Sandis Valters
A sharpshooting guard who carried Latvia's basketball hopes for a generation, famed for his deep-range bombs and clutch performances.
Born 1978 (age 48)·Latvian basketball player·Birthday: August 31·Generation X
Biography
Sandis Valters ranked among the top scorers in multiple EuroBasket tournaments, his quick release and fearlessness making him a constant threat from the perimeter. The son of Soviet-era star Valdis Valters, he carved his own path as the offensive engine for Latvia's national team for over a decade. His professional journey took him across Europe, with stops in Spain, Russia, and Turkey. Coaches left him open on the wing at their peril; he could single-handedly change a game's momentum with a flurry of three-pointers. He never secured an NBA contract, but his reputation as one of Latvia's most potent offensive weapons endured. His shooting stroke and big-moment confidence defined an era of Latvian basketball.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sandis was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sandis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Sandis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Represented Latvia in four EuroBasket tournaments (2001, 2005, 2007, 2009), often as a leading scorer.
- Won the Latvian League championship with BK Ventspils in 2006.
- Played professionally in top European leagues including Spain's ACB and Russia's PBL.
- Finished his career as one of the all-time leading scorers for the Latvian national team.
Did You Know?
His father, Valdis Valters, won a gold medal with the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
His younger brother, Kristaps Valters, also played professionally for the Latvian national team.
He once scored 41 points in a EuroBasket 2007 game against Croatia.
He played college basketball for the University of Rhode Island before turning professional in Europe.
“My father gave me the game, but I had to find my own shot.”
