Luke Sikma

Lucas Clayton Sikma (born July 30, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League (GBL) and the Euroleague. He is the son of former National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall-of-Famer Jack Sikma.[1]

Luke Sikma
Sikma with ALBA Berlin, in 2022
No. 43 – Olympiacos
PositionPower forward
LeagueGreek Basket League
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1989-07-30) July 30, 1989
Bellevue, Washington, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7.5 in (2.02 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolBellevue (Bellevue, Washington)
CollegePortland (2007–2011)
NBA draft2011: undrafted
Playing career2011–present
Career history
2011–2012La Palma
2012–2013Autocid Ford Burgos
2013–2015Canarias
2015–2017Valencia
2017–2023Alba Berlin
2023–presentOlympiacos
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

High school career

Sikma, a 6'8" power forward, played high school basketball for Bellevue High School in Bellevue, Washington. He was a late bloomer, growing 7 inches over two years and only making the varsity team as a junior and senior. As a result, he was not highly recruited. Ultimately he chose to sign with the University of Portland.[1]

College career

Despite his modest reputation coming into the Portland Pilots program in 2007, Sikma was able to make an immediate impact, starting 23 of the team's 31 games and averaging 6.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. After steady production as a sophomore and junior, Sikma stepped up his game significantly as a senior. He averaged a double-double at 12.9 points and West Coast Conference-leading 10.5 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-WCC first team.[2] In his college career, Sikma scored 1,048 points (8.3 per game) and graduated as the Pilots' all-time leading rebounder with 987 (7.8 per game).[3]

Professional career

Sikma was not selected in the 2011 NBA draft. He signed with UB La Palma of Spain's second division (LEB Oro) for the 2011–12 season. He averaged 11.8 points and 7.7 rebounds before moving to Autocid Ford Burgos the following season. For the 2013–14 season Sikma moved up to the Spanish first division (Liga ACB), signing with CB Canarias.[4]

After spending two years in Canarias with notable performances, Sikma signed for two years with Valencia Basket. In 2017, Sikma won the Liga ACB with Valencia after beating Real Madrid 3–1 in the league finals.

On July 5, 2017, Sikma signed with German club Alba Berlin of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).[5] On April 28, 2018, Sikma was named the BBL Most Valuable Player and to the All-BBL First Team.[6] On June 12, 2019, Alba Berlin announced a four-year extension of Sikma's contract.[7]

On July 13, 2023, Sikma signed a two-year (1+1) deal with Greek club Olympiacos.

References
  1. Raley, Dan (December 11, 2007). "Luke Sikma thriving at Portland". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  2. "WCC Announces All-Conference Teams, Individual Award Winners". West Coast Conference. March 1, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  3. "Portland Pilots 2011-12 men's basketball record book, page 10" (PDF). Portland Pilots. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  4. "El CB Canarias apuesta por Luke Sikma". Liga ACB (in Spanish). August 2, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  5. "Alba Berlin inks Luke Sikma". Sportando.com. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  6. "Basketball in den Genen: Luke Sikma ist der "Most Valuable Player" der Saison 2017/2018".
  7. "Eurocup-MVP Luke Sikma bleibt vier weitere Jahre in Berlin".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.