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BC Lietkabelis ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Lietkabelis), also currently known as BC 7bet-Lietkabelis or 7bet-Lietkabelis for sponsorship reasons, is a
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
n professional basketball team based in
Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...
, Lithuania, participating in the
Lithuanian Basketball League Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
and internationally in the EuroCup. It was BC TECHasas till 2012. In October 2011 club owner Darius Gaudiešius donated the basketball club to Algirdas Kriščiūnas, Antanas Kazys Liorentas and Kazimieras Antanynas, related with Ūkio bankas Club got back the legendary name Lietkabelis in 2012 .


History


Early years

The history of basketball club Lietkabelis began in 1964. The club's name did not change for 32 consecutive years. The home-court games were played in Aukštaitija Sports Palace, which was opened in 1965. The construction of the palace was initiated by V. Variakojis. Most of the team's players contributed with their own hands to the palace's construction process. At that time, the team was represented by such sports masters, such as S. Atraškevičius, J. Balakauskas, A. Butkūnas, V. Juchnevičius, E. Kuodys, A. Matačiūnas, R. Petrauskas, R. Sargūnas, V. Stalilionis, J. Zičkus, E. Žurauskas, V. Variakojis and others. Until the establishment of the
Lithuanian Basketball League Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
in 1993, Lietkabelis was among the country's strongest basketball teams. During these times, Panevėžys club, trained by R. Sargūnas and V. Paškauskas from 1964 to 1996, became Lithuania's champions twice (1985, 1988), won third place three times (1983, 1984 and 1991) and qualified into the Lithuania's Cup competition finals two times (1985, 1986). Other performances are as follows: 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1989 – 5th places, 1966 and 1969 – 6th places, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1986 and 1993 – 7th places, 1973 and 1977 – 11-12 places, 1975 – 11th place, 1976 – 9-10 places, 1979 – 9th place, 1981 – 8th place and 1982, 1987, 1990, 1992 – 4th places.Istorija : KK Lietkabelis


1978–1986: playing in USSR Division I

From 1978 to 1986, Lietkabelis represented Lithuania in USSR I division tournament (second-tier competition in the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
). In more than three decades, many notable basketball persons played for the Panevėžys' team: Algimantas Baziukas,
Algirdas Brazys Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd;  – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his bro ...
,
Raimundas Čivilis Raimundas Čivilis (24 November 1959 – 27 November 2000) was a Lithuanian basketball player, known for his career in Žalgiris Kaunas from 1977 to 1988. Life Born in Panevėžys in 1959, Čivilis became a member of Žalgiris team in 1977. ...
, V. Dambrauskas, A. Kairys, M. Karnišovas,
Jonas Kazlauskas Jonas Kazlauskas (born 21 November 1954) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Playing career Kazlauskas ...
,
Algirdas Kriščiūnas Algirdas ( be, Альгерд, Alhierd, uk, Ольгерд, Ольґерд, Olherd, Olgerd, pl, Olgierd;  – May 1377) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He ruled the Lithuanians and Ruthenians from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his bro ...
,
Rimas Kurtinaitis Rimas Kurtinaitis (born May 15, 1960) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach, and a retired professional basketball player, who was a member of the senior Soviet and Lithuanian national basketball teams during his playing career. He won ...
, Vitoldas Masalskis, O. Moisejenka,
Gintaras Leonavičius Gintaras Leonavičius (born October 29, 1983) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player, playing as a shooting guard. Born in Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh' ...
,
Rolandas Penikas Rolandas is a masculine Lithuanian given name and may refer to: *Rolandas Alijevas (born 1985), Lithuanian basketball player *Rolandas Baravykas (born 1995), Lithuanian footballer *Rolandas Bernatonis (born 1987), Lithuanian handball player *Rolan ...
,
Algimantas Pavilonis Algimantas Pavilonis (born October 20, 1953 in Vilnius) is a retired Lithuanian basketball player, most notable for his playing career in Statyba Vilnius from 1973 to 1985. He was second Lithuanian Basketball Federation president, serving from 1 ...
, A. Šidlauskas and others. Notable boarding sports school members, who later been a part of the
Lithuania national basketball team Lithuania national basketball team may refer to: * Lithuania men's national basketball team * Lithuania women's national basketball team * Lithuania men's national under-20 basketball team * Lithuania men's national under-18 and under-19 basketball ...
, trained their skills in Lietkabelis. Such players are:
Gintaras Einikis Gintaras Einikis (born September 30, 1969) is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player and current coach. He stands at 6 ft 10 in (208 cm), and is a former center for the senior Lithuanian national team. Einikis is the only p ...
,
Dainius Adomaitis Dainius Adomaitis (born 19 January 1974) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and the head coach for Alvark Tokyo of Japan's B.League. Professional career He started his career in Statyba Vilnius. Later he moved to Žalgiris ...
