Clay Tucker
Javen Clay Tucker ( born June 14, 1980 in Lima, Ohio ) is an American professional basketball player. His preferred position is that of the Shooting Guards. After Tucker had played before in Greece, France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine and Spain, he plays since 2013 in Turkey. Tucker won with BK Khimki Russian national cup competition in 2008.
Career
Clay Tucker played from 1998 to 2003 for the Milwaukee Panthers, the basketball team of the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee in the Horizon League NCAA. In 2003 he moved to Europe for the first time to the Swedish Sundsvall Dragons, but before the end of the season he returned to his homeland, where he was active in various minor leagues until March 2005. At the end of the season of the Greek A1 Ethniki 2004/ 05 he had with MENT BC a commitment, but could not prevent relegation. From 2005 to 2007, Tucker played in the NBA D- League for the Arkansas RimRockers before he again moved in April 2007 to Europe, where he was active at the end of the season for the French champions Le Mans Sarthe Basket, which, however, could not defend his title. This time Tucker remained in Europe and played in the 2007/ 08 season in Lega Basket Serie A for the Italian first division of Teramo. But even here, he did not stay until end of season, but moved in January 2008 to Russia, where he was with the club from Khimki national cup winner and runner-up behind series champion PBK CSKA Moscow. In the 2008 / 09 season, Tucker played for the Ukrainian runner from Kiev, but here he only stayed until February 2009.
In February 2009, Tucker moved to Spain to Cajasol from Sevilla in the ACB league in which he was named as the most effective player on the " Player of the Week " on Matchday 28. Here he helped the team in relegation in particular by his good three-point ratio of over 40 % from a distance. After a season with DKV Joventut Badalona, but missed the play-offs for the championship, Tucker moved in summer 2010 to Real Madrid. While 2010/11 the " Final Four " tournament reached the highest European club competition ULEB Euro League, but there lost both games, real missed as main round second in the 2010/11 season but again a place in the finals series for the national championship. After the season, his contract was not renewed and Tucker went back to Italy to Acea Roma. The Romans again but missed the play-offs at the Italian Championship and Tucker returned to the ACB league in Spain, where he signed a contract signed for the club from Valencia in July 2012. The contract with Tucker, however, was resolved before the season start again.
It was not until the beginning of February 2013 had Tucker his "comeback" and signed in the Türkiye Ligi Basketbol for the rest of the season a contract with Hacettepe University, which he, however, as Table Penultimate could not save them from relegation at the end of the season. However, Tucker remained in Turkey and got a contract for the 2013/14 season at TED Kolejliler from the capital Ankara, who got a starting place for the second most important European club competition Eurocup 2013/14.
Achievements
- Russian Basketball Cup: 2008 ( with BK Khimki )
Honors
- MVP of the Horizon League: 2002 /03
- NBA D -League All-Star: 2007