Kosta Koufos

Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Δημήτριος "Κώστας" Κουφός; born February 24, 1989) is a Greek professional basketball player who last played for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague. Koufos played one season at Ohio State before being selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.

Kosta Koufos
Koufos with the Nuggets in 2013
Free agent
PositionCenter
Personal information
Born (1989-02-24) February 24, 1989
Canton, Ohio
NationalityGreek / American
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High schoolGlenOak (Canton, Ohio)
CollegeOhio State (2007–2008)
NBA draft2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Playing career2008–present
Career history
2008–2010Utah Jazz
2009–2010→Utah Flash
2010–2011Minnesota Timberwolves
2011–2013Denver Nuggets
2013–2015Memphis Grizzlies
2015–2019Sacramento Kings
2019–2020CSKA Moscow
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Greece
EuroBasket
2009 Poland
FIBA Under-18 European Championship
2007 SpainUnder-18 Team

High school career

Koufos attended GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, where he played center for the GlenOak Golden Eagles high school basketball team. As a junior, Koufos averaged 24 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game, and four blocked shots per game and he was named Second-Team All-State.

As a senior, Koufos averaged 25.9 points per game, 15.4 rebounds per game and 5.2 blocked shots per game. He was instrumental in GlenOak snapping Canton McKinley's 41-game win streak in January 2007, when he posted 32 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks to help the Golden Eagles edge the Bulldogs, 56–55, in overtime. The next day, Koufos recorded 32 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks against Detroit Country Day, to lead GlenOak to its ninth consecutive victory.

Koufos finished second to future Buckeye teammate Jon Diebler in the Mr. Ohio Basketball voting. After his senior season with GlenOak, Koufos was named the Division I player of the year and was also named First-Team All-State. He also earned First-Team Northeast Inland All-District and third-team Parade All-American honors and participated in the 2007 McDonald's All-American Game and 2007 Jordan Brand Classic.

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Koufos was listed as the No. 3 center and the No. 16 player in the nation in 2007.[1]

College career

Koufos played one season of college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes. For the 2007–08 season,[2] he was named third-team All-Big Ten and was named to the league's All-Freshman Team. He ranked fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (6.7 rpg), and ranked second in blocked shots (1.8 bpg) and seventh in field goal percentage (.508). He helped the Buckeyes reach the final of the National Invitation Tournament, where they won 92–85 over UMass behind Koufos' 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.[3] He was subsequently named NIT Most Valuable Player.[4] He declared for the 2008 NBA draft following his freshman season.

College statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007–08 Ohio State 373527.1.508.349.6806.7.5.41.814.4

Professional career

Utah Jazz (2008–2010)

Koufos was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.[5] During his rookie season, he spent time in the NBA D-League on assignment with the Utah Flash.[6][7] He went on to receive two assignments to the Flash during the 2009–10 season.[8] In two seasons with the Jazz, Koufos played in 84 games and averaged 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds.[9]

Minnesota Timberwolves (2010–2011)

On July 13, 2010, Koufos was traded, alongside two future first-round draft picks, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Al Jefferson.[10]

Denver Nuggets (2011–2013)

On February 22, 2011, Koufos was acquired by the Denver Nuggets in a three-way trade involving the Timberwolves and the New York Knicks.[11] On January 25, 2012, he signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension with the Nuggets.[12][13] He averaged career-best figures in Denver, with 6.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.[9]

Memphis Grizzlies (2013–2015)

On June 27, 2013, Koufos was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Darrell Arthur and the draft rights to Joffrey Lauvergne.[14] In two seasons with Memphis, he averaged 5.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[9]

Sacramento Kings (2015–2019)

On July 13, 2015, Koufos signed with the Sacramento Kings.[15] On June 30, 2019, Koufos became an unrestricted free agent.

CSKA Moscow (2019–2020)

On July 19, 2019, Koufos signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague.[16] He averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. On May 27, 2020, the team opted out of the contract.[17]

National team career

Greek junior national team

Koufos was a member of the junior Greek national under-18 team at the 2007 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in Spain. He led his team to the tournament's final game, and although Greece lost in the finals to Serbia's under-18 team, Koufos won the tournament's MVP award, after leading the competition in points, rebounds, and blocked shots, with averages of 26.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game.[18]

Greek senior national team
Koufos playing with Greece against Lithuania's Jonas Valančiūnas.

