career statistics

EuroLeague

NBA regular season

NBA playoffs

See also

References

External links