Artūrs Mārtiņš Žagars (born 21 April 2000) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish BSL and the EuroLeague. Standing at 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in), he primarily plays at the point guard position.
Early career
Žagars spent much of his early career playing for Latvian club BS DSN Riga.[1]
In 2017, Žagars signed a long-term contract with Spanish club Joventut Badalona. On 11 March 2018, Žagars made his Liga ACB debut, scoring two points in seven minutes versus Baskonia.[1]
In November 2018, Žagars suffered a torn ligament in his ankle and was sidelined until early March 2019 after undergoing surgery.[2]
On 20 July 2022, Žagars signed with Nevėžis Kėdainiai of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL).[7] In 22 league matches, he averaged 15.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per contest.
On 18 September 2023, Žagars signed a three-year contract with Turkish giants Fenerbahçe.[8] He was subsequently loaned to Lithuanian club BC Wolves for the 2023–24 season. On October 19, Žagars suffered a severe injury to the lateral ligament of his knee, missing 6 months.[9]
Žagars represented Latvia during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup which achieved 5th place during its debut.[11] Moreover, Žagars achieved the world cup's all-time record of assists by dishing out 17 assists in a game versus Lithuania.[11] In recognition of his individual play, Žagars was named to the All-FIBA World Cup Second Team.[12]
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