| Revision as of 17:55, 28 October 2013 editWerieth (talk | contribs)54,678 edits NFCC enforcement isnt vandalism. See ANI← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:07, 28 October 2013 edit undoPofka (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users21,543 edits It is when it do not violate any of the rules. Do not remove any of the images until discussion in administrators page is over.Next edit → | ||
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| ;Head coach | ;Head coach | ||
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*{{player||Lithuania|]}} | ||
| ;Assistant coach(es) | ;Assistant coach(es) | ||
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*{{player||Lithuania|]}} | ||
| * |
*{{player||Lithuania|]}} | ||
| ---- | ---- | ||
| ;Legend: | ;Legend: | ||
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*'''Club''' – describes last<br />club before the tournament | ||
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*'''Age''' – describes age<br /> September 22, 2013 | ||
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| ===After the Restoration of Independence (from 1990)=== | ===After the Restoration of Independence (from 1990)=== | ||
| ] | |||
| After restoring its independence, Lithuania fully became a member of the World basketball community. In 1990, an independent ] was restored with new statutes. In 1991, during the FIBA congress in ], ], LKF president S. Stonkus presented the Lithuanian basketball and requested the right to be a full member of FIBA once again. After a short FIBA congress session, FIBA president ] granted Stonkus' request and invited Lithuania to participate in all of the FIBA organized events. | After restoring its independence, Lithuania fully became a member of the World basketball community. In 1990, an independent ] was restored with new statutes. In 1991, during the FIBA congress in ], ], LKF president S. Stonkus presented the Lithuanian basketball and requested the right to be a full member of FIBA once again. After a short FIBA congress session, FIBA president ] granted Stonkus' request and invited Lithuania to participate in all of the FIBA organized events. | ||
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| The following year in ], the Lithuanian basketball team lost to ] and didn't qualify for the ]. This loss encouraged the creation of the first professional basketball league in Lithuania. | The following year in ], the Lithuanian basketball team lost to ] and didn't qualify for the ]. This loss encouraged the creation of the first professional basketball league in Lithuania. | ||
| ] leaving the awarding ceremony]] | |||
| ] was much more successful, but not less painful. Lithuanians, led by ] and ], advanced to the finals and there, after a controversial and dramatic game, lost to ]. Many people calls it a referee rip-off as there was many strange referee calls, like: fifth foul for Arvydas Sabonis during fifth minute of second quarter, as well as offensive foul called by American referee ] for ] after accurate shot, when the result was 83:84, consequently Lithuanians started protesting and even got technical foul. After this episode, Lithuanians left the basketball court and returned to it only persuaded by Serbians. After returning, Lithuanians lost the game with result 90:96. During the award ceremony Greek fans shouted "Lietuva", ] left the awards ceremony with bronze medals without waiting for Yugoslavians golden awarding.<ref> {{lt icon}}</ref> Despite all that, this ] final is considered to be one of the most impressive final ever. | ] was much more successful, but not less painful. Lithuanians, led by ] and ], advanced to the finals and there, after a controversial and dramatic game, lost to ]. Many people calls it a referee rip-off as there was many strange referee calls, like: fifth foul for Arvydas Sabonis during fifth minute of second quarter, as well as offensive foul called by American referee ] for ] after accurate shot, when the result was 83:84, consequently Lithuanians started protesting and even got technical foul. After this episode, Lithuanians left the basketball court and returned to it only persuaded by Serbians. After returning, Lithuanians lost the game with result 90:96. During the award ceremony Greek fans shouted "Lietuva", ] left the awards ceremony with bronze medals without waiting for Yugoslavians golden awarding.<ref> {{lt icon}}</ref> Despite all that, this ] final is considered to be one of the most impressive final ever. | ||
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| During ], a lot of basketball stars decided not to help Lithuania national team that year. Despite that, Lithuanians lost only once; however it was an quarter-final game and as a result Lithuanians took only fifth place. | During ], a lot of basketball stars decided not to help Lithuania national team that year. Despite that, Lithuanians lost only once; however it was an quarter-final game and as a result Lithuanians took only fifth place. | ||
| ], ], ] and ] in ], during ], after winning Olympic gold medals.]] | |||
| ===Soviet period (1940–1990)=== | ===Soviet period (1940–1990)=== | ||
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| ==Notable players== | ==Notable players== | ||
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| ] | ] | ||
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Revision as of 18:07, 28 October 2013
| FIBA ranking | 4  | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Joined FIBA | 1936 | ||
| FIBA zone | FIBA Europe | ||
| National federation | Lithuanian Basketball Federation | ||
| Coach | Jonas Kazlauskas | ||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 6 (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) | ||
| Medals |  Bronze: 1992, 1996, 2000 | ||
| FIBA World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (1998, 2006, 2010) | ||
| Medals |  Bronze: 2010 | ||
| FIBA EuroBasket | |||
| Appearances | 12 (1937, 1939, 1995–2013) | ||
| Medals |  Gold: 1937, 1939, 2003  Silver: 1995, 2013  Bronze: 2007 | ||
| |||
The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of six Olympic tournaments it participated in.
Lithuanian men competed in two of the pre-war FIBA EuroBasket competitions for the European championship. They won both the EuroBasket 1937 and EuroBasket 1939 competitions. The 1939 team was led by Frank Lubin, who helped popularize basketball in the country and was called the "Grandfather of Lithuanian Basketball".
Having been part of the Soviet Union, Lithuanian players frequently formed the core of the Soviet national team. This was especially so for the 1988 Olympic basketball gold medal-winning team which got most of its scoring from four Lithuanians: Valdemaras Chomičius, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Arvydas Sabonis.
After the restoration of Lithuanian independence in 1990, the national team was resurrected. Lithuania won bronze medals in the first three Olympics to include NBA players – 1992, 1996, and 2000, finished fourth in 2004 and 2008, and in eighth place at the London 2012 Olympics.
The Lithuanian team won the FIBA EuroBasket for the third time in 2003. It also won the bronze medal in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
Roster for EuroBasket 2013
| Lithuania men's national basketball team roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Depth chart
| Pos. | Starter | Bench | Bench | Reserve | Inactive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Darjuš Lavrinovič | Jonas Valančiūnas | Robertas Javtokas | ||
| PF | Linas Kleiza | Donatas Motiejūnas | Kšyštof Lavrinovič | ||
| SF | Jonas Mačiulis | Mindaugas Kuzminskas | |||
| SG | Renaldas Seibutis | Martynas Pocius | |||
| PG | Mantas Kalnietis | Tomas Delininkaitis |
Recent tournaments
EuroBasket 2013
Main article: Lithuania national basketball team at Eurobasket 2013
On October 1, 2012, coach Jonas Kazlauskas returned to Lithuania national team after more than twelve years. On September 2, 2013, just before the flight to Slovenia, airplane engine problem was diagnosed. Luckily, the plane was still on the ground, however national team had to delay their flight until the next day. As a consequence, Lithuania lost their morning workout in Podmežakla Hall. Just one day later, Lithuania played their first EuroBasket 2013 game against Serbia. Despite all the discussions that Lithuania has the strongest big mans combination in the championship, Lithuanians were unable to defend Serbian’s star Nenad Krstić, who dominated the game with 20 points, 9 rebounds and led Serbia to their first victory with result 63:56. Second game was against Macedonia. After painful loss in EuroBasket 2011 quarter-finals, Lithuanians were seeking for revenge this time. From the beginning efficient defense against Bo McCalebb was played and as a result Lithuanians celebrated their first tournament victory with result 75:67. Third game was against fellow Balts – Latvians. Before the competition, Latvians were described as group outsiders, however they proved that they aren’t outsiders after winning their first two games. Lithuania won against Latvia only after a tough battle with result 67:59. Fourth game was against Montenegro. It was another thriller with happy ending for Lithuania national team, which won only after OT with result 77:70. Kšyštof Lavrinovič led Lithuania squad during that game, despite his unsuccessful tournament start (K.Lavrinovič scored only 2 points during first three games) while during the game against Montenegro he scored 24 points with impressive shooting percent. Fifth game was against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Lithuanians were able to even lose the game by not more than 9 points. Despite almost guaranteed ticket to the second stage, Bosnian's star Mirza Teletović almost turned everything into fiasco with 31 points and fantastic three-pointers. During the middle of fourth quarter, Lithuanians had 16 points deficit (58:74). Linas Kleiza helped Lithuania during this critical moment by hitting two three pointers and saving Lithuanians medal hopes. Lithuania lost the game with result 72:78, but qualified into the second stage with 2nd place in the group after Serbia. Second round started with game against former Europe vice-champions France, led by Tony Parker. Despite French being favorites of the game, Lithuanians played solid defense, especially against French biggest star Tony Parker, and won the game with result 76:62. Then Lithuanians easily crushed Belgium 86:67 and narrowly defeated Ukraine with result 70:63. After successful second stage, in the quarter-finals Lithuanians met Italy, which crushed Lithuanians dreams of Olympic Gold medals during 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. After an impressively tenacious 40 minutes game Lithuanians advanced to the semi-finals with result 81:77. Lithuanians easily crushed Croatia in the semi-finals with result 77:62 and advanced to the finals. Jonas Mačiulis, Linas Kleiza and Mantas Kalnietis led Lithuania with 63 points combined, while rest of the team scored only 14. In the finals Lithuania faced previously defeated France. Despite former win in the group stage and all the hopes of becoming European champions after 10 years again, Lithuanians only fought point-to-point in the first quarter. Lithuania lost the final with result 66:80. Despite successful championship some players said that it's hard to celebrate after losing the final. On 23 September 2013, thousands of Lithuanians came to Rotušės square to celebrate Lithuania national team success.
