Edy Tavares

Walter Samuel "Edy" Tavares da Veiga (born 22 March 1992) is a Cape Verdean professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He was selected with the 43rd overall pick in 2014 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks and has played internationally for the Cape Verde national basketball team. Tavares receives praise as a physical phenomenon, standing 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) tall and possessing a 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) wingspan.[1]

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Tavares and the second or paternal family name is da Veiga.
Edy Tavares
Tavares with Cleveland in 2017
No. 22 – Real Madrid
PositionCenter
LeagueLiga ACB
EuroLeague
Personal information
Born (1992-03-22) 22 March 1992
Maio, Cape Verde
Listed height7 ft 3 in (2.21 m)
Listed weight275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2014: 2nd round, 43rd overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career2009–present
Career history
2009–2015Gran Canaria
2011–2013→La Palma
2015–2016Atlanta Hawks
2015–2016→Austin Spurs
2015→Canton Charge
2016→Bakersfield Jam
2016–2017Raptors 905
2017Cleveland Cavaliers
2017Raptors 905
2017–presentReal Madrid
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

After being scouted in his hometown, Tavares started playing for Gran Canaria in 2009. He was drafted in the 2014 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks where he played one season. In 2017, Tavares signed with Real Madrid where he became a star player, winning two EuroLeague titles and three All-EuroLeague Team selections, as well as several domestic accolades. Tavares is the EuroLeague's all-time leader in blocks.

Tavares guided the Cape Verdean national team to their first-ever World Cup in 2023, and has played at AfroBasket in 2013 and 2021.

Early life

Tavares was born in Cape Verde on the island of Maio. His father was also tall, at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), and worked on shipping vessels which caused him to be away for long periods of time.[2] Tavares worked as a cashier in his grandmother's shop after school and played beach football as a hobby.[3] He did not play any basketball until he was 17 years old, and his talent was discovered by a German tourist who was on vacation in Cape Verde in 2009.[4][5] The tourist set up a meeting between Tavares and his friend, Raúl Rodriguez, who was a Spanish director of the CB Gran Canaria youth academy.[3] After Rodriguez received a photo that showed Tavares' size, they later met in Praia.[3] There, he had his first training; at the time, Tavares was 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m).[2]

He started playing at the Gran Canaria youth academy, where a second under-18 team was created to accommodate Tavares.[2]

Professional career

Spain

From 2009 to 2011, Tavares played for CB Gran Canaria's junior team in the Liga EBA.[5] In 2011, he was loaned to UB La Palma of the LEB Oro for the 2011–12 season. In 2012, he returned to Gran Canaria and made his Liga ACB debut on 6 January 2013. He also played three games for La Palma in 2012–13 as well.

In April 2013, Tavares declared for the 2013 NBA draft[6] but later withdrew his name and returned to Gran Canaria for the 2013–14 season.

On 19 June 2014, Tavares re-signed with Gran Canaria on a three-year deal,[7] while still remaining eligible for the 2014 NBA draft.[8]

On 26 June 2014, Tavares was selected with the 43rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks, becoming the first Cape Verdean-born player to be drafted in the NBA.[9] On 26 August 2014, it was announced Tavares would return to Gran Canaria for the 2014–15 season.[10] During their 2014–15 season, Tavares earned All-EuroCup First Team honors.

Atlanta Hawks

On 6 July 2015, Tavares joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2015 NBA Summer League.[11] Three days later, he signed a multi-year deal with the Hawks.[12] He made his debut for the Hawks on 29 October recording one point and one rebound in a 112–101 win over the New York Knicks.[13] During his rookie season, using the flexible assignment rule, Tavares received multiple assignments to the Austin Spurs, Canton Charge and Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League.[14] On 31 October 2016, he was waived by the Hawks after appearing in one game for the team in the 2016–17 season.[15]

Raptors 905

On 12 November 2016, Tavares was acquired by Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League.[16] On February 6, 2017, he was named in the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the 2017 NBA D-League All-Star Game.[17] At the season's end, he was named the recipient of the NBA Development League Defensive Player of the Year Award.[18]

Cleveland Cavaliers

On 12 April 2017, Tavares signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[19] He made his debut for the Cavaliers that night, recording 10 rebounds and 6 blocks in a 99–83 loss to the Toronto Raptors.[20] Tavares did not play at all in the 2017 playoffs due to a hand injury.[21] On 11 October 2017, Tavares was waived by the Cavaliers.[22]

Brief return to Raptors 905

Shortly after getting waived by the Cavaliers, Tavares returned to Raptors 905, ultimately playing only one regular season game for them, scoring 13 points, with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks vs. the Grand Rapids Drive on 5 November 2017.

2017–18 season

On 10 November 2017, Tavares signed with Real Madrid until the end of the 2019–20 season.[23][24] In May 2018, Real Madrid won the 2017–18 EuroLeague championship, after defeating Fenerbahçe in the final game with 85–80.[25] Over 17 EuroLeague games, Tavares averaged 6.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

2018–19 season

Tavares won the 2018–19 ACB season with Madrid. In the 2018–19 EuroLeague, he was named the EuroLeague Best Defender.

2019–20 season

On 21 September 2019, Tavares set an individual record for most blocks in a Spanish Supercup game, with 7 blocks in the semi-final against Fuenlabrada.[26] Real went on to win the Supercup for a second year in a row. The season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020–21 season

In the 2020–21 season, Tavares was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team for the first time in his career. He was also named the EuroLeague Best Defender for the second time in his career.

2021–22 season

In the EuroLeague, Tavares made a second straight All-EuroLeague First Team selection.