,
Alvydas Pazdrazdis Alvydas Pazdrazdis (born 20 July 1972) is a Lithuanian former basketball player from Kretinga, Lithuania, who won the bronze medal with the Lithuania men's national basketball team, Lithuania national basketball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics. ...
,
Romanas Brazdauskis Romanas Brazdauskis (born February 20, 1964 in Kretinga) is a former basketball player from Lithuania, who won the bronze medal with the Lithuania national basketball team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. His son, Lukas Brazdauski ...
,
Gvidonas Markevičius Gvidonas Markevičius (born November 22, 1969) is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player. National team career Markevičius was a member of the Lithuanian national team which won silver medals at the EuroBasket 1995 The 1995 FIB ...
and others. The team long-time was coached by V. Stankevičius, a Lietkabelis factory director. The factory was team's main sponsor.


1993: Creating the

Lithuanian Basketball League Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

In 1993, basketball club Lietkabelis was one of the eight Lithuanian Basketball League founders. From 1996, after three decades, Lietkabelis factory left basketball world. The team's names were changing constantly: Kalnapilis (1996–1999), Sema (1999–2000), Panevėžys (2000–2001 ir 2004–2007), Preventa-Malsena (2001–2003), Aukštaitija (2003–2004) and Techasas (2007–2012). From January 2012, club's name reverted to the legendary one – Lietkabelis. In 20 LKL seasons the team's jersey was worn by such notable Lithuanian basketball players: Gintaras Bačianskas (19,7 points per game in LKL),
Gintaras Kadžiulis Gintaras Kadžiulis (born 29 March 1980) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. His playing position was combo guard. Professional career Born in Panevėžys, Kadžiulis started his professional basketball career at th ...
,
Kęstutis Kemzūra Kęstutis Kemzūra (born 20 April 1970) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach of BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. He is also an assistant coach for the Lithuanian national t ...
,
Mindaugas Lukauskis Mindaugas Lukauskis aka "The Legend", "Iron man", (born May 19, 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. Lukauskis is a holder of numerous Lithuanian League records. Professional car ...
, Paulius Staškūnas,
Žydrūnas Urbonas Žydrūnas Urbonas (born October 4, 1976, in Zarasai, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a former Lithuanian professional basketball player, who is the current head coach of Juventus Utena. Playing career Urbonas made his profession ...
and others. In the 1999–2000 season, Panevėžys team (named Sema at that time) participated in international tournament –
FIBA Korać Cup The FIBA Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971–72 and 2001–02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the FIBA European Champions' Cup (later renamed th ...
for the first time after the country's independence. In 2004–2005 season and from 2007 to 2012, Panevėžys team participated in
Baltic Basketball League Baltic Basketball League (BBL) was the Baltic states basketball league founded in 2004. The league mainly focused on teams from the Baltic states, but teams from Sweden, Russia, Kazakhstan, Finland, and Belarus have participated in the Baltic L ...
's second division (renamed to BBL Challenge Cup in 2007). They also played in the BBL Elite Division from 2005 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2014. During ten years in this league, the team achieved first place twice in the BBL Challenge Cup (in 2005 as Panevėžys and in 2012 as Lietkabelis), they also won bronze medals twice as well (in 2008 and 2011 as Techasas). They won the BBL Elite Division, they won the bronze medals in 2016. In the LKL, the highest the team achieved was the quarterfinals, though they did come close in 2007 to reaching the semifinals, losing a very tough series to
BC Šiauliai BC Šiauliai ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Šiauliai) is the professional basketball club of Šiauliai, Lithuania. The club competes in the Lithuanian Basketball League. It has won the 3rd place award (behind Lithuanian basketball giants Lietuvos Rytas ...
1:2. In 2016, they also had a tough series against
BC Lietuvos rytas Rytas Vilnius is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The club was founded in 1997 from another club, Statyba, and has become one of the most successful Lithuanian basketball clubs. Rytas have won two EuroCup Ba ...
, fighting hard in a losing sweep, though only lost the two away games in Vilnius 74:79 and 78:83. In October 2008, the brand-new
Cido Arena Kalnapilio Arena, formerly Cido Arena, is the largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys, Lithuania. It generally hosts track cycling events, as well as basketball games and concerts. The basketball club BC Lietkabelis, which currently competes ...
was opened in Panevėžys, which has 5656 seats for the basketball spectators. It became new Panevėžys basketball team home-hourt, replacing the Aukštaitija Sports Palace after 43 years.


2015–2020: resurgence and participating in European competitions

On 29 July 2015, the club was invited to join the
FIBA Europe Cup The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in nation ...
tournament, which is the alternative version of the 2nd tier European tournament EuroCup, organized by
FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
. However, just before the drawning ceremony, it was announced that 56 teams would participate instead of 64 and Lietkabelis was not one of these. On 21 July 2016, Lietkabelis was invited to play in the 2016–17 EuroCup season. The club previously registered again in the
FIBA Europe Cup The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in nation ...