Orders, decorations, and medals
National team players, coaches and staff members were awarded with State orders, decorations and medals by Lithuania President Dalia Grybauskaitė.
Last tournaments
2012 Olympic Games
Main article: Lithuania national basketball team at 2012 Olympic Games
After dominating in the Qualifying Tournament, Lithuania had a tough time at the Olympics. The first game against Argentina turned into a fiasco, as the team forced Lithuania into a double-digit deficit in the first half, and kept a comfortable lead in the second half to finish the game strong. Luis Scola, who was held down to 13 points in the quarterfinal match against Lithuania two years ago at the World Championship, led Argentina with 32 points. Lithuania rebounded from the loss in the game against Nigeria. Playing exemplary defense against the Nigerian bigs Al-Farouq Aminu and Ike Diogu, Lithuania avenged themselves for the only loss in the Qualifying Tournament. Next, Lithuania faced France, a team that utilized Tony Parker and Boris Diaw to the fullest to win the game 74:82. The following game was against USA, a team that had previously crushed Nigeria by a record-setting margin. Right from the beginning, Lithuania proved to be a tough opponent for Team USA - it was down by only 4 points at the half and 6 at the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, Lithuania momentarily took the lead 84:82, but lost it again as LeBron James led Team USA forward in the final moments of the game to win it 94:99. NBA player Linas Kleiza and former Duke player Martynas Pocius led Team Lithuania's failed attempt to upset Team USA. Despite its third loss in the tournament, Lithuania still had a chance to qualify to the quarterfinal round by winning against Tunisia, which it did 63:76. Thus, Lithuania qualified for the quarterfinals by capturing the last spot in the group stage.
In the quarterfinal round, Lithuania faced off Russia in a close game. From the very start of the game Russia kept ahead of Lithuania by a couple of points. Although Lithuania attempted to take the lead several times throughout the course of the game (most notably cutting the lead down to one point early in the fourth quarter), it never succeeded, and ended up losing 74:83. Incidentally, Lithuanian veterans Rimantas Kaukėnas, Darius Songaila and Šarūnas Jasikevičius scored half of the team's points in that game. Later in an interview, Jasikevičius said that he expected the younger players from the World Championship to carry the team, but the opposite happened. Songaila and Kaukėnas agreed, and all three retired from the national team after the tournament. On 1 October, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation chose Jonas Kazlauskas to replace Kęstutis Kemzūra.
2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men was a men's basketball tournament that consisted of twelve national teams, wherein the top three teams earned a place in the 2012 Olympics basketball tournament. It was held on 2–8 July 2012 in Caracas, Venezuela.
The team started off the tournament with a convincing victory against Venezuela. Although Lithuania lost against Nigeria the following day, it finished first in its group because of the goal average, which turned out in Lithuania's favor. Due to the goal averages, Lithuania's loss to Nigeria worked against Venezuela; the team didn't qualify to the quarterfinals. Thus, there were rumors that Lithuania incurred the wrath of Venezuelans and that they're trying to intentionally harm the Lithuania national team. A few events, such as a tank column near the training hall polluting the air during the Lithuanian team workout, a broken bus during the trip to the arena before the quarter-final game against Puerto Rico, vanished jerseys and water before the same game against Puerto Rico, started the rumors. Despite all that, Lithuania managed to defeat Puerto Rico in a dramatic game. In the semifinals, Lithuania crushed the Dominican Republic and thus qualified for the 2012 London Olympics.
EuroBasket 2011
Main article: Lithuania national basketball team at Eurobasket 2011
It was the second EuroBasket tournament Lithuania hosted after 72 years. By numerous officials and other European basketball specialists and pundits, it was regarded as the best EuroBasket organized ever. Though it certainly wasn't the best for the domestic team, which finished in 5th – respectable, but, according to many Lithuanian fans, an overwhelmingly disappointing place. Lithuanian point guard star Šarūnas Jasikevičius pointed out that this championship will be remembered for the tragic loss in the quarterfinals against Macedonian national team. The only consolation being, secured place for the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The effort to mould future prospects and the past stars was counterproductive. It wasn't that supersonic team, sweeping everyone in the last year's FIBA World Championship, but rather arrhythmic body, which in the end yielded to relentless national pressure and unfounded expectations.
FIBA World Championship 2010
Main article: Lithuania national basketball team at FIBA World Championship 2010On 12 December 2009, Lithuania was granted a wild card to participate in the World Championship in Turkey the following year.
Lithuania started the tournament against New Zealand. After a tough first quarter, Lithuanians took control of the game and kept ahead by a comfortable lead till the final buzzer, which signaled Lithuania's victory 92:79. The second game was against Canada. After reducing the 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Lithuanians finally gained a small lead towards the end of the game. Canada had a chance to win the game, but Jermaine Anderson's game winning three rimmed out at the last second and Lithuania celebrated their second victory 70:68. The next match was against the defending champion Spain, and after another comeback from an 18-point deficit, the Lithuanians won the upsetting game 76:73, Linas Kleiza's free-throws sealing the victory.
Victory against Spain ensured Lithuania's qualification to the eighth finals. Lithuania's next match was against France, which held a perfect 3–0 record. France quickly gained momentum in the first half and forced Lithuania to a double-digit deficit. However, in the second half, Lithuania deftly reduced the deficit and cruised past the French defense, outscoring them 45–25 to win the game 69:55. The French were forced into second place as Lithuanians took Group D's leadership spot. Lithuania won the last game against Lebanon without much difficulty 84:66 and finished with a perfect 5–0 record in the preliminary round.
After sweeping China (78:67) in the eighth finals and crushing Argentina in a blowout game (104:85) in the quarterfinals, Lithuania lost to Team USA by 15 points. They captured the bronze medal after winning against Eurobasket's silver medalist Serbia 99:88. This was Lithuania's best World Championship result.
