The player will arrive to Saratov on Monday. The contract will take into effect after he has passed the obligatory medical examination. It is planned that Kuksiks will be able to help the team already in the closest away game of the VTB United League regular championship in Krasnodar to be held on 25th January 2015.

26-years old small forward is a graduate of Arisona State where he played together with the Houston Rockets guard James Harden. Kuksiks played in the ACB Championship for Valencia and Lagun Aro San Sebastian. Last season he had experience of playing in the VTB United League for VEF Riga. He played 8 games and scored 10.1 points, made 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists average per game. This season Kuksiks played for Jekabpils in the Latvian Championship and Baltic League. He played 8 games in the Latvian Basketball League where he scored 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal average per game for 25.3 minutes. He played 2 games in the Baltic League where he scored 16.0 points and made 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists average per game for 23.5 minutes. At the end of December Kuksiks helped Jekabpils to beat VEF Riga, the VTB United League participant, scoring 29 points and 10 rebounds.

He was the best scorer of the Latvian National Team at the 2011 EuroBasket where he scored 16 points average per game. On summer 2012 Kuksiks helped the Latvian National Team to qualify at the final stage of the 2013 EuroBasket scoring 12.1 points average per game. The Latvian forward was the third scorer of his National Team (8.5 points per game) at the 2013 EuroBasket. Rihards Kuksiks scored seven three-point shots in the game against Israel on 8th August 2010 that was the best achievement for the Latvian Men's National Team in the official games ever.

Rihards Kuksiks has a perfect shot. He demonstrates very high percent of three-point shots throughout his career that is more than 40. By the opinion of Avtodor president Vladimir Rodionov, the club is going to enforce the play on primeter with signing Kuksiks.

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KUKSIKS Rihards
Date of birth: 17th July 1988.
Height: 197 cm.
Weight: 95 kg.
Position: Small forward.
Place of birth: Riga (Latvia).
Nationality: Latvia.

SPORTS CAREER:
Clubs:
2007-2011 – Arisona State (NCAA)
2011-2012 – Valencia (Spain)
2012-2013 – Lagun Aro (San Sebastian, Spain)
2013 – Budivelnik (Kiev, Ukraine)
2014 – VEF (Riga, Latvia)
2014 – Jekabpils (Latvia)

Personal achievements:
2011 и 2013 – the EuroBasket participant for the Latvian National Team.
2012 – the finalist of the EuroCup.
2013 – the winner of the Ukrainian Championship.
2014 – the runner-up of the Latvian Championship.

Statistics in the Latvian Basketball League in the 2014/2015 season (avg. per game): 8 games played, 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal for 25.3 minutes.

Statistics in the Baltic League in the 2014/2015 season (avg. per game): 2 games played, 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists for 23.5 minutes.