We are recalling all foreign players that have ever played in the League, telling about foreign championships and National teams of different countries in World basketball map project. Today we’re going to talk about basketball in Lithuania
Population: 2.8 mln
Players in the history of League: 78
Full list of players: Rolandas Alijevas, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Steponas Babrauskas, Eimantas Bendzius, Simas Buterlevicius, Arnas Butkevicius, Povilas Butkevicius, Jonas Valanciunas, Valdas Vasilius, Sarunas Vasiliauskas, Deividas Galius, Simas Galdikas, Martynas Gecevicius, Vidas Ginevicius, Mindaugas Girdziunas, Marius Grigonis, Giedrius Gustas, Evaldas Dainius, Paulius Dambrauskas, Raimundas Danis, Tomas Delininkaitis, Vilmantas Dilys, Tomas Dymsa, Devidas Dulkis, Eigirdas Zukauskas, Donatas Zavackas, Arturas Jomantas, Antanas Kavaliauskas, Mantas Kalnietis, Mindaugas Katelynas, Rimantas Kaukenas, Zydrunas Kelys, Simonas Kymantas, Laimonas Kisielius, Tadas Klimavicius, Denis Krestinin, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Mindaugas Kupsas, Arnas Labuckas, Darjus Lavrinovic, Ksistof Lavrinovic, Tautvydas Lydeka, Vytenis Lipkevicius, Martynas Mazeika, Andius Mazutis, Jonas Maciulis, Laurynas Mikalauskas, Arturas Milaknis, Donatas Motiejunas, Gedeminas Orelikas, Marionas Petravicius, Karolis Petrukonis, Martynas Pocius, Marius Prekiavicius, Deividas Redikas, Marius Runkauskas, Ronaldas Rutkauskas, Renaldas Seibutis, Simonas Serapinas, Edvinas Seskus, Justas Sinica, Darius Songaila, Edgaras Ulanovas, Povilas Cukinas, Dainius Salenga, Vytautas Sarakauskas, Arvydas Siksnius, Ramunas Siskauskas, Saulius Stombergas, Arvydas Eitutavicius, Adas Juskevicius, Robertas Javtokas, Rolandas Jakstas, Zygimantas Janavicius, Paulius Jankunas, Rolandas Jarutis, Simas Jasaitis, Sarunas Jasikevicius.
Lithuania is no. 1 European country by amount of players in VTB United League. Throughout the history of the League, there have been 78 Lithuanian players. Many of them played for Zalgiris, Lietuvos Rytas and Neptunas who represented the country in VTB League.
Ramunas Siskauskas is the most titled Lithuanian in VTB League (2 golden and 1 silver medal), while Mantas Kalnietis is the most experienced and top scorer (941 points, 105 games).
Moreover, the Lithuanians have 2 individual season awards. In 2013/14, Neptunas’ forward Edgaras Ulanovas was named the best young player together with Dmitri Kulagin. The same season, Rimas Kurtinaitis was recognized the coach of the year.
Apart from Kurtinaitis, there were 14 Lithuanian coaches in VTB United League: Ramunas Butautas, Donaldas Kayris, Kazys Maksvytis, Kestutis Kemzura, Tomas Pacesas, Jonas Kazlauskas, Darius Maskoliunas, Dainius Adomaitis, Rolandas Jarutis, Valdemaras Chomicius, Gintaras Krapikas, Rimas Girskis, Rimantas Grigas and Vitoldas Masalskis.
In 2020, the Lituanians joined the World Star team at VTB League’s All-Star Game for the first time. PARMA leader Adas Juskevicius was chosen for the backcourt, why Loko’s Mindaugas Kuzminskas was selected for the frontcourt, and the team was led by coach Rimas Kurtinaitis.
Basketball in Lithuania
League: Lietuvos krepšinio lyga (LKL)
Founded: 1993
Number of teams: 10
League’s web-site: https://en.lkl.lt/
In the Lithuanian league, there are 10 teams representing 10 cities. Since 1993, there have been 28 different teams in the league. Only two of them–Zalgiris (22 times) and Rytas (5 times)–managed to win the trophy. Other 12 teams have won the medals.
In VTB League, there were three Lithuanian teams: Zalgiris (2009-2013), Lietuvos Rytas (2010-2014) and Neptunas (2012-2014). Zalgiris won two bronze medals (2010, 2013), and one went for Rytas (2012).
Today there are four Lithuanian clubs in european competitions: Zalgiris is the only to represent the country in Euroleague, Lietkabelis will play in Eurocup in 2020/21 season, Rytas and Neptunas will compete in the Champions League. Lithuanian teams have won three European competitions. In 1998/99 Zalgiris won Euroleague, while Lietuvos Rytas took titles of 2005 and 2009 Eurocup.
