Second Religion

Still doubting whether basketball really is the second religion in Lithuania? If so, you probably haven’t watched the Lithuanian national basketball team or a club game in the company of local fans.

The easiest way to understand how important basketball is in Lithuania is to watch BC Žalgiris playing live in Žalgiris Arena. The upsurge of emotions and the shiver of pleasure caused by 15,000 fans singing the Lithuanian anthem or jumping out of their chairs for a three-pointer is something that’ll stay with you forever. And add to that the astonishing performances of the cheerleaders and the ache in your palms you’ll get from all that clapping, and you have the recipe for an unforgettable experience

Žalgiris Arena is the largest sports arena in the Baltic States and one of the best examples of industrial architecture in Lithuania.

The Lithuania national basketball team represents Lithuania in international basketball matches.
Lithuanian men competed in two of the pre-war Eurobasket competitions for the European championship. They won both the Eurobasket 1937 and Eurobasket 1939 competitions. The 1939 team was led by Pranas Lubinas (Frank Lubin), who helped popularize basketball in the country and was called the "Grandfather of Lithuanian Basketball."
Being 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 feature NBA players—1992, 1996, and 2000, and finished fourth in 2004 and 2008.
The Lithuanian team won the Eurobasket 1937, 1939 and Eurobasket 2003.

Great play by Young lithuanian talent