2010 FIBA World Championship bronze medalist team roster:
| No | Position | Player | Year of birth | Club before 2010 FIBA World Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Guard | Renaldas Seibutis | 1985 |  Olin Edirne Basketbol
|
| 5 | Point guard | Mantas Kalnietis | 1986 |  Žalgiris Kaunas
|
| 6 | Forward | Jonas Mačiulis | 1985 |  Olimpia Milano
|
| 7 | Guard | Martynas Pocius | 1986 | Žalgiris Kaunas
|
| 8 | Guard | Martynas Gecevičius | 1988 | Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
|
| 9 | Guard | Tomas Delininkaitis | 1981 |  PAOK B.C.
|
| 10 | Forward | Simas Jasaitis | 1982 | Galatasaray Café Crown
|
| 11 | Forward | Linas Kleiza | 1985 |  Toronto Raptors
|
| 12 | Forward | Tadas Klimavičius | 1982 | Žalgiris Kaunas
|
| 13 | Forward | Paulius Jankūnas | 1984 | Žalgiris Kaunas
|
| 14 | Center | Martynas Andriuškevičius | 1986 |  CB Lucentum Alicante
|
| 15 | Center | Robertas Javtokas | 1980 | Valencia BC
|
- coach Kęstutis Kemzūra
- assistant Robertas Kuncaitis
- assistant Donaldas Kairys
- assistant Evaldas Kandratavičius
- press officer Linas Kunigėlis
- doctor Vytenis Trumpickas
- doctor Rimtautas Gudas
EuroBasket 2009
Main article: Lithuania national basketball team at Eurobasket 2009Before EuroBasket 2009 basketball stars like Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Darius Songaila, Arvydas Macijauskas, Rimantas Kaukėnas and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas decided not to help Lithuania national team. After huge losses in the team roster and point guard shortage, Lithuania started tournament with a loss to Turkey (76-84). Later Lithuanians disappointingly lost to Poland and won against Bulgaria only after an excellent fourth quarter performance. Lithuania national team took third place at the group stage and qualified for the second round; however, there, Lithuania lost to Slovenia by 23 points. Second loss against Spain (70-84) complicated Lithuanians chances to qualify for the quarter-finals. Lithuania lost its final game to Serbia as well and took only 12th place. After national team fiasco coach Ramūnas Butautas left team. It is regarded as the worst Lithuania national team performance ever.
Beijing 2008
Main article: Lithuania national basketball team at Beijing 2008Winning the third place game at EuroBasket 2007 against Greece allowed Lithuania to qualify for the Olympic basketball tournament at Beijing 2008 without competition at 2008 Pre-Olympics Tournament. Lithuania started tournament with victories against Argentina, Iran, Russia, Croatia and lost the last game to Australia, however with 4 victories and one lose Lithuania took first place in the group. In the quarter-finals Lithuania smashed China (94-68), however at the semi-finals Lithuania, after a tough game, lost to Spain (86-91). Lithuania had to play for bronze medals against Argentina. Despite the fact that Lithuania won against Argentina at the group stage, Lithuanians lost to Argentina during the game for bronze medals and took 4th place.
EuroBasket 2007
Team Lithuania for EuroBasket 2007:
| No | Position | Player | Year of birth | Club before EuroBasket 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Guard | Rimantas Kaukėnas | 1977 | Montepaschi Siena
|
| 5 | Shooting guard | Giedrius Gustas | 1980 |  Dynamo Moscow Region
|
| 6 | Forward | Jonas Mačiulis | 1985 | Žalgiris Kaunas
|
| 7 | Center | Darjuš Lavrinovič | 1979 | UNICS Kazan
|
| 8 | Forward | Ramūnas Šiškauskas | 1978 | Panathinaikos BC
|
| 9 | Forward | Darius Songaila | 1978 |  NBA Washington Wizards
|
| 10 | Forward | Simas Jasaitis | 1982 |  Maccabi
|
| 11 | Forward | Linas Kleiza | 1985 | NBA Denver Nuggets
|
| 12 | Forward | Kšyštof Lavrinovič | 1979 | UNICS Kazan
|
| 13 | Point guard | Šarūnas Jasikevičius | 1976 | NBA Golden State Warriors
|
| 14 | Forward | Paulius Jankūnas | 1984 | Žalgiris Kaunas
|
| 15 | Center | Robertas Javtokas | 1980 | Panathinaikos BC
|
- coach Ramūnas Butautas
- assistant Rimas Kurtinaitis
- assistant Robertas Kuncaitis
- assistant Donaldas Kairys
- assistant Virginijus Mikalauskas
- press officer Linas Kunigėlis
- doctor Vytenis Trumpickas
- doctor Rimtautas Gudas
The Lithuanian basketball team of 2007 finished the EuroBasket 2007 with an 8–1 record, winning their first ever bronze medal in EuroBasket tournaments. Winning the third place game in the tournament against Greece allowed Lithuania to qualify for the Olympic basketball tournament at Beijing 2008.
FIBA World Championship 2006
In the 2006 FIBA World Championship, Lithuania finished 7th. This equaled their best ever finish, achieved in 1998, but some saw this as an under-achievement.
They started the tournament with a narrow 2-point loss to Turkey. In their second match they lost to, eventual finalists, Greece in overtime. In that game they made 25 turnovers, which was one of a couple of matches where they made a large number of mistakes. Their third game against Qatar was an easy victory 106:65. This restored some confidence ahead of the must-win match against Australia, as they won it 78:57. Their last group match against Brazil was close in the end, as Brazil lost it by 5 points 79:74. This ensured Lithuania's advance to the eighth-finals to face Italy. They won the match by 3 points 71:68, although Arvydas Macijauskas fouled an Italian player during a 3-point attempt in the dying seconds which gave Italy the chance to level the score, but all 3 free throws were missed. They lost their quarter final match against the eventual champions, Spain by 22 points. Lithuania turned the ball over 28 times during that match. They lost to Turkey in over-time of the 5th–8th place classification round, in which they wasted a 12-point lead in the last 3 minutes of the fourth quarter to take the match into over-time and eventually lost the 5-minute over-time 20:9. The final result was 95:84 to Turkey. They won their last match against Germany 77:62.
Sireika resigned soon after the championship. On 28 December 2006, Ramūnas Butautas was announced as the new coach of the team.
After the Restoration of Independence (from 1990)
After restoring its independence, Lithuania fully became a member of the World basketball community. In 1990, an independent Lithuanian Basketball Federation was restored with new statutes. In 1991, during the FIBA congress in Springfield, USA, LKF president S. Stonkus presented the Lithuanian basketball and requested the right to be a full member of FIBA once again. After a short FIBA congress session, FIBA president George Kilian granted Stonkus' request and invited Lithuania to participate in all of the FIBA organized events.
Lithuania returned to basketball during 1992 Summer Olympics, held in Barcelona, and immediately won Olympic bronze medals winning against Unified Team (team formed from the former USSR countries, except the Baltic States) at the bronze medal game. The Olympic team almost had no state funding, so the team had to search for financial supporters by themselves in order to play international games. Šarūnas Marčiulionis had experience and contacts in America as he was the first USSR player to sign a contract with an NBA team, so he searched for financial supporters that could finance Lithuania's participation in the 1992 Summer Olympics. The American rock band Grateful Dead decided to help Lithuania. They allowed the use of their band attribute - the Skull Man. Jerseys with the famous Skull Man dunking a basketball, was created by designer Greig Speirs, who designated his profit to Lithuania national basketball team and the Lithuanian child fund. Marius Markevičius created a documentary named The Other Dream Team, about this period.
The following year in Wrocław, the Lithuanian basketball team lost to Belarus and didn't qualify for the EuroBasket 1993. This loss encouraged the creation of the first professional basketball league in Lithuania.
EuroBasket 1995 was much more successful, but not less painful. Lithuanians, led by Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis, advanced to the finals and there, after a controversial and dramatic game, lost to Yugoslavia. Many people calls it a referee rip-off as there was many strange referee calls, like: fifth foul for Arvydas Sabonis during fifth minute of second quarter, as well as offensive foul called by American referee George Toliver for Saulius Štombergas after accurate shot, when the result was 83:84, consequently Lithuanians started protesting and even got technical foul. After this episode, Lithuanians left the basketball court and returned to it only persuaded by Serbians. After returning, Lithuanians lost the game with result 90:96. During the award ceremony Greek fans shouted "Lietuva", Croatians left the awards ceremony with bronze medals without waiting for Yugoslavians golden awarding. Despite all that, this EuroBasket final is considered to be one of the most impressive final ever.