. Following it, the team signed notable veterans:
Mindaugas Lukauskis Mindaugas Lukauskis aka "The Legend", "Iron man", (born May 19, 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. Lukauskis is a holder of numerous Lithuanian League records. Professional car ...
,
Kšyštof Lavrinovič Kšyštof Lavrinovič ( pl, Krzysztof Ławrynowicz; born November 1, 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the BC Vytis of the National Basketball League. He plays at the power forward and center positions. Professional career ...
and
Darjuš Lavrinovič Darjuš Lavrinovič ( pl, Dariusz Ławrynowicz, born 1 November 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the BC Vytis of the National Basketball League. He is 2.12m (6' 11½") in height. He plays the center position. He is also a ...
who formed the core of the team. The positive preseason resulted in record sales of over 700 season tickets just on the sales opening day. The LKL season began historically by defeating Žalgiris Kaunas 90–86 for the first time after 16 years. This season became the best one in club history - Lietkabelis had astonishing victories over Žalgiris,
BC Lietuvos rytas Rytas Vilnius is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The club was founded in 1997 from another club, Statyba, and has become one of the most successful Lithuanian basketball clubs. Rytas have won two EuroCup Ba ...
and
BC Neptūnas Basketball Club Neptūnas ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Neptūnas), commonly known as Neptūnas or Neptūnas Klaipėda, is a Lithuanian professional basketball team based in Klaipėda, Lithuania. The club participates in the Lithuanian Basketball League ...
, the top teams in Lithuania. In the playoffs, Lietkabelis beat
BC Vytautas BC Prienai ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Prienai), also known by the sponsor name Labas Gas, is a professional basketball club based in Prienai, Lithuania. They play domestically in Lithuanian Basketball League every year. During the 2008–09 season, ...
in the quarterfinals 3:0, then shocked Lietuvos rytas 3:1 in the semifinals before losing to Žalgiris in the LKL finals 1:4. Lietkabelis also reached the 2017 King Mindaugas Cup finals, also losing to Žalgiris 63:84. During the season, and the playoffs, Lietkabelis broke many attendance records in Panevėžys. The debut EuroCup season performance was not less pleasant for the club. On 12 October 2016,
Donatas Tarolis Donatas Tarolis (born March 30, 1994) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for CSM Oradea of the Romanian Liga Națională. Standing at , he plays as a power forward. Tarolis is a native of Gargždai. Professional career Tarolis start ...
buzzer-beater guaranteed Lietkabelis first 89–88 EuroCup victory in the history of the club against
KK MZT Skopje MZT Skopje Aerodrom ( mk, МЗТ Скопје Аеродром) is a basketball club based in Skopje, North Macedonia. The club competes in the Macedonian League and ABA League. The club's home ground is Jane Sandanski Arena, but due to small capa ...
. Lietkabelis continued their success in
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, defeating the Croatian champions
KK Cedevita Cedevita d.o.o. is a Croatian company which produces a wide range of teas, instant drinks, and dietetic products. A notable owner of the company was the Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva d.d. Since 2001 Cedevita has been part of the Atlantic ...
80–76. Another remarkable play was performed by Donatas Tarolis, whose put-back slam secured the victory with just 13 seconds remaining. On 23 November, the record of attendance was achieved, with 4427 spectators during the second game versus Cedevita, though Lietkabelis lost a tough rematch 68:69. Lietkabelis qualified to the Eurocup Top16, with a 3–5 record in the group stage with another win against MZT Skopje, though lost both games to the top teams in the group -
CB Gran Canaria Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria – Claret, S.A.D., is a professional basketball club based in Las Palmas, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is the Gran Canaria Arena. From 2012 until 2021, they have been sponsored by Herbalif ...
and
BC Nizhny Novgorod BC Nizhny Novgorod (russian: БК «Нижний Новгород»), commonly known as simply Nizhny Novgorod, also known as Pari Nizhny Novgorod for sponsorship reasons, is a Russian professional basketball club from the city of Nizhny Novgorod ...
. Lietkabelis played in Group F against former tournament champion
BC Khimki BC Khimki (russian: БК Химки) is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Khimki, Moscow Oblast. The club's senior men's first team participates in the Russian Basketball Super League 1. The club's full official name is BC Kh ...
, and German giants
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
and
ratiopharm Ulm Ratiopharm Ulm, officially stylized as ratiopharm Ulm, is a professional basketball club based in Ulm, Germany. The club has two teams, one professional team, which plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the major German professional league and one ...
