Walter Samuel "Edy" Tavares da Veiga was born on 22 March 1992 and is a Cape Verdean professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
29 Facts About Edy Tavares
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Edy Tavares 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.
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Edy Tavares was drafted in the 2014 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks where he played one season.
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In 2017, Edy 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.
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Edy Tavares guided the Cape Verdean national team to their first-ever World Cup in 2023, and has played at AfroBasket in 2013 and 2021.
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Edy Tavares was born in Cape Verde on the island of Maio.
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Edy Tavares worked as a cashier in his grandmother's shop after school and played beach football as a hobby.
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Edy Tavares 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.
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The tourist set up a meeting between Edy Tavares and his friend, Raul Rodriguez, who was a Spanish director of the CB Gran Canaria youth academy.
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Edy Tavares started playing at the Gran Canaria youth academy, where a second under-18 team was created to accommodate Tavares.
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From 2009 to 2011, Edy Tavares played for CB Gran Canaria's junior team in the Liga EBA.
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On 19 June 2014, Edy Tavares re-signed with Gran Canaria on a three-year deal, while still remaining eligible for the 2014 NBA draft.
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On 26 June 2014, Edy 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.
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On 6 July 2015, Edy Tavares joined the Atlanta Hawks for the 2015 NBA Summer League.
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On 12 November 2016, Edy Tavares was acquired by Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League.
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On 12 April 2017, Edy Tavares signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Edy Tavares did not play at all in the 2017 playoffs due to a hand injury.
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On 11 October 2017, Edy Tavares was waived by the Cavaliers.
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Shortly after getting waived by the Cavaliers, Edy 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.
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Over 17 EuroLeague games, Edy Tavares averaged 6.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
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On 21 September 2019, Edy Tavares set an individual record for most blocks in a Spanish Supercup game, with 7 blocks in the semi-final against Fuenlabrada.
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Edy Tavares was named the EuroLeague Best Defender for the second time in his career.
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Edy 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.
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Edy Tavares opened the season by helping Madrid win their 5th consecutive Supercopa de Espana and was named MVP after his 24-point and 12-rebounds performance on against Barcelona in the final.
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Edy Tavares played with the Cape Verde national basketball team at AfroBasket 2013.
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Edy Tavares was again on the roster of Cape Verde for AfroBasket 2021.
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On 25 August 2021, Edy Tavares recorded 20 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks in a shocking overtime victory over Angola; during the last minute of the game, Edy Tavares shattered the backboard with a game-tying dunk, causing a delay in game.
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Edy Tavares helped his country reach the fourth place in the tournament, while individually he was named to the All-AfroBasket Team as well.
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In February 2023, during the last window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers, Edy Tavares joined Cape Verde again and helped the team qualify for its first-ever World Cup.