In 1996 Summer Olympics, Lithuania lost to Yugoslavia again. This time at the semi-finals. Later Lithuanians won against Australia and were decorated with bronze medals. It was the last time basketball fans were able to observe magical Sabas (Arvydas Sabonis) and Šaras (Šarūnas Marčiulionis) tandem. Marčiulionis left the Lithuania basketball team and shortly afterward retired due to injuries.
Changing times affected the team's results. Lithuania didn't win any trophies until 2000. Lithuania recalled about themselves during 2000 Summer Olympics. The best Lithuania basketball players of that time - Arvydas Sabonis, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas and Artūras Karnišovas were unable to play due to injuries; however, the team, ably coached by Jonas Kazlauskas, nearly won against Team USA, composed of NBA players, in the semi-finals. Despite this painful loss, Lithuanians won bronze once again, crushing the tournament host Australia in the third-place match.
The EuroBasket 2001 was a fiasco for Lithuania. Despite the fact that they came to Turkey with almost the same roster, Lithuania didn't even reach the quarter-finals after losing to Latvia. As a result, Lithuania lost its chance of participating at the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
In EuroBasket 2003, the renewed Lithuania basketball team, full of motivation and energy, was led by Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Arvydas Macijauskas, Ramūnas Šiškauskas and Saulius Štombergas, to a EuroBasket gold medal. It was the third EuroBasket gold medal achieved after a 64-year hiatus. On September 14, 2013, event was organized in Žalgiris Arena in order to commemorate ten year jubilee of this victory. Lithuania national team composed from EuroBasket 2003 winners, except for Kšyštof Lavrinovič and Giedrius Gustas, played a friendly game against EuroStars team composed from former Europe stars and EuroBasket 2003 participants. Lithuania, led by Arvydas Macijauskas, won it with result 85:68.
During 2004 Summer Olympics, Lithuania started powerfully. Lithuania won first place in the group and eliminated China in the quarter-finals, however Lithuanians lost the semi-finals to Italy and had to play for bronze against USA. Despite the fact that Lithuanians won against USA during group stage, they failed to do that again and took fourth place.
During EuroBasket 2005, a lot of basketball stars decided not to help Lithuania national team that year. Despite that, Lithuanians lost only once; however it was an quarter-final game and as a result Lithuanians took only fifth place.
Soviet period (1940–1990)
Due to occupation, Lithuanians were unable to represent Lithuania in FIBA organized tournaments. In 1941 Baltic states tournament was organized in Kaunas Sports Hall. Game between Latvia and Lithuania was observed by 6000 people. Lithuania won that game with result 38:33.
During occupation period, Lithuania basketball teams successfully played in USSR organized tournaments. The best Lithuania players played for Soviet Union national basketball team and won bunch of titles with it. As an members of Soviet Union team, Lithuanians (men and women) totally won 17 Olympic medals (8 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze), 17 World championship medals (11 gold, 5 silver and one bronze), 51 EuroBasket medals (36 gold, 4 silver and 11 bronze).
Interwar period (1920–1940)
Basketball history in Lithuania begins in 1920, however until middle of 40's basketball in Lithuania wasn't popular.
In 1935 the famous Lithuanian American basketball coaches (B.Budrikas, J.Knašas, Feliksas Kriaučiūnas and Konstantinas Savickas) arrived at Kaunas as a participants of World Lithuanians congress. Feliksas Kriaučiūnas and Konstantinas Savickas stayed in Lithuania and started teaching Lithuanians basketball secrets. In 1937 Lithuania played a game against Latvia (one of the strongest basketball team of that time). Lithuania lost that game with result 29:41, however it was quite a good performance for Lithuanians, since they played much worse previously. Motivated by this result, Lithuania decided to participate in the EuroBasket 1937 held in Riga, Latvia. That year Lithuanians became champions of Europe for the first time in history. During this competition (and EuroBasket 1939 as well) team roster mostly consisted of Lithuanian Americans. Six players were born in the United States of America: Juozas Jurgėla (Chicago), Vytautas Budriūnas (Waukegan), Feliksas Kriaučiūnas (Chicago), Pranas Talzūnas (Chicago), Mykolas Ruzgys and Pranas Lubinas (Glendale). As a result, there was several other nations protests.
Lithuania was granted a right to organize the EuroBasket 1939. In addition to this, the Kaunas Sports Hall was built. It was the first basketball arena in whole Europe. Pranas Lubinas led Lithuania to the second title that year.
After World War 2, the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania and forced it to play for the Soviet Union national basketball team.
Notable players
| Name | Position | Years | PPG | RPG | APG | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feliksas Kriaučiūnas | 1937, 1939 | Notable for his efforts in coaching and popularizing basketball in Lithuania during late 1930s. He also firmly contributed in developing nowadays basketball in Lithuania. | ||||
| Pranas Talzūnas | 1937 | Led the team during EuroBasket 1937 and was named MVP of the tournament. Talzūnas is regarded as the first player to use hook shot. | ||||
| Pranas Lubinas | Center | 1939 | Popularized the sport in Lithuania in the late 1930s. As a result, Lubinas is often regarded as the "grandfather of Lithuanian basketball". Before playing for Lithuania squad, Pranas Lubinas was Team USA captain during 1936 Summer Olympics. | |||
| Vytautas Budriūnas | 1939 | One of the hook shot pioneers, also notable for his one-handed jump shot. | ||||
| Juozas Jurgėla | 1939 | One of the key players in EuroBasket 1939. Noted for impressive dribble and passing of that time. | ||||
| Sergėjus Jovaiša | Small forward | 1992 | Jovaiša won most of his titles with Soviet Union national team, but he also was member of the first Lithuania national basketball team after restoring independence in 1992. | |||
| Arvydas Sabonis | Center | 1992, 1995–1996, 1999 | One of the best known Lithuanian basketball players that helped Lithuania to win two bronze medals at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympics and was one of the key players in 1995 European Championships where Lithuania won silver. He was a large contributor to the successful Portland Blazers teams from 1995–2003. He was inducted into the FIBA and Naismith Hall of Fame. | |||
| Šarūnas Marčiulionis | Point guard Shooting guard |
1992, 1995–1996 | One of the key players in the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympics and 1995 European Championships. He helped resurrect the Lithuania national team before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Marčiulionis is the first NBA player in Lithuania history. | |||
| Rimas Kurtinaitis | Small forward Shooting guard |
1992, 1995–1996 | Outstanding three-point shooter. He is the only non-NBA player which participated in the NBA All-Star Three Point Contest. | |||
| Valdemaras Chomičius | Point guard | 1992, 1995 | Famous Soviet Union basketball player. He won most of this titles with Soviet Union, however he also helped Lithuania to win Silver medals in EuroBasket 1995 and Bronze medals in Summer Olympics 1992. | |||
| Gintaras Einikis | Center | 1992, 1995–2001 | All-time most capped player (total 106 games). The only player who played in all three Lithuanian Olympic bronze medals winning squads (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000). Gintaras also helped the team to win silver medals in Eurobasket 1995 and later participated in 3 more Eurobaskets (1997, 1999 and 2001). Einikis is famous for his trademark hook shot. | |||
| Artūras Karnišovas | Small forward Power forward |
1992, 1995–1999 | Notable for his appearance in the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympics and 1995 European Championships. Later he participated in 1998 World Championship and 1999 European Championships. He averaged 18.2 points per game in all of his tournaments combined. He is current Lithuania national team all-time leader in points (total 1453 points). | |||