. While Lietkabelis did not manage to defeat Khimki and Bayern, they won both games against a powerful
ratiopharm Ulm Ratiopharm Ulm, officially stylized as ratiopharm Ulm, is a professional basketball club based in Ulm, Germany. The club has two teams, one professional team, which plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the major German professional league and one ...
team, and finished the Eurocup Top16 phase with a respectable 2–4 record. On 13 June 2017, it was announced that in the 2017–2018 season Lietkabelis for a second straight time will participate in the EuroCup competition. Consequently, the team successfully extended contracts with the Lavrinovič twins, signed former long-term
Lithuania men's national basketball team The Lithuania men's national basketball team ( lt, Lietuvos nacionalinė vyrų krepšinio rinktinė) represents Lithuania in international basketball competitions. They are controlled by the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, the governing body f ...
member
Simas Jasaitis Simas Jasaitis (born 26 March 1982) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Dzūkija of the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga, Lithuania Basketball League (LKL). He also represented the Lithuania men's national basketball team, Lithuanian nat ...
and candidate of the national team
Adas Juškevičius Adas Juškevičius (born 3 January 1989) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. He is a tall combo guard. Professional career Tecnyconta Zaragoza (2016–2017) On 9 November 2016, Juške ...
, who later played during the
EuroBasket 2017 EuroBasket 2017 was the 40th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe and held between 31 August and 17 September 2017. Beginning from 2017, the continental championships take place every four years with a similar ...
. The team retained their respectable status by starting the
2017–18 LKL season The 2017–18 Lietuvos krepšinio lyga, also called Betsafe-LKL for sponsorship reasons, was the 25th season of the top-tier level professional basketball league of Lithuania, the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga (LKL). The season started in September 201 ...
with a perfect 8–0 record and the 2017–18 EuroCup season by defeating the Israeli League champions
Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...
86–72. The struggles began for the team after the second game in the Eurocup - a crushing away defeat to
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
57:93. After a loss at home to
Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia Pallacanestro Reggiana, also known for sponsorship reasons as UnaHotels Reggio Emilia, is an Italian professional basketball team based in Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. It plays in the LBA as of the 2022-23 season. History 1970s Pallacanestro ...
75:82, Lietkabelis rebounded with a surprising away win against Galatasaray Odeabank 78:73 and a win at home against
KK Budućnost KK Budućnost (, ), currently known as Budućnost VOLI () for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball Sports club, club based in Podgorica, Montenegro. The club competes in Montenegrin Basketball League, Adriatic League and EuroCup Bas ...
86:79, after a strong performance by Adas Juškevičius, who scored 32 points and hit 9 three-pointers, 7 of which came in the first quarter. After the first round of the Eurocup, Lietkabelis had a 3–2 record. The second round became a disaster – Lietkabelis lost an away game to Hapoel 81:93, followed by a loss to FC Bayern 87:88 at home. Head coach
Artūrs Štālbergs Artūrs Štālbergs (born October 15, 1984) is a Latvian professional basketball coach for BK Liepājas Lauvas. He is also a former player. Playing career Štālbergs started basketball career in his hometown Liepāja. In 2003, he moved to USA w ...
was shockingly fired after a few upset losses in the LKL, replaced by assistant
Vitaliy Cherniy Vitaliy Cherniy (born 1971) is a Ukrainian basketball coach and former player. Today he is the coach of BC Kyiv, a member of the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague, and a former head coach of Ukraine national basketball team. Career Vitaliy Cherni ...
. Lietkabelis shocked Grissin Bon with an 85:82 away win in Reggio Emilia after the changes, but that did not save the team. Tough losses to Galatasaray 77:84 at home, and 62:76 to KK Budućnost in Podgorica left Lietkabelis with a 4–6 record and a game out of the Top16 round, ending the competition in disappointment. In the LKL, after an 8–0 start, which included dominating wins against Lietuvos rytas 97:81 at Vilnius and a home win over Neptūnas 88:76, Lietkabelis climbed to 1st place in the standings. The streak was snapped by Žalgiris in Kaunas, 90:92. After a shocking loss to
BC Vytautas BC Prienai ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Prienai), also known by the sponsor name Labas Gas, is a professional basketball club based in Prienai, Lithuania. They play domestically in Lithuanian Basketball League every year. During the 2008–09 season, ...
, the last place team in the LKL, coach Štālbergs was fired. Assistant coach Cherniy briefly took over, before
Ramūnas Butautas Ramūnas Butautas (born 22 May 1964 in Kaunas) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach who last coached Lietkabelis Panevėžys of the Lithuanian Basketball League. He is the son of Stepas Butautas. In 2017, Butautas was elected as the he ...
took over as head coach. Point guards
Gary Talton William Gary Talton II (born March 29, 1990) is an American basketball player for Anorthosis B.C., Anorthosis of the Cyprus Basketball Division 1. He played college basketball at Navarro College, Mountain View College (Texas), Mountain View Colle ...
and
Adas Juškevičius Adas Juškevičius (born 3 January 1989) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. He is a tall combo guard. Professional career Tecnyconta Zaragoza (2016–2017) On 9 November 2016, Juške ...
left the team, and were replaced by the talented
Arnas Velička Arnas Velička (born 10 December 1999) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Niners Chemnitz of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). Professional career In 2015, after solid performance in FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship he signed w ...
and
Dominik Mavra Dominik Mavra (born June 15, 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player who currently plays for Split of the Croatian League. Standing at , he plays the point guard and shooting guard positions. Professional career He started playing b ...
