Kristófer Acox

Kristófer Acox (born 13 October 1993) is an Icelandic basketball player for Valur of the Úrvalsdeild karla and a member of the Icelandic national basketball team, with whom he participated in the EuroBasket 2017.[1] As a member of KR, he won the Icelandic championship three times in a row from 2017 to 2019. In 2022, he added his fourth championship, this time with Valur and in 2023, he won the Icelandic Cup for the first time.

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a family name, but this person is referred to by the given name Kristófer.
Kristófer Acox
No. 13 – Valur
PositionPower forward
LeagueÚrvalsdeild karla
Personal information
Born (1993-10-13) 13 October 1993
Akranes, Iceland
NationalityIcelandic
Listed height198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight101 kg (223 lb)
Career information
High schoolSpring Valley
(Columbia, South Carolina)
CollegeFurman (2013–2017)
Playing career2009–present
Career history
2009–2010KR
2011–2013KR
2017KR
2017Star Hotshots
2017–2018KR
2018Denain Voltaire
2018–2020KR
2020–presentValur
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Iceland
Games of the Small States of Europe
Silver medal – second place2015 ReykjavikNational Team
Bronze medal – third place2017 San MarinoNational Team

Early years

Kristófer was born on 13 October 1993 to Edna María Jacobsen, who is half Icelandic and half Faroese, and Terry Acox, an American basketball player who played professionally in Iceland with Körfuknattleiksfélag ÍA. He grew up with his mother and grandmother. Kristófer played both football and basketball in his youth for nine years, turning fully to basketball at the age of fourteen after being selected to the Icelandic U-15 national basketball team.[2][3]

Playing career

Kristófer played for four years at Furman University.[4] After finishing his college season in April 2017, he joined KR where he won the national championship.[5]

He played for the Star Hotshots of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from September[6][7] to October 2017 when he returned to KR.[8]

On 28 April 2018, Kristófer won his second consecutive national championship with KR after beating Tindastóll 3-1 in the Úrvalsdeild Finals where he was also named the Úrvalsdeild Playoffs MVP.[9] After the season he was named both the Úrvalsdeild Karla Domestic Player of the Year and the Úrvalsdeild Karla Defensive Player of the Year, and to the Úrvalsdeild Karla Domestic All-First Team.[10]

On 12 June 2018, Kristófer signed a two-year contract extension with KR with the option to leave if he received an offer from a bigger club.[11] On 28 June, he exercised that option and signed with Denain Voltaire of the French LNB Pro B.[12] After struggling with ankle injuries and unhappiness with living in a mostly non-English speaking city,[13] he reached an agreement with the club to be released from contract in middle of November that year. Shortly later he signed back with KR for the rest of the season.[14]

On 4 May 2019 he won his third national championship in a row with KR.[15] After the season he was named the Domestic Player of the Year for the second year in a row.[16]

In December 2019, Kristófer was hospitalised due to a kidney infection.[17]

On 7 September 2020, Kristófer announced that he was leaving KR due to an disagreement between him and the club.[18] Four days later, he signed with Reykjavík rivals Valur.[19] On 24 September, it was reported that KR was refusing to sign Kristófer's transfer papers to Valur[20] despite reportedly owing him millions ISK in unpaid salaries.[21] In turn, Páll Kolbeinsson, a board member of KR's basketball department, stated that the board believed that it did not owe Kristófer any unpaid salary. He further claimed that board believed that he had hid the extent of his injuries before signing a contract extension in 2019 although evidence did show that both the then head coach Ingi Þór Steinþórsson and KR's physiotherapist where aware of them.[22] On 30 September, KR signed Kristófer's transfer papers, officially making him a Valur player.[23] After successfully suing KR, the team was ordered by the District Court of Reykjavík to pay him 10.3 millions ISK in unpaid salaries and 1.4 millions ISK for court costs.[24][25]

In his Valur debut, Kristófer had 29 points and 13 rebounds in a 76-81 loss against Stjarnan.[26] For the season he averaged 12.7 points and 7.5 rebounds and helped Valur finish 4th and secure their first playoff seat since 1992. In the playoffs, Valur lost to KR in five games in the first round.