| Saulius Štombergas | Small forward Power forward |
1995–2001, 2003–2004 | One of the best three-point shooters in Lithuania basketball history. He also was team captain in EuroBasket 2003 where Lithuania became the European champion for the third time in the history. | |||
| Mindaugas Žukauskas | Small forward Power forward |
1996, 1998–1999, 2001, 2003–2006 | A long time Lithuania national basketball team captain, known for his aggressive defense. | |||
| Eurelijus Žukauskas | Center | 1996–2001, 2003–2004 | Outstanding defender and shot blocker. He was an member of Lithuania team in EuroBasket 2003, where Lithuania won gold medals; he also was Žalgiris member in 1999 when they won the Euroleague tournament. | |||
| Šarūnas Jasikevičius | Point guard | 1997–2001, 2003–2004, 2007–2008, 2011–2012 | One of the most famous Lithuania players in the history. He led Lithuania to its third gold medal in EuroBasket 2003 and was named MVP of that tournament. He also led Lithuania in a notable win against Team USA in 2004 Summer Olympics; he scored 28 points (7/12 three-pointers). | |||
| Rimantas Kaukėnas | Shooting guard | 2001, 2007-2008, 2011-2012 | Notable for his scoring ability. One of the key players in EuroBasket 2007. Rimantas number 13 was retired by Montepaschi Siena in 2009. | |||
| Ramūnas Šiškauskas | Point guard Shooting guard Small forward |
2000–2001, 2003–2005, 2007–2008 | A long time Lithuania national basketball team captain. He was even called Baltic Pippen for his outstanding efficiency on court. | |||
| Darius Songaila | Power forward Center |
2000-2001, 2003-2004, 2006–2007, 2011-2012 | Long time NBA and Lithuania national team player. One of the key players in EuroBasket 2003. | |||
| Arvydas Macijauskas | Shooting guard | 2003–2004, 2006 | Outstanding three-point shooter and one of the key players in EuroBasket 2003. Frequently he was called as a AK-47 for his impressive ability to score points. | |||
| Kšyštof Lavrinovič | Power forward Center |
2003–2009, 2011, 2013 | An all-around power forward noted for his efficiency on court. He and his twin brother Darjuš are the first Poles to represent Lithuania national team. | |||
| Robertas Javtokas | Center | 2001, 2004–2011, 2013 | A long time Lithuania national basketball team captain notable for his efficient defense and devotion to the team (i.e. playing despite pain and various injuries during the championships). Robertas is also famous for repeating the world dunking record. In 2001, he dunked into 3.65 meter height basket. | |||
| Linas Kleiza | Power forward | 2006–2010, 2012-2013 | Led the team in FIBA World Championship 2010 and Summer Olympics 2012. Linas is also famous for scoring the most points in a single NBA game in Lithuania history. On January 17, 2008, Kleiza scored 41 points against the Utah Jazz. | |||
| Mantas Kalnietis | Point guard Shooting guard |
2006, 2009-2013 | Led the team in EuroBasket 2013, being tournament leader in assists. | |||
| Jonas Valančiūnas | Center | 2011–2013 | The first major star to have been born in post-Soviet Lithuania. Before making his debut with the senior national team at 19, he led Lithuania youth basketball teams to three gold medals and was named MVP of all three tournaments. He's also the highest ever NBA drafted Lithuanian basketball player in history. In the 2011 NBA Draft, Raptors selected him #5. The same year he debuted in Lithuania men's national team and was one of the key players in EuroBasket 2011. | |||
| Donatas Motiejūnas | Power forward Center |
2013 | One of the highest ever NBA drafted Lithuanian basketball player. In 2011 NBA Draft, Minnesota Timberwolves selected him #20. Before making debut in senior national team, Motiejūnas led Lithuania youth basketball teams to two silver medals and was named MVP of U-18 championship. Donatas is notable for his versatility and agility. |
Notable Lithuanians who never played for Lithuania national basketball team
There have been a few notable Lithuanians who never played for Lithuania national basketball team in FIBA-organized or Olympic tournaments due to various circumstances.
| Name | Professional career | Reason | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stepas Butautas | 1944–1956 | Soviet Union occupation | Legendary Žalgiris and Lithuania player, coach. He won Olympic silver medal in 1952 and three EuroBasket gold medals (1947, 1951, 1953). |
| Justinas Lagunavičius | 1944–1957 | Soviet Union occupation | Olympic silver medalist in 1952 and three times EuroBasket gold medalist (1947, 1951, 1953). |
| Kazys Petkevičius | 1945–1962 | Soviet Union occupation | Legendary Žalgiris and Lithuania player, coach. Petkevičius won Olympic silver medals twice in 1952 and 1956, he also won EuroBasket gold medal in EuroBasket 1947 and bronze medal in EuroBasket 1955. |
| Algirdas Lauritėnas | 1950–1963 | Soviet Union occupation | Olympic silver medalist in 1956, EuroBasket gold medalist twice (1953, 1957) and EuroBasket bronze medalist in 1955. |
| Stanislovas Stonkus | 1950–1958 | Soviet Union occupation | Olympic silver medalist twice in 1952 and 1956, EuroBasket 1957 gold medalist and bronze medalist in EuroBasket 1955. |
| Modestas Paulauskas | 1962–1976 | Soviet Union occupation | One of the best Lithuanian basketball player ever. Paulauskas won Olympic gold medal in 1972, bronze medal in 1968, became World champion twice in 1967, 1974, won EuroBasket four times: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971 and bronze medal in 1973. He also was named Most Valuable Player of EuroBasket 1965. |
| Žydrūnas Ilgauskas | 1994–2011 | Personal circumstances, injuries | One of the most successful Lithuanian NBA player ever. Ilgauskas is the first Lithuanian to participate in NBA All-Star game as he was elected to NBA All-Star game twice (2003, 2005). Despite impressive NBA career, he never played for Lithuania national team in official tournaments due to various personal circumstances or injuries. In 2008, he showed decent interest in playing for Lithuania national team during 2008 Summer Olympics, Lithuanian Basketball Federation even found insurer which promised to insure him with 22 million dollars insurance, as requested by the Cleveland Cavaliers. And when everything seemed to be solved, Cavaliers still did not permit him to join the Lithuania national team due to injuries history. |
Notable coaches and assistants
There have been a number of notable coaches in Lithuania national basketball team.
- Konstantinas Savickas – coach from 1935, until transferring his post to Kriaučiūnas just before EuroBasket 1937.
- Feliksas Kriaučiūnas – player-coach during 1937 and 1939 European championships.
- Pranas Lubinas – player-coach for Lithuania basketball team during 1939 European championship.
- Vladas Garastas – coach for Lithuania basketball team for Olympics of 1992 and 1996, for European championship of 1995.
- Jonas Kazlauskas – coach for Sydney 2000 Olympics and couple of European championships (1997, 1999, 2001) and for World championship 1998. He returned to the national team in EuroBasket 2013. Lithuania won silver medals that year.
- Antanas Sireika – coach for Athens 2004 Olympics and for golden European championship of 2003, later for EC 2005 and World championship 2006.
- Ramūnas Butautas – coach for Beijing 2008 Olympics, also won bronze medal in EC 2007 and underachieved in EC 2009.
- Kęstutis Kemzūra – coach for team which won bronze medal in World championship 2010.
There have been couple of notable assistants for Lithuania basketball team.
- Javier Imbroda helped Lithuania earn its first medal shortly after independence at Barcelona 1992 Olympics.
- Donnie Nelson an American coach that helped Lithuania for many years in various tournaments. After the near loss of team USA at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Nelson declared that he would never help Lithuania in matches against USA.
- Juozas Petkevičius been with Lithuania national basketball team in most of the competitions after restoring Lithuania independence.
