Lithuanian basketball: past, present and future

In 1891 American teacher James Naismith invented basketball. Year after

year it became more and more popular, people played basketball in more and

more countries. In 1922 Steponas Darius brought it to Lithuania. It became

popular so fast, as TV after World War II.

Level of Lithuanian basketball was so high, that in 1935 Lithuanian team

played in the European championship. In 1935 championship took place in

Riga (Latvia). Lithuanians were debutantes, and nobody could hope, that

debutantes could be among leaders, bbut Lithuanians were! Lithuanians

weren`t champions!

In 1939 the occurred in Kaunas. A new Sport Hall was built for this

occasion, and sportsmen still play basketball in it now. Lithuanian team

became the winner of this competition again.

Women have never remained in the background of men. All time they tried to

be in the same level like men and they always do it. European championship

in 1938 was very successful and Lithuanian sportswomen won silver medals.

World War II didn`t stop development of Lithuanian basketball. In the ttime

of the war, legendary players, champions of Europe, ran to the West, but

Lithuanian basketball wasn’t dead. A few students team won the first Soviet

Union championship in 1947. It was the start of the history of the biggest,

grandest, and greatest Lithuanian BBasketball club „Zalgiris“ (Green Wood).

The name of this club comes from the battle in 1410, when Lithuanians

beated the crusaders. This battle is named Grunwald in German or Zalgiris

in Lithuanian.

All the time, when Lithuania endured yoke of Soviet Union, Lithuanian

basketball was predominated in all Union. All the time Lithuanian players

played in combined teams.

In 1978-1981 one of the greatest Lithuanian players’ generations started

forming. In 1982 Arvydas Sabonis came to „Zalgiris“. He started playing in

professional team, when he was only seventeen and he is still playing now.

In 1983 the biggest fights between „Zalgiris“ and CSKA from Moscow started.

It was not Moscow team; it was a team of all Soviet Union. The most players

were subjugated by the way of deception. Soviet bureaucrats wanted

Lithuanian players tto play in Moscow team too, but Lithuanians looked

smarterd, and they didn’t let them go.

For Example, Soviets wanted Sabonis to play in CSKA. At the same day, when

Sabonis finished secondary school, soviets came to school and tried to take

Sabonis to the army. But Lithuanians were faster. Sabonis was already

studying at Kaunas high school!

All time Lithuanians hadn’t ways to the Europe. Till 1984, „Žalgiris“ has

never played with the teams from the West. Only „thaw“ in Soviet Union and

reorganization of Mikhail Gorbachiov ggave a chance for „Žalgiris“. These

chances were unbelievable. In 1985 „Zalgiris“ lost only in the final of

EuroCup and in 1986 „Zalgiris“ lost to Cibona Zagreb in the final of

European Cup of Champions. Competitions of Soviet Union were lucky too.

Three years (1985-19870 „Zalgiris“ became the champion of the Union.

In 1986 „Zalgiris“ got a chance to play in Jones Cup Competition. At this

time it was World Club Championship. „Zalgiris“ became the winner! 200 000

people waited for „Zalgiris“ in Kaunas Karmelava Airport!

In 1989, Sarunas Marciulionis became the first player from East Europe, who

played in National Basketball Association (NBA). USSR didn’t let to play in

this professional American league, but in 1989, the Soviet Union wasn’t so

strong like in 1970 or 1980, and Marciulionis broke the ice.

In 1992 Lithuania has already the freedom. Lithuania played in Barcelona

Olympic Games. Nobody could understand, how a country, which is free only 2

years, and which has only 3 000 000 population, can have such a good

basketball team. Lithuanian national team won the bronze medals! Only then

everybody understood, that in all national USSR teams played many

Lithuanians, when USSR won the greatest victories. For example, in the USSR

team, which won Gold in Seoul Olympic Games, four players in start

composition were Lithuanians. SSabonis, Marciulionis, Kurtinaitis, Chomicius

and others the first big victory to free Lithuania.

After „Barcelona`92″ crisis took all basketball in Lithuania. The best

players went to the West, there were no money for sport in young and poor

country. Only national team showed good results, when all players from the

West played. In 1996 Lithuanian team won the third place in Atlanta Olympic

Games again. Stars played in the West, but they didn’t let basketball die

and helped them. Sabonis and Marciulionis built few basketball schools for

children.

Trainers in Lithuania work heavily and patiently and they did their work

very good. They raised a new generation of players, which wasn`t worse than

the last one.

In 1994 Jonas Kazlauskas came to „Zalgiris“. He was a young trainer,

without big experience, but with the best wishes and great ambitions. He

was democratic, new style trainer. He took young players and started to

make stars. He showed that basketball is a team sport and one or two

players can’t win match. Kazlauskas learned together with players. Results

didn’t come at the same time. In 1996 „Zalgiris“ lost in semifinal of Cup

Winners Cup, in 1997 „Zalgiris“ lost in 1/8 final. In 1998 „Zalgiris“

surprised all the Europe. „Zalgiris“ won Euro Cup! It was the first J.

Kazlauskas and all „Zalgiris“ triumph. IIn the last (1998-1999) season,

„Zalgiris“ started playing in EuroLeague. Nobody looked to debutante, like

to the potential competitioner. But military leader J. Kazlauskas and

„Zalgiris“ didn’t want to stop. There’re no stars, no big money, but fast,

nice, commnadly play was the guaranty of luck. „Zalgiris“ won the Cup of

EuroLeague! „Zalgiris“ (see picture in file zalgiris98-99) showed that

money cannot win, only the team can win.

Women didn’t fall. In 1997 national Lithuanian team became the European

champions. Men in 1995 were „only“ second.

If you want to get big victories, you need some intelligence and some

organization. Lithuanians don’t complain that they feel shortage of it. At

once after getting freedom, Lithuanians started to build national

basketball system. Sarunas Marciulionis was the fundamental organizer and

sponsor. In 1994 Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) was founded. It was

very important. Marciulionis played in NBA for a long time, so he knew, how

to make the same in Lithuania. LKL matches are very interesting and

persistent.

Sarunas Marciulionis didn`t stop, when he founded LKL. Northern European

Basketball League (NEBL) was founded in 1998. NEBL is made by NBA model. In

1999 took place the first Promotion Cup. In 2000 the first official

inaugural NEBL season will start. The Northern European Basketball League

was founded with the cooperation of five Northern European

nations:

Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. The goals of NEBL are:

To be the top Northern European professional basketball league;

To keep basketball as the leading sport in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;

To make basketball the leading sport in Sweden and Finland;

To support all the league’s clubs and players;

To create a united market & sponsorship programs for Northern European

countries;

To attain creative support from the NBA.

The NEBL will tip off its first season in 2000 with plans to expand the

league to include the top tteams from Denmark, Norway and Ukraine. Russia

and Belarus have both shown interest in joining the league as it continues

to grow and could be added in later seasons.

Basketball in Lithuania is very popular. The most popular TV programs are

basketball matches. Everybody in Lithuania knows what the basketball is.

Young and old play basketball. Thousands celebrate victories. Lithuania

isn’t only amber country; it’s basketball country too. Basketball is the

second Lithuanian religion.