. In the 2018 King Mindaugas Cup, Lietkabelis defeated
BC Pieno žvaigždės BC Pieno žvaigždės ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Pieno žvaigždės) is a professional basketball club from Pasvalys, Lithuania which currently plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). The club name comes from the main sponsor Pieno žvaigžd ...
86:76 in the quarterfinals, qualifying to the Final Four. Facing Žalgiris in a previous year's finals rematch, Lietkabelis lost 74:88, and defeated
BC Dzūkija BC Dzūkija ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Dzūkija) was a basketball club located in Alytus, Lithuania. It was founded in 2012 and participated in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga (LKL). It was the newest basketball club based in Alytus after BC Alita and B ...
in a hard-fought game 81:78 to win third place. What followed was a string of losses in the LKL, with Lietkabelis quickly falling out of contention for first place in the standings. Losses to Lietuvos rytas and Neptūnas meant the team finished only fourth in the regular season, a disappointing finish. In the playoffs, Lietkabelis defeated
BC Šiauliai BC Šiauliai ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Šiauliai) is the professional basketball club of Šiauliai, Lithuania. The club competes in the Lithuanian Basketball League. It has won the 3rd place award (behind Lithuanian basketball giants Lietuvos Rytas ...
3:1 in the quarterfinals, thanks to veteran leadership and a great series by team leader
Žanis Peiners Žanis Peiners (born 1 August 1990) is a Latvian professional basketball player. He is 2.05 m (6 ft  in) tall shooting guard-small forward. Professional career In 2009, he started pro career with VEF Rīga. After that season, he ...
. In the semifinals, Lietkabelis faced Žalgiris - by this point, Lietkabelis was no match against the LKL champions and one of the best teams in the Euroleague, and lost the series in a disappointing 0:3 fashion. In the third place series, Lietkabelis faced
BC Neptūnas Basketball Club Neptūnas ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Neptūnas), commonly known as Neptūnas or Neptūnas Klaipėda, is a Lithuanian professional basketball team based in Klaipėda, Lithuania. The club participates in the Lithuanian Basketball League ...
, coached by
Kazys Maksvytis Kazys Maksvytis (born 15 June 1977) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach who is currently the head coach for Lithuania men's national basketball team and Žalgiris Kaunas. Coaching career Professional clubs From 2011 to 2012, Maksvyt ...
, who a season before coached Lietkabelis to the Eurocup Top16, and the finals of both LKL and KMT. After winning the first game in Klaipėda, 83:69, Lietkabelis lost at home 69:71.
Donatas Tarolis Donatas Tarolis (born March 30, 1994) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for CSM Oradea of the Romanian Liga Națională. Standing at , he plays as a power forward. Tarolis is a native of Gargždai. Professional career Tarolis start ...
had the best game of his career, finishing with a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds. Neptūnas went on to win the next two games, 79:71 at home and a second 89:78 win in Panevėžys. Lietkabelis suffered disappointment, losing the series 1:3, and finishing in fourth place. The finish in the LKL prevented Lietkabelis from playing in the Eurocup. The team then moved to FIBA, to the
Basketball Champions League The Basketball Champions League (BCL) is an annual professional basketball competition for European clubs, organised by FIBA. It is the top-level competition organised by FIBA Europe, therefore the champion participates in the FIBA Intercontin ...
. Initially, Lietkabelis was supposed play in the qualifying round, but after one of the teams,
Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...
, announced withdrew from the competition, Lietkabelis earned a place in the
2018–19 Basketball Champions League The 2018–19 Basketball Champions League was the third season of the Basketball Champions League (BCL), a European-wide professional basketball competition for clubs, that was launched by FIBA. The competition began in September 2018, with the qu ...
regular season, joining group C along with defending champion
AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greece, Greek multi-sport club based in Nea ...
,
Antwerp Giants Antwerp Giants, named Telenet Giants Antwerp for sponsorship reasons, are a Belgian professional basketball club based in Antwerp. Their home arena is Lotto Arena. The club plays in the BNXT League, the highest tier of Belgian basketball. The clu ...
,
ČEZ Nymburk Basketball Nymburk, also known as ERA Nymburk due to sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball team that is based in the town of Nymburk. The club plays in the top-tier level professional Czech National League (NBL). Nymburk regularly pl ...
, Montakit Fuenlabrada,
Hapoel Jerusalem Hapoel Jerusalem is a sport organization in Jerusalem as a local branch of the Hapoel movement. The branch was established in the 1920s and represents the city in more sports than any other sport organization in Jerusalem. Today, the club's leadi ...