In 1994-2015 LKL organized the All-Star Game which featured dunk contest and three-point contest. In 2016, it was replaced by Mindaugas Cup named after the first king of Lithuania. 16 teams played in 2019/20 Mindaugas Cup.
Upon the completion of the LKL season, the winners of Regular Season MVP and Final MVP are named, plus there is All-Star Game/Mindaugas Cup MVP. Many VTB league players have won those awards.
From time to time, Russian players go to play in the Lithuanian league. Within the last 5 years there were Anton Kobylinskiy (Dzukija, 2015-16), Maksim Morozov (Dzukija, 2015-16), Egor Gontarev (Dzukija, 2016-18), Anatolyi Kashirov (Dzukija, 2016-18), Yuri Trubin (Dzukija, 2016-17), Nikita Balashov (Pieno Zvaigzdes, 2016-18; Nevezys, 2018-19), Alexey Zhukanenko (Pieno Zvaigzdes, 2017), Valerii Likhodei (Nevezys, 2017-18; Juventus, 2018-19) and Zakhar Vedishchev (Nevezys, 2019).
Interesting fact
The Germans brought basketball to Lithuania as a European kind of netball (small ball and no backboards). In 1919, the Lithuanian female athletes (netball was deemed to be ladies’ sport) started organizing this sport, and the first unofficial games were held in 1920-21.
The first official basketball game was played on April 23, 1922, when Lithuanian physical education union (photo) played against Kaunas (won 8:6). Two years later, the first men’s basketball competition was organized in the country. There were two teams from the Lithuanian physical education union and one from Lithuanian cyclists union. The clinic for basketball referees was held the same year.
In 1926, pilot Steponas Darius (who later got famous for his transatlantic flight) published the first rules of basketball in Lithuania.
Lithuania National team
FIBA rank: 8
FIBA members: since 1936
Achievements: Eurobasket champions (1937, 1939, 2003), Eurobasket silver medals (1995, 2013, 2015), bronze of the Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000), bronze of the World Cup (2010), Eurobasket bronze (2010)
Lithuania joined FIBA in 1936 and started conquering Europe on the post. The Lithuanians won European Cup in 1937 and 1939. A notable popularizer of basketball Pranas Lubinas (Frank Lubin) led the team to these victories. Lubinas is called “The Grandfather of Lithuanian Basketball”.
In 1946-1990, the Lithuanian athletes played for USSR in global events. In 1972, Modestas Paulaskas won the golden medals of the Olympic Games; plus there were 4 Lithuanian who helped gather gold of 1988 Olympics: Valdemaras Chomicius, Arvydas Sabonis, Rimas Kurtinaitis and Sarunas Marciulionis.
In 1992, 1996 and 2000, Lithuania won the Olympic bronze, and in 2003, they won Eurobasket in Sweden, the first in the recent history (plus, they’d won all the games).
Among the latest achievements there are: 2010 World Cup bronze, 2011 Eurobasket held in 6 Lithuanian cities. silver of 2013 and 2015 Eurobasket.
Today Lithuania is ranked 8th by FIBA (no. 5 among European teams).
Most famous Lithuanian players in history
Arvydas Sabonis. 1988 Olympic champion, 1982 World champion, MVP and champion of 1985 Eurobasket, MVP and champion of 1995 Euroleague, 3-time USSR champion and 2-time Spanish champion. In 2010, the legendary center was inducted in FIBA Hall of Fame, and in 2011, was named into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Since 2011, Arvydas Sabonis has been the president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation.
Sarunas Marciulionis. 1988 Olympic champion, silver medalist, top scorer and MVP of 1995 Eurobasket, the first Lithuanian to play in the NBA. Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, and FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.
Rimas Kurtinaitis. 1988 Olympic champion, 1985, Eurobasket champion, 1986 World Cup silver medalist, 1995 Eurobasket silver medalist, 5-time USSR champion and champion of Spain. Later he became a successful coach: won three Eurocups and VTB League title. In 2019, the Lithuanian coach was named into VTB League Hall of Fame.
Sarunas Jasikevicius. 2003 Eurobasket MVP and champion, 4-time Euroleague champion, 2005 Euroleague Final Four MVP, 3-time Spanish league champion, 3-time Greek league champion, 2-time Isreali league champion, champion of Lithuania and Turkey. As a head coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius won 5 LKL (2016-2020) and was signed by Barcelona.
Modestas Paulauskas. The forward who spent his entire career in Zalgiris, won 1972 Olympics, two World Cups (1967, 1974) and 4 Eurobaskets. In 1965 he was named Eurobasket MVP. In 1991, FIBA included Paulauskas into the list of 50 greatest players of all times.
Worth mentioning: Pranas Lubinas, Jonas Valanciunas, Robertas Javtokas, Zydrunas Iglauskas, Arturas Karnisovas.
Dmitriy Kolinov
