Aaron Valdes
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1993)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Aaron Valdes
| image =
| caption =
| position = Shooting guard / small forward
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 209
| league = LNBP
| team = Astros de Jalisco
| number = 32
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|6|15}}
| birth_place = Whittier, California
| high_school =
- La Serna (Whittier, California)
- La Jolla Prep (La Jolla, California)
| nationality = American
| college = Hawaii (2013–2016)
| draft_year = 2016
| career_start = 2016
| years1 = 2016–2019
| team1 = Soles de Mexicali
| years2 = 2019–2020
| team2 = Leñadores de Durango
| years3 = 2020–2021
| team3 = Maccabi Haifa B.C.
| years4 = 2021–2022
| team4 = Plateros de Fresnillo
| years5 = 2022–present
| team5 = Astros de Jalisco
| highlights =
- Second-team All-Big West (2016)
}}
Aaron Valdes (born June 15, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Astros de Jalisco of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. He plays the guard and forward positions.
Early life and high school career
Valdes was born in Whittier, California and attended La Serna High School ('11).{{Cite web|url=https://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/aaron-valdes/14579|title=Aaron Valdes – Men's Basketball|website=University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.warriorinsider.com/2013/08/catching-up-with-aaron-valdes/|title=Catching up with Aaron Valdes |work= Warrior Insider|date=August 22, 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://mn1-zzweb.newscyclecloud.com/article/zz/20090928/news/909289719|title=HIGH SCHOOLS: Versatile Valdes provides spark for La Serna|date=September 28, 2009}} He played basketball for the school, and as a junior averaging 18.7 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. He was named league MVP and first-team all-area. As a senior, he averaged 19.6 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, and was named first-team all-league. He also played water polo, and in 2009 was named league MVP and first-team all-area, while in 2010 he was named All-America, Del Rio League MVP, and California Interscholastic Federation player of the year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/20110105/coming-out-on-top|title=Coming out on top|date=January 5, 2011|work=Daily Breeze}}
He attended La Jolla Prep in 2011–12, and played basketball averaging 19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and three steals per game.
College career
Valdes attended the University of Hawaii. At the start of his college career, he had a 41-inch vertical leap.{{Cite web|url=http://www.warriorinsider.com/2013/10/meet-the-warriors-aaron-valdes/|title=Meet the Warriors: Aaron Valdes |work= Warrior Insider|date=October 17, 2013}} Playing for the basketball team as a sophomore in 2014–15, he averaged 1.7 steals per game (third in the Big West), and 13.7 points per game (10th in the league), and was seventh in two-point field goal percentage (.516). He was named Big West Conference honorable mention.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/aaron-valdes-1.html|title=Aaron Valdes College Stats|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com}} As a junior in 2015–16 he scored 14.1 points per game (eighth in the league) and blocked 0.7 shots per game (ninth in the league), and was fifth in two-point field goal percentage (.581). He was named second-team all-Big West. He turned pro after his junior year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/2016/04/07/ap-bkc-hawaii-valdes|title=Hawaii guard Aaron Valdes to turn professional|website=Sports Illustrated|date=April 7, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/04/07/sports/sports-breaking/uh-basketballs-valdes-going-pro/|title=UH basketball's Valdes going pro|first1= Brian |last1=McInnis|date=April 7, 2016|website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser}}
Professional career
On August 9, 2020, Valdes signed with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/aaron-valdes-1.html|title=Aaron Valdes International Stats|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} He averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in four games before leaving the team in November. On August 10, 2021, Valdes signed with the Plateros de Fresnillo of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional.{{cite web |title=Plateros ink Aaron Valdes, ex M.Haifa |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Israel/news/699107/Plateros-ink-Aaron-Valdes,-ex-M.Haifa |website=Eurobasket |access-date=August 10, 2021 |date=August 10, 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/aaron-valdes/14579 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors bio]
- [https://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Aaron-Valdes/Israel/Maccabi-Haifa/265895 Aaron Valdes] at Eurobasket
- [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Aaron-Valdes/Summary/44762 Aaron Valdes] at RealGM
{{Maccabi Haifa BC current roster}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdes, Aaron}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball players
Category:Maccabi Haifa B.C. players
Category:Sportspeople from Whittier, California
Category:Basketball players from Los Angeles County, California
Category:Soles de Mexicali players
Category:Leñadores de Durango players
Category:Plateros de Fresnillo players