During his second season við Valur, Kristófer upped his averages to 15.0 points and 11.3 rebounds with Valur finishing third in the league during the regular season. On 18 May 2022, he won his fourth national championship when Valur defeated Tindastóll in the Úrvalsdeild finals.[27]

On 2 October 2022, he won the Icelandic Super Cup with Valur.[28] On 14 January 2023, he won the Icelandic Cup after Valur defeated Stjarnan in the Cup final.

On 24 September 2023, he won the Icelandic Super Cup after Valur defeated Tindastóll 80–72.[29]

Awards and accomplishments

Club honours

Individual awards

References
  1. Jónsson, Einar Örn (March 31, 2017). "Kristófer: Ekki kominn til að taka yfir". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  2. Þórdís Lilja Gunnarsdóttir (20 October 2017). "Góður mömmustrákur". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  3. Orri Páll Ormarsson (12 May 2019). "Hitti pabba sinn fyrst 14 ára". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  4. Jónsson, Óskar Ófeigur (March 31, 2017). "Kristófer Acox: Var að spila á móti strákum sem eru kannski að fara í NBA". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  5. "Reyndari menn verða að kenna mér að fagna". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). April 30, 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  6. Jónsson, Kristján (September 11, 2017). "Kristó fer til Filippseyja". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  7. Bjarnason, Hans Steinar (September 11, 2017). "Kristófer Acox til Filippseyja". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  8. "Þátttöku Kristófers lokið í Filippseyjum". karfan.is (in Icelandic). 5 October 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  9. "Kristófer bestur í úrslitakeppninni". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  10. Henry Birgir Gunnarsson (4 May 2018). "Kristófer og Helena valin leikmenn ársins". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  11. Bjarni Helgason (12 June 2018). "Hlutverk mitt hjá félaginu gæti breyst". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  12. "Kristófer kynntur til leiks hjá Denain". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  13. Sindri Sverrisson (5 November 2018). "Kristófer og Elvar á leið til Íslands". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  14. Henry Birgir Gunnarsson (16 November 2018). "Elvar og Kristófer lofa báðir að klára tímabilið hér heima". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  15. Ástrós Ýr Eggertsdóttir (4 May 2019). "Umfjöllun: KR - ÍR 98-70 - KR Íslandsmeistari sjötta árið í röð". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  16. Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (10 May 2019). "Helena og Kristófer valin best annað tímabilið í röð". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  17. Ágúst Borgþór Sverrisson (9 December 2019). "Körfuboltastjarnan Kristófer Acox með alvarlega nýrnabilun – "Þetta eru mjög erfið veikindi"". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  18. Ólafur Þór Jónsson (7 September 2020). "Kristófer Acox staðfestir brottför frá KR". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  19. Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (11 September 2020). "Kristófer genginn í raðir Vals". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  20. Sindri Sverrisson (24 September 2020). "KR neitaði að skrifa undir félagaskipti Kristófers". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  21. Sindri Sverrisson (25 September 2020). "Kristófer segir KR skulda sér milljónir". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  22. Sindri Sverrisson (25 September 2020). "Sakar Kristófer um að leyna meiðslum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  23. Sindri Sverrisson (30 September 2020). "Félagaskipti Kristófers loks í gegn". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  24. Valur Páll Eiríksson (1 July 2021). "KR gert að greiða Kristófer tæpar 4 milljónir". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  25. Freyr Gígja Gunnarsson (1 July 2021). "Kristófer Acox lagði KR í launadeilu". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  26. Helgi Hrafn Ólafsson (2 October 2020). "Umfjöllun og viðtöl: Valur - Stjarnan 86-91 - Stjarnan lagði nýtt lið Vals í fyrsta leik". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  27. Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (19 May 2022). "Er harðasti Valsarinn í heiminum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  28. Árni Jóhannsson (2 October 2022). "Umfjöllun og viðtöl: Valur - Stjarnan 80-77 - Valur Meistarar meistaranna eftir spennuleik". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  29. Arnar Skúli Atlason (24 September 2023). "Leik lokið: Tindastóll - Valur 72-80 - Valsmenn meistarar meistaranna eftir sigur á Króknum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
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