Viktor Sanikidze

Viktor Sanikidze
Personal information
Born (1986-04-01) April 1, 1986 (age 38)
Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR
NationalityGeorgian
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
CollegeGlobe Tech JC (2001–2002)
NBA draft2004: 2nd round, 42nd overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career2003–2016
Career history
2003–2006SAOS JDA Dijon
2006–2007Estudiantes
2008Dinamo Tbilisi
2008–2009Tartu Ülikool/Rock
2009–2012Virtus Bologna
2012–2013Montepaschi Siena
2013–2014CAI Zaragoza
2014–2015UNICS Kazan
2015–2016TED Ankara Kolejliler
2016Aris Thessaloniki
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Viktor Sanikidze
Member of the Parliament of Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 11, 2020
Personal details
NationalityGeorgian
Political partyGeorgian Dream (September 2020-present)

Viktor Sanikidze (alternate spelling: Victor)[1] (born April 1, 1986) is a Georgian politician, former professional basketball executive and former player. He played at both the small forward and power forward positions in his entire career.

Sanikidze is a member of Georgian Dream. During the 2024–2025 Georgian protests, he was involved in physical attacks against individuals who have spoken out against the ruling party.[2][3]

Early years

Sanikidze began his basketball career with the Academy Tbilisi youth teams in the Georgian Republic. In the 2001–02 season, Sanikidze attended and played basketball for Globe Tech Junior College in New York City. In the 2002–03 season, he returned home to Georgia, to play once again for Academy Tbilisi.

Professional career

Europe

In 2003, Sanikidze signed with SAOS JDA Dijon, a pro club in the French Pro A League and a club competing in the European fourth-tier level league, the FIBA Europe Cup (later renamed FIBA EuroCup Challenge), at the time he joined the team. JDA Dijon made the FIBA Europe Cup finals, where they lost to Mitteldeutscher, during Sanikidze's first season with the club. He spent three seasons in France (2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06).

Sanikidze spent the 2006–07 season with the Spanish ACB League club MMT Estudiantes, a team that was competing in the European third-tier level league, the FIBA EuroCup (later renamed to EuroChallenge), at the time he joined the team. He missed the entire the 2007–08 season due to injury.

Sanikidze joined the Estonian League club Tartu Ülikool/Rock for the 2008–09 season. Tartu Ülikool/Rock also competed in the EuroChallenge League, the third-tier level of European-wide basketball, and the regional Baltic League. In August 2009, he moved to the Italian League club Virtus Bologna. On July 11, 2012, Sanikidze signed a multi-year deal with the Italian club Montepaschi Siena.[4]

On September 20, 2013, he signed a one-year deal with the Spanish club CAI Zaragoza.[5] On July 31, 2014, he signed a one-year deal with the Russian VTB United League club UNICS Kazan.[6] On August 3, 2015, Sanikidze signed with TED Ankara Kolejliler of the Turkish League.[7]

On September 6, 2016, Sanikidze signed with the Greek club Aris Thessaloniki for the 2016–17 season.[8]

NBA

Sanikidze was selected with the 42nd pick of the 2004 NBA draft, by the Atlanta Hawks, but his draft rights were traded the same day to the San Antonio Spurs, for a 2005 second-round pick, and cash considerations.[9] The Spurs still hold his NBA player rights, but they have yet to sign him to a contract, and he continues to play in Europe. In July 2007, Sanikidze played for San Antonio's NBA Summer League squad, during the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League, scoring 15 points in a Spurs loss to the Philadelphia 76ers' summer league squad.[10][11]

Georgian national team

Sanikidze played with the Republic of Georgia's junior national teams. With Georgia's junior teams, he played at the 2004 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship,[12] and also at the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B.

He has also been a member of the senior Georgian national basketball team, and with has competed with them in the European A Division EuroBasket. With Georgia's senior team, he played at the EuroBasket 2nd Division tournaments of the EuroBasket 2007 Division B and the EuroBasket 2009 Division B.

He also played in the EuroBasket 1st Division tournaments of EuroBasket 2011, EuroBasket 2013, and EuroBasket 2015.[13]

Basketball Executive career

On August 24, 2019, the Aris Thessaloniki announced that Sanikidze had returned as a sports director.[14][15]

Political career

On September 10, 2020, Sanikidze was named the 13th number on the Georgian Dream party list for the 2020 parliamentary elections.[16]

Since December 11, 2020, Sanikidze is a member of Parliament of Georgia,[17] and currently serving as first deputy chairperson of the Sports and Youth Issues Committee.[18]

Violence against opposition

During the 2024–2025 Georgian protests, Sanikidze was involved in violent attacks against individuals who spoke out against the ruling Georgian Dream party and Sanikidze's continued support for that organization.[19][20] Sanikidze further threatened a person he had physically attacked, suggesting that he would exact revenge upon their return to Tbilisi.[21]

Personal life

Sanikidze had a kid called Nikala.[22]

References

  1. ^ Victor SANIKIDZE #31 POWER FORWARD Birth: 01 Apr 1986 (30 years old) Height: 203CM / 6'8".
  2. ^ ზარქუა და სანიკიძე თავს დაესხნენ მოქალაქეს, რომელმაც გუშინ აბუ-დაბიში აგინა, Radio Free Europe, 13 January 2025
  3. ^ In Abu Dhabi, Georgian Dream MPs Irakli Zarqua and Viqtor Sanikidze physically confronted a citizen, InterPressNews, 13 January 2025
  4. ^ "Montepaschi signs Sanikidze to multi-year deal". Euroleague. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
  5. ^ "CAI ZARAGOZA announces Viktor Sanikidze". Eurocupbasketball.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Unics Kazan lands forward Sanikidze". Eurolague.net. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  7. ^ "TED Kolejliler Ankara signs Viktor Sanikidze". Sportando.com. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  8. ^ "ARIS inks Victor Sanikidze". arisbc.gr. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  9. ^ Trade details from NBA.com.
  10. ^ Rocky Mountain notebook: Horford proving "he is ready for this level".
  11. ^ Jazz guards take their shot.
  12. ^ Profile at NBA.com.
  13. ^ Viktor SANIKIDZE (GEO) participated in 14 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
  14. ^ "Ο Βίκτορ Σανικίτζε επιστρέφει στην οικογένεια του ΑΡΗ". Aris B.C. on Facebook.com (in Greek). 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Viktor Sanikidze is the new sports director of Aris BC". eurohoops.net. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Who's Who on Georgian Dream's Electoral Lineup?". civil.ge. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Viktor Sanikidze - Parliament of Georgia". parliament.ge. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  18. ^ "Sitting of Sports and Youth Issues Committee. The 28th of May 2024 he betraied Georgian people voting for "Russian Law"". parliament.ge. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  19. ^ ზარქუა და სანიკიძე თავს დაესხნენ მოქალაქეს, რომელმაც გუშინ აბუ-დაბიში აგინა, Radio Free Europe, 13 January 2025
  20. ^ In Abu Dhabi, Georgian Dream MPs Irakli Zarqua and Viqtor Sanikidze physically confronted a citizen, InterPressNews, 13 January 2025
  21. ^ "თბილისში ხო ჩამოხვალ?" | ოლიგარქის დეპუტატები, სანიკიძე და ზარქუა აბუ დაბიში საქართველოს მოქალაქეს ფიზიკურად გაუსწორდნენ, Mtavari Arkhi, 13 January 2025
  22. ^ "Welcome to this world my boy - Nikala". Viktor Sanikidze on Instagram. 16 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved 16 April 2019.