Luukas_Vaara
Luukas Vaara
Finnish basketball player, born 2001
Luukas Vaara (born 22 April 2001) is a Finnish basketball player who plays for Salon Vilpas in Finnish Korisliiga. He started basketball in youth teams of Namika Lahti and Lahti Basketball.
| No. 20 – Vilpas Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Korisliiga |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2001-04-22) April 22, 2001 (age 23) Lahti, Finland |
| Listed height | 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) |
| Listed weight | 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Helsinki Basketball Academy, (Helsinki, Finland) |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2019 | Lahti Basketball |
| 2019–2020 | Pussihukat |
| 2020–2021 | HBA-Märsky |
| 2021–2022 | SIG Strasbourg |
| 2022–2023 | Phoenix Hagen |
| 2023–present | Salon Vilpas |
In his early senior career, Vaara played in Finland for Lahti Basketball and Pussihukat. For the 2020–21 season, he joined Helsinki Basketball Academy team HBA-Märsky playing in second-tier Koripallon I-divisioona.
On 1 July 2021, Vaara signed with French club SIG Strasbourg. He played mostly with the U21-team but debuted in LNB Pro A with the first team.[1]
On 15 June 2022, Vaara left Strasbourg and joined Phoenix Hagen in German second-tier Pro A.[2][3]
In 2023, he returned to Finland and signed with Korisliiga team Vilpas Vikings in Salo for the 2023–24 season.[4]
A former youth international, Vaara has played in six matches for the Finland national basketball team.[5] He also represented Finland in the postponed 2021 Summer Universiade competitions in Chengdu in the summer 2023,[6] where Finland finished 5th, the best position in the nation's history.
- SIG Strasbourg saalisti Luukas Vaaran, basket.fi, 1 July 2021
- "Luukas Vaara Strasbourgista Phoenix Hageniin" [Luukas Vaara from Strasbourg to Phoenix Hagen]. Basket.fi (in Finnish). 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- "Luukas Vaara: "Mulla on itsevarma olo kauden jälkeen"" [Luukas Vaara: "I feel confident after the season"]. Basket.fi (in Finnish). 16 June 2023. Archived from the original on 17 June 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- Mäntylä, Olli (4 July 2023). "Kasarmimme eessä suuri Vaara on – Vilppaan molemmilla senttereillä on merkittävän iso syliväli" [There is a big danger in front of our barracks - both of Vilppa's centremen have a remarkably large lap gap]. Salon Seudun Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- Tuuna, Juha (12 February 2024). "Vaara sai kutsun Susijengiin – "Hän ollut todella hyvä omassa roolissaan"" [Vaara was invited to Susijeng - "He's been really good in his role"]. Salon Seudun Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- "Rakkisudet historialliselle viidennelle sijalle universiadeissa" [Rakkisudet to a historic fifth place in the Universiades]. basket.fi (in Finnish). 6 August 2023. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.