BRA – Brazil’s Splitter the MVP of Spain’s ACB

VITORIA (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Tiago Splitter has been a leading player in the ACB for several years with Caja Laboral.

This week, the Brazil national team center was named as the Spanish's league's MVP.

"Achieving this is very difficult, because it has been a tough season, with high-level opponents, so I feel great having received the votes of everyone who took part in the election," he said.

"I'm very happy because it is a great reward. Being MVP is very complicated and so I have to thank all my teammates, coaches and the fans because without them, this would not have been possible."

Splitter, 25, is coached by Dusko Ivanovic in Vitoria.

The 2.12m center averaged 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game to help Caja Laboral to a second-place finish in the regular season with 27 wins and just seven defeats.

They will enter the play-offs as the second seed behind Regal Barcelona.

Upon receiving his award, Splitter considered the impact that one of his former teammates in Vitoria had had on his career.

"(Argentina international) Luis Scola has always been an example for me, in dedication and work, and that's one of the mirrors in which I look," he said.

"To emulate his achievements is an honor because Vitoria is one of the great clubs."

Scola now plays for the Houston Rockets and will lead Argentina this summer in Turkey at the FIBA World Championship while Splitter will be with Brazil when they take on the United States, Slovenia, Croatia, Iran and Tunisia in Preliminary Round Group B.

FIBA