Documentaries
There are several documentaries about the national team, the most notable one being "The Other Dream Team", starring many basketball stars. It focuses on the 1992 Barcelona Olympic team. "Mes už... Lietuvą" also gained wide approval in Lithuania. The film focuses on the experience and behind-the-scenes look of Lithuanian national team hosting the EuroBasket 2011. Vidas Mačiulis and Vytautas Gudelis book "Halė, kurioje žaidė Lubinas ir Sabonis" features Lithuania basketball history during EuroBasket 1939 and USSR occupation (1940-1990). "Lietuvos Krepšinis 1920–2004" features the most important events and players in Lithuanian basketball history.
Luke Winn, a writer for the American magazine Sports Illustrated, said in an August 2011 story that
"Basketball is the only sport the 3.2 million Lithuanians truly care about—it is their second religion, after Catholicism—and their success is proportionately stunning."
Lithuania ranks fourth in the FIBA World Rankings (5th in 2011). Putting this in perspective, Luke Winn wrote that Lithuania was at the time
"...behind countries of 313 million (the U.S.), 47 million (Spain), 40 million (Argentina) and 11 million (Greece), and just ahead of countries of 79 million (Turkey) and 61 million (Italy)."
Statistics
Most games played
|
All time points scored
|
All time points per game (PPG)
Only players with significant amount of games played or points scored.
| Rank | Name | NT career | Games played | Total points | PPG | Most points | Opponent | Result | Date | Tournament | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Šarūnas Marčiulionis | 1992–1996 | 34 | 685 | 20.15 | 40 |  Germany
|
100:84 | 1992-07-01 | Olympic Qualification | Zaragoza, Spain |
| 2 | Arvydas Sabonis | 1992–1999 | 50 | 999 | 19.98 | 33 |  CIS
|
116:79
99:89 100:87 82:71 |
1992-06-26
1992-06-29 1992-07-05 1995-06-30 |
Olympic Qualification
Olympic Qualification Olympic Qualification EuroBasket 1995 |
Badajoz, Spain
Zaragoza, Spain Zaragoza, Spain Athens, Greece |
| 3 | Artūras Karnišovas | 1992–1999 | 80 | 1456 | 18.20 | 35 | Germany
|
100:84 | 1995-06-21 | EuroBasket 1995 | Athens, Greece |
| 4 | Arvydas Macijauskas | 2002–2006 | 33 | 497 | 15.06 | 32 |  China
|
95:75 | 2004-08-26 | Olympic Games 2004 | Athens, Greece |
| 5 | Rimas Kurtinaitis | 1992–1997 | 45 | 602 | 13.38 | 31 | China
|
112:75 | 1992-07-26 | Olympic Games 1992 | Barcelona, Spain |
| 6 | Ramūnas Šiškauskas | 1999–2008 | 60 | 772 | 12.86 | 30 | Russia
|
74:86 | 2007-09-15 | Eurobasket 2007 | Madrid, Spain |
| 7 | Linas Kleiza | 2006– | 62 | 785 | 12.66 | 33 |  Serbia
|
99:88 | 2010-09-12 | World Championship 2010 | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 8 | Saulius Štombergas | 1993–2004 | 99 | 1084 | 10.95 | 28 |  Australia
|
93:71
99:89 |
2000-10-01
2003-09-07 |
Olympic Games 2000
Eurobasket 2003 |
Sydney, Australia
Norrköping, Sweden |
| 9 | Valdemaras Chomičius | 1992–1995 | 36 | 372 | 10.33 | 20 |  Poland
|
102:99
80:88 |
1993-05-30
1993-06-03 |
Eurobasket Qualification 1993
Eurobasket Qualification 1993 |
Wroclaw, Poland
Wroclaw, Poland |
| 10 | Šarūnas Jasikevičius | 1997–2012 | 104 | 1031 | 9.91 | 28 | United States
|
94:90 | 2004-08-21 | Olympic Games 2004 | Athens, Greece |
| 11 | Gintaras Einikis | 1992–2002 | 106 | 1022 | 9.64 | 27 | Poland
|
108:96
94:88 |
1995-10-11
1997-06-26 |
Eurobasket Qualification 1997
Eurobasket 1997 |
Vilnius, Lithuania
Girona, Spain |
| 12 | Rimantas Kaukėnas | 2001–2012 | 47 | 443 | 9.46 | 22 | Italy
|
79:74 | 2007-09-08 | Eurobasket 2007 | Madrid, Spain |
| 13 | Mantas Kalnietis | 2006– | 53 | 491 | 9.26 | 19 | Poland
|
97:77
99:89 66:80 |
2011-09-01
2011-09-07 2013-09-22 |
Eurobasket 2011
Eurobasket 2011 Eurobasket 2013 |
Panevėžys, Lithuania
Vilnius, Lithuania Ljubliana, Slovenia |
| 14 | Darius Songaila | 2000–2012 | 68 | 610 | 8.97 | 20 |  Croatia
|
74:72 | 2007-09-14 | Eurobasket 2007 | Madrid, Spain |
| 15 | Darius Lukminas | 1994–1999 | 50 | 407 | 8.14 | 25 |  Belgium
|
83:85
108:87 |
1995-11-15
1996-12-18 |
Eurobasket Qualification 1997
Eurobasket Qualification 1997 |
Aalst, Belgium
Vilnius, Lithuania |
| 16 | Darjuš Lavrinovič | 2005– | 44 | 346 | 7.86 | 18 | Germany
|
77:62 | 2006-09-03 | World Championship 2006 | Saitama, Japan |
| 17 | Martynas Pocius | 2010– | 40 | 314 | 7.85 | 16 |  Argentina
|
104:85 | 2010-09-09 | World Championship 2010 | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 18 | Virginijus Praškevičius | 1995–2003 | 41 | 298 | 7.27 | 25 |  Iceland
|
96:71 | 1998-02-28 | Eurobasket Qualification 1999 | Vilnius, Lithuania |
| 19 | Simas Jasaitis | 2005– | 59 | 424 | 7.19 | 21 | Poland
|
75:86 | 2009-09-08 | Eurobasket 2009 | Wroclaw, Poland |
| 20 | Kšyštof Lavrinovič | 2003– | 70 | 495 | 7.07 | 24 |  Montenegro
|
77:70 | 2013-09-08 | Eurobasket 2013 | Jesenice, Slovenia |
- Last updated: 2013-09-22. Statistics include official FIBA-recognised matches only.
Players medal leaders
| Player | Lithuania career | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total(min. 3 medals) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gintaras Einikis | 1992–2002 | - |
|
|
4 |
| Saulius Štombergas | 1993–2004 |
|
|
|
4 |
| Artūras Karnišovas | 1992–1999 | - |
|
|
3 |
| Rimas Kurtinaitis | 1992–1997 | - |
|
|
3 |
| Šarūnas Marčiulionis | 1992–1996 | - |
|
|
3 |
| Arvydas Sabonis | 1992–1999 | - |
|
|
3 |
| Eurelijus Žukauskas | 1996–2004 |
|
- |
|
3 |
| Šarūnas Jasikevičius | 1997–2012 |
|
- |
|
3 |
| Darius Songaila | 2000–2012 |
|
- |
|
3 |
| Ramūnas Šiškauskas | 1999–2008 |
|
- |
|
3 |
| Kšyštof Lavrinovič | 2003–2013 |
|
|
|
3 |
| Robertas Javtokas | 2001–2013 | - |
|
|
3 |
| Linas Kleiza | 2006–2013 | - |
|
|
3 |
| Jonas Mačiulis | 2007–2013 | - |
|
|
3 |
Team records
| Statistic | Record | Opponent | Result | Date | Tournament | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biggest victory | 103 |  Finland
|
112:9 | 27 May 1939 | Eurobasket 1939 | Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Biggest defeat | 51 | United States
|
75:126 | 6 August 1992 | Olympic Games 1992 | Barcelona, Spain |
| Most Points Scored | 118 |  Switzerland
|
118:62 | 26 February 1997 | Eurobasket Qualification 1997 | Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Lowest total points | 20 |  Estonia
|
20:15 | 4 May 1937 | Eurobasket 1937 | Riga, Latvia |
| Most offensive points | 126 | United States
|
75:126 | 6 August 1992 | Olympic Games 1992 | Barcelona, Spain |
| Lowest points allowed | 7 |  Egypt
|
21:7 | 5 May 1937 | Eurobasket 1937 | Riga, Latvia |
- Last updated: 2013-09-22. Statistics include official FIBA-recognised matches only.