,
JDA Dijon Jeanne d'Arc Dijon Basket, commonly known as JDA Dijon Basket or simply Dijon, is a professional basketball club from the city of Dijon, France. The club currently plays in the LNB Pro A, the French French basketball league system, first tier divis ...
and last year's Euroleague participant
Brose Bamberg Brose Bamberg is a German professional basketball team from Bamberg, Franconia / North Bavaria. The club has won the German Championship title nine times and the German Cup five times. The club currently plays in the German top tier Basketba ...
. Much of the roster of the previous season left, with the biggest losses being the Lavrinovič twins, Peiners, Lorenzo Williams. Simas Jasaitis remained with Lietkabelis, and was named the team captain. Lietkabelis then signed solid players like point guard
Jamar Wilson Jamar J. Wilson (born February 22, 1984) is an American-Finnish professional basketball player for Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the LNB Pro B. Standing at , he plays at the point guard position. High school career Wilson attended Our Savior New Am ...
, center Mike Morrison, guards
Fran Pilepić Fran Pilepić (born May 5, 1989) is a Croatian professional basketball player for Club Ourense Baloncesto in the LEB Oro. Standing at , he plays the shooting guard position. Professional career On June 30, 2014, he signed a three-year deal with ...
and
Paulius Valinskas Paulius Valinskas (born 9 December 1995) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for FMP of the Basketball League of Serbia and the ABA League. He is a 1.91 m (6'3") tall combo guard. Early career During the 2015–16 season with BC ...
from Žalgiris, forwards Vytenis Lipkevičius and
Saulius Kulvietis Saulius Kulvietis (born February 14, 1991) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Śląsk Wrocław of the PLK. Standing at , he plays at the small forward and power forward positions. Professional career On July 29, 2018, Kulvietis s ...
and center from Juventus
Mindaugas Kupšas Mindaugas Kupšas (born 9 April 1991) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Kaohsiung Aquas of the T1 League. Standing at , he plays at the center position. Professional career Kupšas played for Lietkabelis in the 2012–13 season ...
. Longtime club player
Ernestas Ežerskis Ernestas Ežerskis (born 5 May 1987 in Panevėžys, Lithuanian SSR) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player, for Lietkabelis Panevėžys of the Lithuanian Basketball League, but on loan for BC Ežerūnas of the National Basketball League ...
also returned to the team. Longtime assistant
Gintaras Kadžiulis Gintaras Kadžiulis (born 29 March 1980) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. His playing position was combo guard. Professional career Born in Panevėžys, Kadžiulis started his professional basketball career at th ...
was named the head coach. Despite having one of the strongest teams in the LKL, by November, Lietkabelis was only in fourth place. In the Champions League, Lietkabelis suffered losses at home to Antwerp Giants 87:91, and away losses to Hapoel Jerusalem 67:81 and Brose Bamberg 77:82, only scoring one win against ČEZ Nymburk at home, 97:86. At this point, Lietkabelis was 1–3. Changes were made, first by bringing in Jonas Vainauskas, the man behind much of BC Rytas success, as sports director. After the loss in Bamberg, Gintaras Kadžiulis was replaced in the coaching position by
Nenad Čanak Nenad Čanak ( sr-Cyrl, Ненад Чанак, ; born 2 November 1959) is a Serbian politician. He is the co-founder and former leader of the centre-left League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina. He was the President of the Assembly of Vojvodina f ...
. Vainauskas as sports director only lasted for two months - until his termination on 28 December 2018. During his tenure, Vainauskas made a lot of changes within the team - Lipkevičius, Ežerskis, Morrison and Pilepić all left and were replaced by guards Stefan Sinovec, Marko Čakarević, Davis Lejasmeiers, center
Žiga Dimec Žiga Dimec (born February 20, 1993) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for Anwil Włocławek of the PLK. He also represents the Slovenian national basketball team. Professional career Dimec played in youth categories with Zlatorog L ...
and new point guard
Vaidas Kariniauskas Vaidas Kariniauskas (born 16 November 1993) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Rapid București of the Liga Națională. Standing at , he primarily plays at the point guard position. Professional career Kariniauskas won the NKL ...
, who played for the team in the 2014 season, Vainauskas also wanted to release Wilson, but he remained with the team. The results were mixed - in the Champions League, the changes helped the team finish the first round strong, with home wins over JDA Dijon 78:62, and Montakit Fuenlabrada 78:67, with only one loss away to champions AEK Athens, 59:65, and with a 3–4 record, were in a playoff position. During Vainauskas tenure, Lietkabelis also defeated Rytas in an away match in Vilnius, 94:83. During December–March, turmoil followed - Kariniauskas was released in controversial fashion, the results continued to decline at an enormous rate. Lietkabelis only won two games out of seven in the second round of the Champions League, finishing with a 5–9 record, fifth place, and out of the playoffs. In the LKL, Lietkabelis struggled so much, that cross-town rival
BC Pieno žvaigždės BC Pieno žvaigždės ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Pieno žvaigždės) is a professional basketball club from Pasvalys, Lithuania which currently plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). The club name comes from the main sponsor Pieno žvaigžd ...
