Šarūnas Marčiulionis

Raimondas Šarūnas Marciulionis? / I ( born June 13, 1964 in Kaunas) is a Lithuanian entrepreneur and former basketball player. It measures 1.96 m in about 100 kg body weight and played on the position of the building player ( point guard ). Marciulionis belongs together with Arvydas Sabonis for the golden generation of Lithuanian basketball player who einheimsten for the Soviet Union and from 1991 for the numerous successes again independent Lithuania from the early 1980s, initially. Both have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the NBA ( Sabonis in August 2011, Marciulionis 2014).

Youth

With 10 years Šarūnas Marciulionis began to train in Kaunas basketball. In 1981, he moved at the age of 17 years in the capital, where he played for the club Statyba Vilnius. From 1983 he was a member of the Soviet national team, with whom he won the gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games.

In addition to his basketball career Šarūnas Marciulionis ran a journalism degree, which he completed at the University of Vilnius in 1986.

NBA

After the fall of the Iron Curtain Marciulionis was the first player from the former Soviet Union, who moved into the NBA. In the Golden State Warriors, he completed four seasons as a key player off the bench and failed several times narrowly in the election to the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Together with Dražen Petrović Marciulionis thus can be considered a pioneer of later European top players in the NBA - Dirk Nowitzki, Predrag Stojaković, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker - be seen.

Game characterization

Marciulionis was a point guard with his unconditional victory will always engine of its teams. This ambition he also sports politically to the day by organizing the formation of a Lithuanian national team since 1990. 1992 and 1996 he won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games with this team.

Basketball Manager

The basketball he remained loyal, first in 1992 with the establishment of a Marciulionis basketball school in Vilnius. In 1993, he was instrumental in the introduction of the Lithuanian LKL professional league, which he is president ever since. In 1999, he was instrumental in founding the NEBL, the North European Basketball League, which brought together in a league until the 2002/2003 season clubs from Northern Europe.

Entrepreneur

After the end of his career in 1997, he returned as a businessman to Lithuania. Inter alia the hotel " Šarūnas " in Vilnius and shares belong to him at a convention center.

Family

Šarūnas Marciulionis is married twice. In 2012 he married for the second time. His wife is 17 years younger Laura Mikelionytė, staff member of his basketball academy, head of sports bar UAB " Stars and Legends".

From the first marriage with Ingrida Reinikova has Š. Marciulionis, who lives in New York City daughter Kriste. The son of Augusta he has with his girlfriend Sandra Chlevickaitė, Miss Lithuania 1996. URTE The second daughter (* 2005), Š. Marciulionis with girlfriend Kotryna Kirdeikytė.

Title and Awards

Championships:

• Olympic Games: 1988 gold with the USSR, 1992 and 1996 bronze with Lithuania
• European Championships: 1987 silver with the USSR, 1995 silver with Lithuania ( at the same time the most important player of the tournament )
• Other: 1982 Junior European champion with the team of the USSR, 1983 Junior World Champion with the team of the USSR, 1985 Universiade champion with the team of USSR

Awards:

Teams: