Tiago Splitter Beims (born January 1, 1985)[1] is a Brazilian former basketball player and current coach. He is currently an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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, as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.

Tiago Splitter
Splitter with the San Antonio Spurs in 2010
Houston Rockets
PositionAssistant coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1985-01-01) January 1, 1985 (age 39)
Joinville, Brazil
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2007: 1st round, 28th overall pick
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Playing career1999–2017
PositionCenter / power forward
Number22, 11, 47
Career history
As player:
1999–2000Ipiranga
20002010Saski Baskonia
2000–2001→Araba Gorago Alava
20012003Bilbao Basket
20102015San Antonio Spurs
2011Valencia
20152017Atlanta Hawks
2017Philadelphia 76ers
2017Delaware 87ers
As coach:
20192023Brooklyn Nets (assistant)
2023–presentHouston Rockets (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points2,816 (7.9 ppg)
Rebounds1,779 (5.0 rpg)
Assists423 (1.2 apg)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Brazil
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal – first place 2005 Santo Domingo
Gold medal – first place 2009 San Juan
Silver medal – second place 2011 Mar del Plata
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2003 Santo Domingo
FIBA South American Championship
Gold medal – first place 2003 Montevideo

Early life edit

Splitter was born in Joinville, Brazil.[2]

Professional career edit

Brazil and Spain (1999–2010) edit

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.[3] 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.[4]

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 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 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.[5] On June 7, 2008, the San Antonio Express-News reported that Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford, had stated that Splitter had informed the team that he would not be coming to San Antonio for the 2008–09 NBA season.

Splitter had instead signed an extension with Saski Baskonia, that would keep him in the Spanish ACB League through 2010.[6] 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.[7]

San Antonio Spurs (2010–2015) edit

On July 12, 2010, Splitter signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.[8] 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, in place of the injured Tim Duncan. In this game, Splitter recorded 8 points and 6 rebounds.[9]

 
Splitter on the bench in 2012

On February 8, 2012, Splitter and teammate Kawhi Leonard, 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 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 Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs would advance to the 2013 NBA Finals, only to lose to the Miami Heat in seven games, as Miami won their second straight NBA championship.

On July 13, 2013, he re-signed with the Spurs.[10] On June 15, 2014, Splitter won his first NBA championship, after the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat, 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, in seven games.[11][12]

Atlanta Hawks (2015–2017) edit

On July 9, 2015, Splitter was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, in exchange for the draft rights to Georgios Printezis, and a future second-round pick.[13] On February 16, 2016, he was ruled out for the rest of the season, after electing to have surgery to repair his right hip.[14]

On October 11, 2016, Splitter was ruled out for four weeks with a grade 2 hamstring strain.[15] He was ruled out for a further six weeks, on November 26, after an MRI exam revealed a grade 2 right calf strain.[16]

Philadelphia 76ers (2017) edit

On February 22, 2017, Splitter was traded, along with a second-round draft pick, to the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for Ersan İlyasova.[17] On March 21, 2017, he was assigned to the Delaware 87ers, the 76ers' D-League affiliate.[18] He was recalled six days later.[19] 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 Brooklyn Nets. 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.[20][21] He played a handful of games with a prosthetic hip.[22]

Retirement edit

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.[23][24]

National team career edit

Splitter won gold medals with the senior Brazilian national basketball team at the 2003 FIBA South American Championship, the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 FIBA AmeriCup, the 2009 FIBA AmeriCup, and the silver medal in 2011 FIBA AmeriCup. With Brazil, he also played at the 2002 FIBA World Cup, the 2006 FIBA World Cup, the 2010 FIBA World Cup, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.[25]

Coaching career edit

NBA edit

On April 24, 2018, Splitter was hired by the Brooklyn Nets, as a pro scout, with added duties related to on-court player development.[26] On September 23, 2019, he was promoted by the Nets to player development coach.[27] He parted ways with the Nets in May 2023.[28]

In July 2023, Splitter was hired by the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach.[29]

National team edit

In 2021, Splitter was named an assistant coach of the Brazilian national team.[30]

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.[31]

Personal life edit

Splitter is the son of Cassio and Elisabeth Splitter. He was raised a Christian, although his father is of Jewish descent.[32] In 2009, Splitter's sister Michelle,[33] also a basketball player, died of leukemia, at the age of 19.[34][35] In 2017, Splitter married his wife, Fernanda.[36]

Career statistics edit

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  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

EuroLeague edit

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2003–04 Tau Cerámica 16 1 11.2 .619 .000 .632 2.4 .3 .4 .3 4.0 3.9
2004–05 Tau Cerámica 19 2 17.8 .533 .000 .487 4.5 .9 .7 .7 7.0 7.6
2005–06 Tau Cerámica 24 11 21.6 .599 .000 .547 4.6 .6 1.3 .5 9.5 10.8
2006–07 Tau Cerámica 20 12 24.7 .580 .000 .529 6.0 .8 1.4 .3 10.7 13.2
2007–08 Tau Cerámica 25 13 22.5 .618 .000 .645 5.0 1.1 1.0 .8 14.0 16.1
2008–09 Tau Cerámica 17 12 24.7 .655 .000 .602 5.4 1.6 .6 1.6 14.0 17.8
2009–10 Caja Laboral 16 14 26.7 .535 .000 .636 5.4 1.8 .8 .5 13.0 15.8
Career 137 65 21.5 .593 .000 .582 4.8 1.0 .9 .7 10.5 12.3
Denotes season in which Splitter won an NBA Championship

