Loukas Mavrokefalidis

infobox Euroleague Player


name = Loukas Mavrokefalidis
Λουκάς Μαυροκεφαλίδης
nickname = Mavro
position = Forward-Center
height_ft = 6
height_in = 10.75
weight_lbs = 260
league = Greek League
ULEB Cup
team = Maroussi
jersey =| number =
nationality = flagicon|Greece Greek
birth_date = birth date and age|1984|7|25
birth_place = Geseni, Czechoslovakia
college =
draft = 2^nd round, 57^th overall
draft_year = 2006
draft_team = Minnesota Timberwolves
career_start = 2002
career_end =
former_teams = PAOK (2001–2006)
Pallacanestro Virtus Roma (2006–2007)
Pamesa Valencia (2007)
Olympiacos (2007–2008)

awards =

Loukas Mavrokefalidis (in Greek: Λουκάς Μαυροκεφαλίδης; born July 25, 1984 in Geseni, Czechoslovakia) is a Greek professional basketball player. He is currently with Maroussi of the Greek League. He was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2nd round (57th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft.

Pro career

Mavrokefalidis started his professional career at PAOK, moving to Thessaloniki from Kilkis, where his parents come from. From the first days of his professional career, PAOK coach Bane Preljevic took advantage of his height and decided to play him at the center position which, as it was proved later in his career, fitted him very well.

A 2.10 m (6 ft 10 ¾ in) forward-center, Mavrokefalidis played for PAOK in the Greek League during the Greek League 2005-2006 season, averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds. After many months of hard work, Mavrokefalidis was almost always a member of the starting 5 in PAOK, creating havoc to the opposition's defense with his ability to get to the rim and make easy buckets or exciting dunks. He also became a defensive force, chasing down rebounds relentlessly, something that can be shown by the 7.8 rebounds he averaged during the 2005-06 season.

During the summer of 2006, Mavrokefalidis was signed by Pallacanestro Virtus Roma of the Italian League, but was not established as a key member of the team, averaging just 2 points and a rebound per game.

In February 2007, he was traded from Roma to Pamesa Valencia of the Spanish ACB League in exchange for Roberto Chiacig and Jon Stefánsson.On July 12, 2007 Mavrokefalidis joined Olympiacos. [ [http://en.olympiakos.gr/article.aspx?aid=22773 Mavrokefalidis Olympiacos BC's latest addition.] ] [ [http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/14417/180/item Reds add Vasiliadis, Roberts, Mavrokefalidis] ] . In 2008, Mavrokefalidis moved to Maroussi. [ [http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/ulebcup/home/news/i/34012/448/item Maroussi adds size with Loukas Mavrokefalidis.] ] .

Greek national team

Mavrokefalidis' talents didn't go unnoticed. That's why he was selected for the first time in 2003 to join the Greece Under-20 National Basketball Team during the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. In 2005, Mavrokefalidis' contribution during the FIBA Under-21 World Championship was very significant, as Mavrokefalidis greatly helped the Under-21 Greek National Basketball Team win the silver medal, after losing to Lithuania by just one point.

A year later, in 2006, Greek national team coach Panagiotis Giannakis became impressed by the young center's abilities and called him to participate in the Greece basketball senior men's training camp, one month before the 2006 FIBA World Basketball Championship took place in Japan. However, as he was already selected in the draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mavrokefalidis informed the coach shortly before the outset of the World Championship that he decided to go back to Minnesota and participate in performance improvement training camps, thus losing the 12th man's roster place to Sofoklis Schortsianitis.

Notes

External links

*NBA-profile