Coaches records
Coaches
| Manager | Lithuania career | Played | Won | Lost | Win % | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladas Garastas | 1992–1997 | 59 | 45 | 14 | 76.27 | 2 Bronze medals: Olympic Games (1992, 1996), Silver medal: Eurobasket 1995
|
| Jonas Kazlauskas | 1997–2001 | 49 | 32 | 17 | 65.31 | Bronze medal: Olympic Games 2000
|
| Antanas Sireika | 2001-2006 | 42 | 33 | 9 | 78.58 | Gold medal: Eurobasket 2003
|
| Ramūnas Butautas | 2006–2009 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 60.87 | Bronze medal: Eurobasket 2007
|
| Kęstutis Kemzūra | 2009–2012 | 30 | 21 | 9 | 70.00 | Bronze medal: World Championship 2010
|
| Jonas Kazlauskas | 2012– | 11 | 8 | 3 | 72.73 | Silver medal: Eurobasket 2013
|
- Last updated: 2013-09-22. Statistics include official FIBA-recognised matches only.
Competitive record
FIBA Basketball World Cup
Summer Olympic Games
FIBA Diamond Ball
|
FIBA EuroBasket
FIBA Under-19 World Championship
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All-time team record
The following table shows Lithuania's all-time official FIBA international record, correct as of 22 September 2013.
| Opponents | Played | Won | Lost | % Won | Biggest Victory | Biggest Defeat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Angola |
3 | 3 | 0 | 100% | +36 (85:49) | - |
| Argentina |
8 | 5 | 3 | 60% | +19 (104:85) | -23 (79:102) |
| Australia |
7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | +21 (78:57) | -31 (75:106) |
 Austria |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +22 (116:96) | - |
 Belarus |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0% | - | -8 (80-88) |
| Belgium |
3 | 2 | 1 | 67% | +23 (75:52) | -2 (83:85) |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
3 | 1 | 2 | 33% | +30 (87:57) | -6 (72:78) |
 Brazil |
3 | 3 | 0 | 100% | +18 (114:96) | - |
 Bulgaria |
4 | 4 | 0 | 100% | +35 (117:72) | - |
 CIS |
3 | 2 | 1 | 67% | +37 (116:79) | -12 (80:92) |
| Canada |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +2 (70:68) | - |
| China |
6 | 6 | 0 | 100% | +61 (116:55) | - |
| Croatia |
10 | 9 | 1 | 90% | +18 (85:67) | -8 (64:72) |
 Czech Republic |
3 | 2 | 1 | 67% | +20 (95:75) | -16 (62:78) |
 Dominican Republic |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +26 (109:83) | - |
 Egypt |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +14 (21:7) | - |
| Estonia |
7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | +31 (91:60) | - |
| Finland |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +103 (112:9) | - |
 France |
14 | 7 | 7 | 50% | +30 (48:18) | -16 (47:63) |
 Great Britain |
2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | +16 (87:71) | - |
| Germany |
7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | +22 (93:71) | - |
| Greece |
8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | +33 (99:66) | -7 (66:73) |
 Hungary |
2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | +64 (79:15) | - |
| Iceland |
3 | 3 | 0 | 100% | +46 (94:48) | - |
 Iran |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +32 (99:67) | - |
| Israel |
5 | 5 | 0 | 100% | +32 (94:62) | - |
| Italy |
12 | 9 | 3 | 63% | +14 (41:27) | -9 (91-100) |
 South Korea |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +41 (97:56) | - |
 Latvia |
6 | 5 | 1 | 83% | +43 (108:65) | -18 (76:94) |
 Lebanon |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +18 (84:66) | - |
 North Macedonia |
2 | 1 | 1 | 50% | +8 (75:67) | -2 (65:67) |
| Montenegro |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +7 (77:70) | - |
 Netherlands |
6 | 0 | 0 | 100% | +31 (88:57) | - |
 New Zealand |
2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | +13 (92:79) | - |
 Nigeria |
2 | 1 | 1 | 50% | +19 (72:53) | -6 (80:86) |
| Poland |
8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | +28 (46:18) | -19 (69:88) |
 Portugal |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +29 (98:69) | - |
 Puerto Rico |
3 | 3 | 0 | 100% | +13 (104:91) | - |
 Qatar |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +41 (106:65) | - |
| Russia |
7 | 3 | 4 | 43% | +31 (103:72) | -29 (64:93) |
- Scotland |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +48 (117:69) | - |
 Serbia and Montenegro Serbia Yugoslavia |
11 | 4 | 7 | 36% | +18 (98:82) | -15 (60:75) |
 Slovenia |
8 | 6 | 2 | 75% | +19 (80:61) | -23 (58:81) |
| Spain |
9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | +9 (93:84) | -22 (67:89) |
 Sweden |
3 | 3 | 0 | 100% | +23 (96:73) | - |
| Switzerland |
4 | 4 | 0 | 100% | +56 (118:62) | - |
| Czechoslovakia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +7 (80:73) | - |
 Tunisia |
1 | 1 | 0 | 100% | +13 (76:63) | - |
| Turkey |
12 | 9 | 3 | 75% | +38 (100:62) | -11 (84:95) |
| United States |
9 | 2 | 7 | 22% | +4 (94:90) | -51 (75:126) |
 Ukraine |
5 | 3 | 2 | 60% | +22 (82:60) | -7 (82:89) |
 Venezuela |
2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | +18 (100:82) | - |
| Total | 227 | 166 | 61 | 73% |
Past rosters
1937 EuroBasket: finished 1st among 8 teams
Artūras Andrulis, Leonas Baltrūnas, Pranas Talzūnas, Leopoldas Kepalas, Feliksas Kriaučiūnas, Pranas Mažeika, Eugenijus Nikolskis, Leonas Petrauskas, Zenonas Puzinauskas, Stasys Šačkus, Juozas Žukas, Česlovas Daukša (Coach: Feliksas Kriaučiūnas)
1939 EuroBasket: finished 1st among 8 teams
Pranas Lubinas, Mykolas Ruzgys, Leonas Baltrūnas, Artūras Andrulis, Juozas Jurgėla, Pranas Mažeika, Vytautas Norkus, Vytautas Budriūnas, Zenonas Puzinauskas, Feliksas Kriaučiūnas, Vytautas Lesčinskas, Eugenijus Nikolskis, Leonas Petrauskas, Mindaugas Šliūpas (Coach: Pranas Lubinas)
1992 Olympic Games: finished 3rd among 12 teams
Arvydas Sabonis, Šarunas Marčiulionis, Valdemaras Chomičius, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Sergėjus Jovaiša, Artūras Karnišovas, Gintaras Einikis, Arūnas Visockas, Darius Dimavičius, Romanas Brazdauskis, Gintaras Krapikas, Alvydas Pazdrazdis (Coach: Vladas Garastas)
1993 EuroBasket: did not qualify
1994 World Championship: did not participate
1995 EuroBasket: finished 2nd among 14 teams
Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Artūras Karnišovas, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Valdemaras Chomičius, Gintaras Einikis, Arūnas Visockas, Gintaras Krapikas, Saulius Štombergas, Mindaugas Timinskas, Darius Lukminas, Gvidonas Markevičius (Coach: Vladas Garastas)
1996 Olympic Games: finished 3rd among 12 teams
Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Artūras Karnišovas, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Saulius Štombergas, Gintaras Einikis, Darius Lukminas, Rytis Vaišvila, Tomas Pačėsas, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Andrius Jurkūnas, Mindaugas Žukauskas (Coach: Vladas Garastas)
1997 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 16 teams
Gintaras Einikis, Virginijus Praškevičius, Dainius Adomaitis, Artūras Karnišovas, Saulius Štombergas, Darius Maskoliūnas, Kęstutis Šeštokas, Andrius Jurkūnas, Darius Lukminas, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Mindaugas Timinskas, Eurelijus Žukauskas (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas)
1998 World Championship: finished 7th among 16 teams
Artūras Karnišovas, Saulius Štombergas, Gintaras Einikis, Virginijus Praškevičius, Tomas Masiulis, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Dainius Adomaitis, Darius Maskoliūnas, Darius Lukminas, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Tomas Pačėsas (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas)
1999 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 16 teams
Arvydas Sabonis, Artūras Karnišovas, Saulius Štombergas, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Gintaras Einikis, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Virginijus Praškevičius, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Tomas Masiulis, Dainius Adomaitis, Darius Maskoliūnas, Kęstutis Marčiulionis (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas)
