Lithuania national basketball team

The Lithuanian national basketball team represents Lithuania in international matches and friendlies. Since basketball in Lithuania amounts to a national sport, putting the country on a regular basis of international class players out. The so far last great triumph celebrated the team in 2003 with the European Championship title.

History

In 1937 and 1939, Lithuanian teams in the second and third ever discharged European Championships were able to secure the title, the latter in domestic Kaunas led by Frank Lubin.

After the Second World War, had lost its independence in Lithuania, Lithuanian numerous players were able to celebrate successes with the selections of the Soviet Union. Besides Kazys Petkevičius and the Olympic champion in 1972 Modestas Paulauskas it was mainly the so-called golden generation of the Lithuanian basketball to Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marciulionis, Rimas Kurtinaitis and Valdemaras Chomičius, the 1988 Olympic champion was still the Soviet Union and then the recovered independence of a new era Lithuanian successes initiated.

In 1992, the team immediately the semifinals of the Olympic Games. In addition to the veteran forces younger players like Artūras Karnišovas and Gintaras Einikis were already in the squad. The EM 1995 went to the finals successfully. At the Olympic Games in 1996 Lithuania was able to confirm the success of 1992, this time with Mindaugas Žukauskas, Darius Lukminas and Saulius Štombergas as new service providers.

Meanwhile, however, the golden generation was getting on in years, so these players no longer participated in the following European Championship and the first World Cup of the Lithuanian selection. Thus followed relatively disappointing results, although Sabonis played in the European Championships in 1999 for the last time for Lithuania. In Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, although his potential successor was found, but due to fears that he could get hurt, Ilgauskas not received clearance from the NBA team Cleveland Cavaliers.

At the Olympic Games in 2000, when Lithuania again won bronze, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Ramūnas Siskauskas and Darius Songaila had been added as a new service provider. In addition to these, as well as more experienced players like Štombergas and Eurelijus Žukauskas it was Arvydas Macijauskas the victory at the European Championships in 2003 and thus the greatest success enabled as top scorer of the team since the renewed independence after having previously one of the missed qualifying for the 2002 World Cup setback suffered. Jasikevičius was also voted the most valuable player of the tournament.

2004 Lithuania reached the fourth time in succession the semi-finals at the Olympic Games, but was the first time without a medal. This was followed by the quarter-final defeats at the 2005 European Championships and the 2006 World Cup. Besides Ilgauskas also Jasikevičius, now also active in the NBA had, do not get released for the World Cup. At the European Championships in 2007 Lithuania won the bronze medal and qualified again for the Olympics, where she again reached the semifinals. Without Jasikevičius and Siskauskas the team at the European Championships in 2009 won only one game and was eliminated after the second round of. In the 2010 World Cup in Turkey Lithuania finished third behind the USA and Turkey. Accordingly, the Lithuanian team as co- favorite went to the European Championships held in 2011, left there but surprisingly in the quarter- final against Macedonia from.

At the European Championships in 2013 it was difficult at first to kick in, in the group with Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Montenegro and Latvia one was the favorite in the first place, but they lost against Serbia (which sent an inexperienced team to the tournament ) and also against Bosnia- Herzegovina, they won against Montenegro until almost after extra time. In the second round was the team that also provided young players like Jonas Valančiūnas or Donatas Motiejunas alongside performers such as Linas Kleiza or Lavrinovic brothers, always better in the tournament. This was followed by clear victories against Belgium, France and Ukraine. In the quarterfinals, they sat down just beat Italy. In the semifinals, Lithuania defeated the surprisingly strong team from Croatia 77:62 and pulled the first time after the 2003 European Championship final, which they lost with 66:80 against France.

Current squad

Performance in international tournaments

Olympic Summer Games

  • 2000 - Bronze Medal
  • 2004 - 4th place
  • 2008 - 4th place
  • 2012 - 8th Place

Basketball World Championship

  • 2002 - does not qualify
  • 2006 - 7th place
  • 2010 - Bronze Medal

European Basketball Championships

  • 2001 - 11th place
  • 2003 - Gold Medal
  • 2005 - 5th place
  • 2007 - Bronze Medal
  • 2009 - 11th place
  • 2011 - 5th place
  • 2013 - Silver Medal
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