In June, Tavares won his third Liga ACB championship. On 19 June 2022, he had a double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4 of the finals; the 81–74 win over Barcelona clinched Madrid's title.[27] Tavares was named the ACB Finals MVP after the series in which he averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 20 index rating per game.[28]

2022–23 season

Tavares opened the season by helping Madrid win their 5th consecutive Supercopa de España and was named MVP after his 24-point and 12-rebounds performance on against Barcelona in the final.[29]

National team career

Tavares played with the Cape Verde national basketball team at AfroBasket 2013. The following seven years, Tavares did not represent his country due to his club's incompatible dates with the FIBA tournaments.[30] Tavares was again on the roster of Cape Verde for AfroBasket 2021. On 25 August 2021, Tavares recorded 20 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks in a shocking overtime victory over Angola;[31] during the last minute of the game, Tavares shattered the backboard with a game-tying dunk, causing a delay in game.[32] He helped his country reach the fourth place in the tournament, while individually he was named to the All-AfroBasket Team as well.[33]

In February 2023, during the last window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers, Tavares joined Cape Verde again and helped the team qualify for its first-ever World Cup.[34] Cape Verde became the smallest nation to ever to qualify for a World Cup.[35]

Career statistics
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  Bold  Career high

NBA
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Atlanta 1106.6.579.000.3751.9.3.1.62.3
2016–17 Atlanta 104.01.000.000.0001.0.0.0.02.0
2016–17 Cleveland 1024.0.750.000.00010.01.0.06.06.0
Career 1307.8.625.000.2732.5.3.1.92.5

EuroLeague
† Denotes season in which Tavares' team won the EuroLeague
Led the league
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2017–18† Real Madrid 292317.4.682.000.6235.3.5.41.56.510.6
2018–19 Real Madrid 342819.4.794.000.6326.2.7.41.77.413.4
2019–20 Real Madrid 282822.5.685.000.6537.1.8.62.27.214.5
2020–21 Real Madrid 363126.0.651.000.7168.01.11.01.811.418.1
2021–22 Real Madrid 353422.6.695.000.7377.51.0.91.710.918.4
2022–23† Real Madrid 403825.0.676.000.7806.91.5.92.211.218.0
Career 20218222.5.690.000.7086.91.0.71.89.315.8

Domestic leagues
Season Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011–12UB La PalmaLEB Oro216.7.552.000.3331.7.0.2.51.6
2012–13Herbalife Gran CanariaLiga ACB125.6.500.000.6672.2.2.2.51.5
2013–143520.7.593.000.7226.8.3.51.56.0
2014–153622.0.583.000.6287.9.3.81.88.0
2017–18Real Madrid3620.6.674.000.5826.3.5.42.27.9

See also

References
  1. "22 – Walter Tavares". NBADraft.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  2. "The Fascinating Story of Edy Tavares". Atlanta Hawks. 2016-01-08. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  3. "World basketball map: Cabo Verde | VTB United League - Official Website". Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  4. "Walter Tavares: The biggest unknown in the draft". HoopsHype.com. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  5. "Who Is Walter Tavares: Meet NBA Draft's Mystery 7-Footer". BleacherReport.com. June 7, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  6. "Walter Tavares declares for the NBA Draft". Sportando.com. April 22, 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  7. "Gran Canaria extends Walter Tavares for three years". Sportando.com. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  8. "Draft prospect Walter Tavares signs three-year deal with Gran Canaria". CBSSports.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  9. "Tavares selected 43rd by the Hawks". SuperSport.com. June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  10. "Tavares back for another season with Gran Canaria". AJC.com. August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
  11. "Edy Tavares, Mike Muscala Headline Hawks' Summer League Roster". NBA.com. July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  12. "Hawks Sign Walter "Edy" Tavares". NBA.com. July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  13. "Hawks beat Knicks 112-101 for 1st victory of the season". NBA.com. October 29, 2015. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  14. "2015-16 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  15. "Hawks Request Waivers On Edy Tavares". NBA.com. October 31, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  16. "RAPTORS 905 ACQUIRE EDY TAVARES". NBA.com. November 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  17. "Rosters for 2017 NBA Development League All-Star Game Presented By Kumho Tire". NBA.com. February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  18. "Edy Tavares Named 2016-17 NBA D-League Defensive Player of The Year". NBA.com. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  19. "Cavaliers Sign Dahntay Jones and Edy Tavares". NBA.com. April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  20. "Raptors prep for playoffs, beat "resting" Cavaliers 98-83". ESPN.com. April 12, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  21. Chiari, Mike (May 14, 2017). "Cavaliers Center Walter Tavares Out Indefinitely with Hand Injury". BleacherReport.com. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  22. "Cavaliers Waive Edy Tavares". NBA.com. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  23. "Official Announcement: Tavares | Real Madrid CF". Real Madrid C.F. - Web Oficial. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  24. "This is Walter Tavares | Real Madrid CF". Real Madrid C.F. - Web Oficial. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  25. "Real Madrid is 2018 EuroLeague champion". euroleague.net. 20 May 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  26. "Walter Tavares sets record for most Supercopa Endesa blocks". Eurohoops. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  27. "Tavares posts 25-13 double-double pushing Madrid to the ACB title". Eurohoops. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  28. "Tavares, MVP Movistar Playoff Final | ACB.COM". www.acb.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  29. Maestre, Mike (2022-09-26). "Real Madrid, campeón de la Supercopa de España: última hora del ganador y reacciones". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  30. "ACB champ Tavares looking forward to suiting up for Cape Verde again". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  31. "Cape Verde shock Angola in opener of AfroBasket 2021, host Rwanda edge DR Congo". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  32. "Walter Tavares breaks the backboard in crunch time as his Cape Verde edge out Angola". BasketNews. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  33. "MVP Ben Romdhane headlines FIBA AfroBasket 2021 All-Star team". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  34. "Tears of joy as Cape Verde qualify for World Cup". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  35. "Cape Verde become smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
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