Viktor Sanikidze (alternate spelling: Victor)[ Victor SANIKIDZE #31 POWER FORWARD Birth: 01 Apr 1986 (30 years old) Height: 203CM / 6'8".] (born 1 April 1986) is a Georgian politician, former professional basketball executive and former player. He played at both the small forward and power forward positions in his entire career.
Sanikidze is a member of the Georgian Dream party. During the 2024–2025 Georgian protests, he gained notoriety for his well-publicized involvement in physical attacks against individuals who have spoken out against the ruling party.[ ზარქუა და სანიკიძე თავს დაესხნენ მოქალაქეს, რომელმაც გუშინ აბუ-დაბიში აგინა, Radio Free Europe, 13 January 2025][ In Abu Dhabi, Georgian Dream MPs Irakli Zarqua and Viqtor Sanikidze physically confronted a citizen, InterPressNews, 13 January 2025]
Early years
Sanikidze began his basketball career with the Academy Tbilisi youth teams in the Georgian Republic. In the 2001–02 season, Sanikidze attended and played basketball for Globe Tech Junior College in New York City. In the 2002–03 season, he returned home to Georgia, to play once again for Academy Tbilisi.
Professional career
Europe
In 2003, Sanikidze signed with
JDA Dijon, a pro club in the French Pro A League and a club competing in the European fourth-tier level league, the FIBA Europe Cup (later renamed FIBA EuroCup Challenge), at the time he joined the team. JDA Dijon made the FIBA Europe Cup finals, where they lost to Mitteldeutscher, during Sanikidze's first season with the club. He spent three seasons in France (2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06).
Sanikidze spent the 2006–07 season with the Liga ACB club CB Estudiantes, a team that was competing in the European third-tier level league, the EuroChallenge (later renamed to EuroChallenge), at the time he joined the team. He missed the entire the 2007–08 season due to injury.
Sanikidze joined the Estonian League club Tartu Ülikool/Rock for the 2008–09 season. Tartu Ülikool/Rock also competed in the EuroChallenge League, the third-tier level of European-wide basketball, and the regional Baltic League. In August 2009, he moved to the Italian League club Virtus Bologna. On 11 July 2012, Sanikidze signed a multi-year deal with the Italian club Montepaschi Siena.
On 20 September 2013, he signed a one-year deal with the Spanish club CAI Zaragoza.
On 6 September 2016, Sanikidze signed with the Greek club Aris Thessaloniki for the 2016–17 season.
NBA
Sanikidze was selected with the 42nd pick of the 2004 NBA draft, by the
Atlanta Hawks, but his draft rights were traded the same day to the San Antonio Spurs, for a 2005 second-round pick, and cash considerations.
[ Trade details from NBA.com.] The Spurs still hold his
NBA player rights, but they have yet to sign him to a contract, and he continues to play in Europe. In July 2007, Sanikidze played for San Antonio's NBA Summer League squad, during the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League, scoring 15 points in a Spurs loss to the Philadelphia 76ers' summer league squad.
[ Rocky Mountain notebook: Horford proving "he is ready for this level".][ Jazz guards take their shot.]
National team career
Sanikidze played with the Republic of Georgia's junior national teams. With Georgia's junior teams, he played at the 2004 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship,
[ Profile at NBA.com.] and also at the 2006 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B.
He has also been a member of the senior Georgian national basketball team, and with has competed with them in the European A Division EuroBasket. With Georgia's senior team, he played at the EuroBasket 2nd Division tournaments of the EuroBasket 2007 Division B and the EuroBasket 2009 Division B.
He also played in the EuroBasket 1st Division tournaments of EuroBasket 2011, EuroBasket 2013, and EuroBasket 2015.[ Viktor SANIKIDZE (GEO) participated in 14 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.]
Basketball Executive career
On 24 August 2019, the Aris Thessaloniki announced that Sanikidze had returned as a sports director.
Political career
On 10 September 2020, Sanikidze was named the 13th number on the
Georgian Dream party list for the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Since 11 December 2020, Sanikidze is a member of Parliament of Georgia,
Violence against opposition
During the 2024–2025 Georgian protests, Sanikidze was involved in violent attacks against individuals who spoke out against the ruling
Georgian Dream party and Sanikidze's continued support for that organization.
[ ზარქუა და სანიკიძე თავს დაესხნენ მოქალაქეს, რომელმაც გუშინ აბუ-დაბიში აგინა, Radio Free Europe, 13 January 2025][ In Abu Dhabi, Georgian Dream MPs Irakli Zarqua and Viqtor Sanikidze physically confronted a citizen, InterPressNews, 13 January 2025] Sanikidze further threatened a person he had physically attacked, suggesting that he would exact revenge upon their return to
Tbilisi.
[ "თბილისში ხო ჩამოხვალ?" | ოლიგარქის დეპუტატები, სანიკიძე და ზარქუა აბუ დაბიში საქართველოს მოქალაქეს ფიზიკურად გაუსწორდნენ, Mtavari Arkhi, 13 January 2025]
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