Mindaugas Lukauskis

Mindaugas Lukauskis ( born May 19, 1979 in Panevėžys, Lithuanian SSR) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player who was in Beijing with the Lithuanian national team, among other participants in the 2008 Olympic Games. Lukauskis was in contrast to many of his team-mate at first only in his home country actively BC Lietuvos Rytas and celebrated with two ULEB Eurocup triumphs at international level. As recently as 2009, he moved at the age of 30 years to ASVEL in France and played a season later with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Germany. After he had played in Italy, Spain and Turkey, he returned in 2013 to his home country.

Career

Lukauskis was initially active only for the local basketball club of his hometown and moved at age 22 in 2001 to KK Sakalai in the capital Vilnius. After one season, he moved to BC to Alytus Alita and eventually became the Lithuanian Lietuvos Rytas top club BC committed in 2003, dominates the Lithuanian league along with rival Zalgiris Kaunas. With this club he became Lithuanian Champion in 2006 after winning the ULEB Cup could be as early as 2005 before. Also in the Baltic Basketball League, founded in 2004, which is also dominated by the two Lithuanian top clubs, you could BC Zalgiris 2006, the first defeat in the final. The title in the Baltic League could be defended in 2007, but you had to leave the championship again in the National League BC Zalgiris. In ULEB Cup they reached the final, which was lost against Real Madrid once again. In the 2007 /08 Season the finals went to the national championship, lost Cup and Baltic League against BC Zalgiris, this was achieved at the highest European League ULEB Euro League after the group victory in the first round a second time the second round of the best sixteen teams, which also in 2006, was successful. Under the new coach Rimas Kurtinaitis you triumphed in the 2008/ 09 season in all competitions, winning the treble of Championship, Cup and Baltic League and the ULEB Eurocup also at European level.

Then moved Lukauskis first time in 2009 abroad for the French giants ASVEL Lyon in the LNB Pro A. The title defense in the championship did not succeed, but they won the 2010 French League Cup Semaine de ace. In the BBL season 2010/11 Lukauskis played in the German Basketball Bundesliga for EWE Baskets. With the Oldenburgers he left in the play-off quarter-finals for the national championship against Alba Berlin after five games. For the 2011/12 season he signed a contract with the following in Italian second division club Sigma Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Barcellona in Sicily. After a season in which it was eliminated by the rise in the play-off semi-final series, he moved to a breach by Thomas Kelati beginning of the season 2012/13 in the Spanish ACB League for Valencia Basket Club, after the final defeat in 2012 in the ULEB Eurocup again in this international competition playing against BK Khimki. The temporary contract was not renewed after a month. End of January 2013 he got a contract in Türkiye Ligi Basketbol at Tofaş Bursa. For the 2013/14 season Lukauskis returned to his homeland and played for the club from TonyBet Prienai.

National

For the European Basketball Championships 2005 Lukauskis was first appointed to a final squad of the Lithuanian national team. After the group victory in the first round, they lost his only match in the quarter- final against France, which had defeated after two defeats in the first round in a repechage surprisingly hosts Serbia and Montenegro. In the classification matches for 5th place they remained victorious against those affected by a similar fate preliminary round group winners Russia and Slovenia.

At the Olympic Games in 2008 Lukauskis was another time in the final squad. After the group victory in the first round with a win over defending champions Argentina they lost in the semifinals world champions Spain. In the bronze medal match was finally defeated Argentina and finished fourth.

The following Eurobasket 2009 Lithuania's neighbor Poland, was a big disappointment for the otherwise always traded as a medal candidate Lithuanians, as one after two opening defeats against Turkey and the Polish hosts in the second round all three games against the eventual finalists Spain and Serbia and lost against Slovenia and was eliminated before the quarter-finals after just one preliminary round victory against Bulgaria.

For the 2010 World Cup in Turkey and the 2011 European Championships in their own country Lukauskis was deleted in each case as the last player from the preliminary squad.