2000 Olympic Games: finished 3rd among 12 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Saulius Štombergas, Mindaugas Timinskas, Gintaras Einikis, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Darius Songaila, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Tomas Masiulis, Dainius Adomaitis, Darius Maskoliūnas, Andrius Giedraitis, Kestutis Marciulionis (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas)
2001 EuroBasket: finished 9-12th among 16 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Saulius Štombergas, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Darius Songaila, Gintaras Einikis, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Mindaugas Timinskas, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Robertas Javtokas, Donatas Slanina, Andrius Jurkūnas (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas)
2002 World Championship: did not qualify
2003 EuroBasket: finished 1st among 16 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Arvydas Macijauskas, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Saulius Štombergas, Darius Songaila, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Donatas Slanina, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Virginijus Praškevičius, Dainius Šalenga, Giedrius Gustas (Coach: Antanas Sireika)
2004 Olympic Games: finished 4th among 12 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Arvydas Macijauskas, Saulius Štombergas, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Darius Songaila, Eurelijus Žukauskas, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Dainius Šalenga, Robertas Javtokas, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Donatas Slanina, Vidas Ginevičius (Coach: Antanas Sireika)
2005 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 16 teams
Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Robertas Javtokas, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Simas Jasaitis, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Darjuš Lavrinovič, Vidas Ginevicius, Paulius Jankūnas, Simonas Serapinas, Giedrius Gustas, Darius Šilinskis, Mindaugas Lukauskis (Coach: Antanas Sireika)
2006 World Championship: finished 7th among 24 teams
Arvydas Macijauskas, Darius Songaila, Robertas Javtokas, Simas Jasaitis, Mindaugas Žukauskas, Darjuš Lavrinovič, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Linas Kleiza, Paulius Jankūnas, Giedrius Gustas, Tomas Delininkaitis, Mantas Kalnietis (Coach: Antanas Sireika)
2007 EuroBasket: finished 3rd among 16 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Simas Jasaitis, Darius Songaila, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Darjuš Lavrinovič, Linas Kleiza, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Mačiulis, Paulius Jankūnas, Giedrius Gustas (Coach: Ramūnas Butautas)
2008 Olympic Games: finished 4th among 12 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Simas Jasaitis, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Darjuš Lavrinovič, Linas Kleiza, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Mačiulis, Mindaugas Lukauskis, Marius Prekevičius, Marijonas Petravičius (Coach: Ramūnas Butautas)
2009 Eurobasket: finished 11th among 16 teams
Marijonas Petravičius, Linas Kleiza, Simas Jasaitis, Robertas Javtokas, Tomas Delininkaitis, Artūras Jomantas, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Darjuš Lavrinovič, Mantas Kalnietis, Jonas Mačiulis, Mindaugas Lukauskis, Andrius Mažutis (Coach: Ramūnas Butautas)
2010 World Championship: finished 3rd among 24 teams
Linas Kleiza, Mantas Kalnietis, Martynas Pocius, Jonas Mačiulis, Simas Jasaitis, Tomas Delininkaitis, Paulius Jankūnas, Martynas Gecevičius, Tadas Klimavičius, Robertas Javtokas, Martynas Andriuškevičius, Renaldas Seibutis (Coach: Kęstutis Kemzūra)
2011 Eurobasket: finished 5th among 24 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Darius Songaila, Mantas Kalnietis, Martynas Pocius, Simas Jasaitis, Tomas Delininkaitis, Paulius Jankūnas, Robertas Javtokas, Marijonas Petravičius, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Jonas Valančiūnas (Coach: Kęstutis Kemzūra)
2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualified with 2 other teams among 12 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Mantas Kalnietis, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Tomas Delininkaitis, Deividas Dulkys, Jonas Mačiulis, Martynas Pocius, Linas Kleiza, Paulius Jankūnas, Darius Songaila, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Valančiūnas (Coach: Kęstutis Kemzūra)
2012 Olympic Games finished 5–8th among 12 teams
Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Linas Kleiza, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Jonas Mačiulis, Mantas Kalnietis, Martynas Pocius, Simas Jasaitis, Paulius Jankūnas, Renaldas Seibutis, Darius Songaila, Antanas Kavaliauskas, Jonas Valančiūnas (Coach: Kęstutis Kemzūra)
2013 Eurobasket: finished 2nd among 24 teams
Donatas Motiejūnas, Jonas Valančiūnas, Linas Kleiza, Mantas Kalnietis, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Darjuš Lavrinovič, Kšyštof Lavrinovič, Jonas Mačiulis, Tomas Delininkaitis, Renaldas Seibutis, Martynas Pocius, Robertas Javtokas (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas)
See also
References
- Official: Jonas Kazlauskas – coach of Lithuania national basketball team Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania national team will fly to Slovenia tomorrow Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania lost to Serbia Template:Lt icon
- Sweet and emotional revenge Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania wins only after a tough game Template:Lt icon
- Thanks to Lavrinovič brothers: Lithuania wins after OT
- Just one step from the fiasco – Lithuanians qualifies into the second stage after loss Template:Lt icon
- New stage - new playmaking: France is down Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania wins against Belgium Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania goes to quarter-finals after victory Template:Lt icon
- Among the strongest four Template:Lt icon
- After 10 years we are in the finals again! Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania lost final to France Template:Lt icon
- L.Kleiza: Everything sorted out in the beginning Template:Lt icon
- M.Kalnietis: Soon we will realize that this Silver is a huge victory Template:Lt icon
- Thousands of fans met silver national team Template:Lt icon
- Awards for Lithuania national basketball team Template:Lt icon
- Š.Jasikevičius: our team played only a few good games Template:Lt icon
- Jonas Kazlauskas is the new Lithuania national team coach Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania national basketball team workout were canceled because of tanks near the arena which polluted the air in it Template:Lt icon
- Video: Lithuania national basketball team workout were canceled because of tanks near the arena which polluted the air in it Template:Lt icon
- Bus broke during the Lithuanian's trip to the quarter-finals game against Puerto Rico Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania – just one step away from the Olympics Template:Lt icon
- Lithuania reached the London Olympics Template:Lt icon
- http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g4VIppRn3D28WWneDPujyHSUbZBQ
- Lithuanian basketball - factor uniting nation in historical swirls Template:Lt icon
- Golden Lithuania national team commemorated ten year jubilee with victory Template:Lt icon
- Interwar sports: for ideals, for nation, for versatility (Part: V) Template:Lt icon
- Kleiza drops 41 points against Utah Jazz Template:En icon
- Žydrūnas Ilgauskas retires and will not play for Lithuania squad Template:Lt icon
- Cavs Deny Zydrunas Ilgauskas a Chance to Play in Olympics Template:En icon
- ^ Winn, Luke (15 August 2011). "Lithuania Calling". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
Video games
Lithuania national basketball team was featured in NBA Live 09 and NBA Live 10 video games.
External links
- Lithuania Basketball Federation
- Lithuanian Basketball League
- Official Eurobasket 2011 website (Lithuania)
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