actually tied for fourth place and for a brief time, Lietkabelis fell to fifth. The signing of
Ike Iroegbu Ikenna Ugochukwu Iroegbu (born March 14, 1995) is an American-born Nigerian basketball player for Treviso Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Iroegbu played college basketball for Washington State University, and is a member of the Nigerian ...
helped the team. Lietkabelis won third place in the
King Mindaugas Cup King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
. Success against
BC Neptūnas Basketball Club Neptūnas ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Neptūnas), commonly known as Neptūnas or Neptūnas Klaipėda, is a Lithuanian professional basketball team based in Klaipėda, Lithuania. The club participates in the Lithuanian Basketball League ...
and
BC Rytas Rytas Vilnius is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The club was founded in 1997 from another club, Statyba, and has become one of the most successful Lithuanian basketball clubs. Rytas have won two EuroCup ...
, who Lietkabelis beat in the season series, helped Lietkabelis regain fourth place, at 23–13. Valinskas heavily improved during this time, becoming one of the team leaders. Lietkabelis beat Pieno žvaigždės 2:0 in the quarterfinals. In the LKL semifinals, Lietkabelis was no match against Žalgiris Kaunas, losing 0:2. In the third place series, Lietkabelis lost to Neptūnas 0:3. During the summer, Kupšas, Dimec, Wilson, Tarolis, Valinskas and Iroegbu all left the team. Lietkabelis signed
Martynas Sajus Martynas Sajus (born 22 February 1996) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Río Breogán of the Liga ACB. Professional career On 9 July 2014, Sajus signed a five-year (3+2) contract with Žalgiris Kaunas and started to play for t ...
, Femi Olujobi and
Željko Šakić Željko Šakić (born April 14, 1988) is a Croatian professional basketball player currently playing for UNICS of the VTB United League. Standing at , he plays the forward positions. Playing history Šakić started playing basketball in the Cib ...
as the front court. Lietkabelis also signed
Tomas Lekūnas Tomas Lekūnas (born April 6, 1993 in Lithuania) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. Professional career Lekūnas started his professional career in KK Akademija Vilnius in 2010. International career He won silver medal with Lithuani ...
, from BC Pieno žvaigždės, and
Tomas Dimša Tomas Dimša (born 2 January 1994) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the LKL and the EuroLeague. He mostly plays at the shooting guard position. Professional career Before starting his professional career, ...
from
BC Juventus BC Juventus ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Juventus), also known as Uniclub Casino Juventus for sponsorship reasons, is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Utena, Lithuania. Founded in 1999, the club currently plays in the Lithuanian Bas ...
, and Gabrielius Maldūnas from
BC Nevėžis BC Nevėžis ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Nevėžis), commonly known as Nevėžis Kėdainiai, also known as Nevėžis-OPTIBET due to sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Kėdainiai, Lithuania. The club currently competes in ...
, who had great games against Lietkabelis in the previous LKL season. Ken Brown was signed to replace Wilson as the new point guard.
Margiris Normantas Margiris ,,Margo" Normantas (born 27 October 1996) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Rytas Vilnius of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). Standing at , he mainly plays at the shooting guard position. Early career Before s ...
was signed after a great showing in the pre-season. Marius Valinskas, brother of Paulius, signed to a long-term contract in the summer. Coach Čanak remained with the team. Lietkabelis qualified for the
2019–20 Basketball Champions League The 2019–20 Basketball Champions League is the fourth season of the Basketball Champions League (BCL), a European-wide professional basketball competition for clubs, that was launched by FIBA. The competition began in September 2019, with the qu ...
by defeating
Keravnos Keravnos B.C. (Greek: Γυμναστικός Σύλλογος Στροβόλου «Ο Κεραυνός»), also known as Keravnos Strovolou, is a professional basketball club based in Strovolos, Nicosia, Cyprus. It plays its home games in the ...
in the qualifying round, on aggregate 148-137 (71-55 away, and 77–82 at home). Playing in Group A, along with
Türk Telekom Türk Telekom is a state-owned Turkish telecommunications company. Türk Telekom was separated from Turkish Post (PTT) in 1995. Türk Telekom Group provides integrated telecommunication services for PSTN, GSM, and wide-band Internet. The Türk ...
,
Dinamo Sassari Polisportiva Dinamo, commonly known as Dinamo Sassari and currently known as Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Sassari, Sardinia. They are the current European Cu ...
, Baxi Manresa,
Hapoel Holon Hapoel Holon Basketball Club ( he, מועדון הכדורסל הפועל חולון), known for sponsorship reasons as Hapoel Atsmon Playgrounds Holon (), is a professional basketball club based in Holon, Israel. The team plays in the Israeli B ...
,
SIG Strasbourg Strasbourg Illkirch-Graffenstaden Basket, most commonly known as SIG Basket or SIG Strasbourg, is a French professional basketball club that is based in Strasbourg. The club, founded in 1929, competes domestically in the French Pro A League, and i ...