In 2009, Koufos debuted with the senior Greek national basketball team, and he competed at the EuroBasket 2009, where he won a bronze medal. During the EuroBasket 2009 tournament, he averaged 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. He also played at the EuroBasket 2011, where he averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Koufos also competed at the EuroBasket 2015, where he had his best tournament with the senior Greek national basketball team, as he averaged 10 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, in 8 games played.

He also played with Greece at the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he averaged 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.[19]

Personal life

Koufos is the son of Greek immigrants Katerina and the late Alex Koufos, a pediatric doctor in Canton who died when Kosta was 9. Their parents were originally respectively from Messenia and Corinth. He has an older sister, Maria, and an older brother, Vasilios. Koufos holds dual citizenship of both the United States and Greece, thus making him eligible to represent Greece internationally. He can speak Greek.[20] [21] In September 2018 he married fellow Greek-American Eleni Bourlas.

Awards and accomplishments

NBA 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

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008–09 Utah 48711.8.508.000.7062.9.4.3.64.7
2009–10 Utah 3604.8.468.000.6001.3.2.1.11.5
2010–11 Minnesota 3918.6.435.000.5002.5.2.2.52.7
2010–11 Denver 1118.9.500.000.6323.0.0.2.54.9
2011–12 Denver 482416.5.599.000.6005.4.3.5.95.5
2012–13 Denver 818122.4.581.000.5586.9.4.51.38.0
2013–14 Memphis 802216.9.495.000.6455.2.5.4.96.4
2014–15 Memphis 81316.6.508.000.6475.3.5.4.85.2
2015–16 Sacramento 781419.0.532.000.5485.4.4.5.96.8
2016–17 Sacramento 716220.0.551.000.6135.7.7.5.76.6
2017–18 Sacramento 711219.6.571.000.4466.61.2.7.56.7
2018–19 Sacramento 42112.0.477.000.4174.2.9.4.43.7
Career 68622816.4.534.000.5825.0.5.7.45.7

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2010 Utah 903.4.400.000.0001.0.0.0.1.9
2011 Denver 102.01.000.000.000.0.0.0.02.0
2012 Denver 328.7.333.000.0003.7.0.0.3.7
2013 Denver 6216.7.3681.000.8333.5.5.5.73.3
2014 Memphis 706.4.438.0001.0002.1.3.3.42.6
2015 Memphis 11011.5.540.000.6003.5.4.4.53.4
Career 3748.9.4601.000.8002.6.2.2.42.4
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See also

References
  1. Kosta Koufos Recruiting Profile
  2. DeCourcy, Mike (October 4, 2007). "Koufos is Ohio State's Oden encore". sportingnews.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2007.
  3. "Kosta Koufos". NBA.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  4. "NIT Most Valuable Player Winner". sports-reference.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  5. Genessy, Jody (June 27, 2008). "Utah Jazz: Draft pick Kosta Koufos visits". deseretnews.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  6. "Jazz Assigns Koufos to D-League, Recalls Fesenko". NBA.com. March 26, 2009. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009.
  7. "Utah Jazz: With Okur's status uncertain, Jazz recall Koufos". deseretnews.com. April 18, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  8. "Kosta Koufos Player Profile". RealGM.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  9. "Kosta Koufos". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  10. "Jazz Acquires Center/Forward Al Jefferson from Minnesota". NBA.com. July 13, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  11. "Nuggets acquire five players, three picks in three-team trade". NBA.com. February 22, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  12. "Nuggets sign Kosta Koufos to contract extension". NBA.com. January 25, 2012. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  13. "Sources: Kosta Koufos gets 3-year deal". ESPN.com. January 25, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  14. "Nuggets Acquire F Darrell Arthur From Memphis Grizzlies". NBA.com. June 27, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  15. "Kings Sign Rondo, Belinelli, Koufos". NBA.com. July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  16. "CSKA inks veteran center Koufos". EuroLeague.net. July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  17. "CSKA Moscow opts out of Kostas Koufos' contract". Sportando. May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  18. "FIBA Europe: Koufos Named MVP". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  19. Kostas KOUFOS (GRE).
  20. Papagiannis discusses recent success and the importance of mentorship from his teammates.
  21. The Spider with roots from Messenia and Corinth.
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