NBA regular season edit

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010–11 San Antonio 60 6 12.3 .529 .000 .543 3.4 .4 .5 .3 4.6
2011–12 San Antonio 59 2 19.0 .618 .000 .691 5.2 1.1 .4 .8 9.3
2012–13 San Antonio 81 58 24.7 .560 .000 .730 6.4 1.6 .8 .8 10.3
2013–14 San Antonio 59 50 21.5 .523 .000 .699 6.2 1.5 .5 .5 8.2
2014–15 San Antonio 52 35 19.8 .558 .000 .750 4.8 1.5 .7 .7 8.2
2015–16 Atlanta 36 2 16.1 .523 .000 .813 3.3 .8 .6 .3 5.6
2016–17 Philadelphia 8 0 9.5 .452 .333 .818 2.8 .5 .1 .1 4.9
Career 355 153 19.2 .555 .143 .697 5.0 1.2 .6 .6 7.9

NBA playoffs edit

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011 San Antonio 3 0 16.7 .625 .000 .000 4.7 .3 1.0 .3 6.7
2012 San Antonio 13 0 12.9 .638 .000 .372 2.8 .8 .4 .3 5.8
2013 San Antonio 19 15 20.4 .536 .000 .788 3.1 1.2 .8 .7 6.1
2014 San Antonio 23 18 22.4 .610 .000 .718 6.1 2.0 .7 .5 7.5
2015 San Antonio 7 7 17.6 .375 .000 .316 4.4 1.3 .6 .1 3.4
Career 65 40 19.1 .572 .000 .586 4.3 1.4 .7 .5 6.3

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Tiago Splitter". ACB.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  2. ^ Nascido em Joinville, Tiago Splitter faz história na NBA (in Spanish)
  3. ^ "Splitter, jura la Constitución española y jugará en Manresa". Diario AS. January 29, 2004. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  4. ^ "Tiago Splitter named MVP of ACB". Sportando.net. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "Tiago Splitter renova com Tau (Tiago Splitter renews with Tau)". ESPN Brasil. May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2008.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Budenholzer still a Spurs employee, Splitter won't be". San Antonio Express-News. June 7, 2008. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
  7. ^ "SOURCES: Spurs Reach Agreement with Tiago Splitter". Ticket760.com. June 26, 2011. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  8. ^ "Spurs Sign Tiago Splitter". NBA.com. July 12, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  9. ^ "Tiago Splitter 2010-11 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  10. ^ "San Antonio Spurs re-sign Tiago Splitter". Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  11. ^ 2014-15 season review: Tiago Splitter
  12. ^ Tiago Splitter 2014-15 Game Log
  13. ^ "Hawks Acquire Tiago Splitter From San Antonio Spurs". NBA.com. July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  14. ^ "Tiago Splitter Opts For Hip Surgery, Out For The Year". NBA.com. February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  15. ^ "Splitter Out At Least Four Weeks With Hamstring Strain". NBA.com. October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  16. ^ Vivlamore, Chris (November 26, 2016). "Splitter out at least six more weeks with calf injury (updated)". AJC.com. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  17. ^ "Sixers Acquire Draft Pick Considerations, Splitter from Atlanta". NBA.com. February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  18. ^ "76ers' Tiago Splitter: Assigned to D-League". CBSSports.com. March 21, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  19. ^ "Sixers Recall Tiago Splitter From Delaware 87ers". NBA.com. March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  20. ^ "Saric, Covington lift 76ers over Nets 106-101". ESPN.com. March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  21. ^ "Hawks trade Tiago Splitter, draft pick to 76ers for Ersan Ilyasova". USA Today. February 22, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  22. ^ "On limits and sacrifices". uol.com.br. September 29, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  23. ^ "Tiago Splitter: Announces retirement from basketball". cbssports.com. February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  24. ^ "Primeiro brasileiro campeão da NBA, Splitter anuncia sua aposentadoria". sportv.globo.com (in Portuguese). February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  25. ^ Tiago SPLITTER (BRA).
  26. ^ "Brooklyn Nets add former players Pablo Prigioni, Tiago Splitter to staff". NBA.com. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  27. ^ "BROOKLYN NETS ANNOUNCE BASKETBALL OPERATIONS PROMOTIONS AND ADDITIONS". NBA.com. September 23, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  28. ^ "Woj: Nets part ways with Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe, and Tiago Splitter". usatoday.com. May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  29. ^ "Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka Announces Coaching Staff". NBA.com. July 3, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  30. ^ "tiago splitter ex-jogador da selecao e assistente do brooklyn nets assume como auxiliar de gustavo de conti-na selecao brasileira". cbb.com.br. September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  31. ^ "Coach Tiago Splitter leading the Brazil U23 national team to gold". eurohoops.net. July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  32. ^ Tiago Splitter’s Jewish roots revealed
  33. ^ Splitter Draws Inspiration From His Late Sister
  34. ^ "Morre jogadora de basquete Michelle Splitter". February 2, 2009.
  35. ^ "Euroleague Basketball mourns with Tiago Splitter". Euro league. February 3, 2009. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  36. ^ "Tiago Splitter se encontra com Papa Francisco em Roma: "Uma honra"". globoesporte.globo.com (in Portuguese). November 24, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.

External links edit