,
Filou Oostende Basketball Club Oostende, for sponsorship reasons Filou Oostende, is a Belgian professional basketball team. The club is based in Ostend and was founded in 1970. The club competes domestically in the BNXT League and internationally in the Baske ...
and
Polski Cukier Toruń Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
, Lietkabelis started the regular season 0–4. Brown was released due to erratic play, and Paulius Valinskas returned to the team in November. Lietkabelis then made a miraculous comeback in the competition, sparked by amazing play by Šakić and Dimša, and on the final day of the regular season, an away win over Hapoel Holon 69:68, helped Lietkabelis reach the Champions League playoffs for the first time in club history, with a 7–7 record. Olujobi was released and replaced by Gilvydas Biruta, while
Rihards Kuksiks Rihards Kuksiks (born July 17, 1988) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Pieno žvaigždės Pasvalys of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). He is also a member of the senior Latvia national basketball team. College career 200 ...
replaced Lekūnas, out due to a season ending injury. In the Champions League, Lietkabelis lost to
Casademont Zaragoza Basket Zaragoza 2002 S.A.D., more commonly referred to as Basket Zaragoza and as Casademont Zaragoza for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Zaragoza, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is th ...
0:2, and were eliminated from the tournament. Owing to the
Coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, the LKL season was ended prematurely - in a hugely disappointing development, Lietkabelis suffered what at first seemed an insignificant loss to
BC Pieno žvaigždės BC Pieno žvaigždės ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Pieno žvaigždės) is a professional basketball club from Pasvalys, Lithuania which currently plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). The club name comes from the main sponsor Pieno žvaigžd ...
before the pandemic - the loss, though, allowed Rytas Vilnius to finish the season second, one win over Lietkabelis, who finished in third place. In the
King Mindaugas Cup King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, Lietkabelis also won third place. Much of the roster departed during the summer, in particular Šakić and Dimša, team leaders, being the most painful departures. Coach Čanak remained with the team.


2020-present: EuroCup years

Lietkabelis was invited to join the EuroCup after Rytas left for the FIBA
Basketball Champions League The Basketball Champions League (BCL) is an annual professional basketball competition for European clubs, organised by FIBA. It is the top-level competition organised by FIBA Europe, therefore the champion participates in the FIBA Intercontin ...
during the summer of 2020. Playing in a very strong group, with Virtus Segafredo Bologna,
Lokomotiv Kuban PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (russian: ПБК «Локомотив Кубань») is a Russian professional basketball team based in Krasnodar. The club participates in the VTB United League. The team is one of the top tier basketball teams in Russia. T ...
,
AS Monaco Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA, commonly referred to as AS Monaco () or Monaco, is a professional football club based in Monaco that is member of French Football Federation (FFF) and competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of Fre ...
, MoraBanc Andorra and Antwerp Giants, Telenet Giants Antwerp, Lietkabelis finished the season with 2-8 record, one win away from qualification to the Top 16 phase. Kyle Vinales and
Margiris Normantas Margiris ,,Margo" Normantas (born 27 October 1996) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Rytas Vilnius of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). Standing at , he mainly plays at the shooting guard position. Early career Before s ...
were team leaders during EuroCup season, with players like Gytis Masiulis and late season signing Đorđe Gagić also having some strong games. Lietkabelis managed to reach the finals of the
King Mindaugas Cup King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, where they lost to Žalgiris Kaunas 69:76. In the LKL, Lietkabelis won third place for the second season in a row, by beating
BC Juventus BC Juventus ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Juventus), also known as Uniclub Casino Juventus for sponsorship reasons, is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Utena, Lithuania. Founded in 1999, the club currently plays in the Lithuanian Bas ...
3:2 in the bronze medal series, qualifying once again for the EuroCup for the next season. During the summer of the 2021, many players departed from the team. Normantas returned to Rytas, while Masiulis, Vinales, Valinskas, and many other important players for the team leaving. Coach Čanak remained with the team. During the summer, Lietkabelis signed Gediminas Orelik, Dovydas Giedraitis, Karolis Giedraitis, Nikola Radičević, Kaspars Bērziņš, Kristupas Žemaitis, also re-signed Lipkevičius, Maldūnas and Gagić to new contracts. Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, one of the best players during the LKL playoffs, also re-signed. While the team was largely considered good for the LKL, in the EuroCup, Lietkabelis, on paper, looked like one of the weakest teams in the competition. Facing the strongest possible competition, Club Joventut Badalona, Juventut Badalona,
Lokomotiv Kuban PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (russian: ПБК «Локомотив Кубань») is a Russian professional basketball team based in Krasnodar. The club participates in the VTB United League. The team is one of the top tier basketball teams in Russia. T ...
(disqualified during the season due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine), KK Partizan, Partizan NIS, Metropolitans 92, MoraBanc Andorra,
Türk Telekom Türk Telekom is a state-owned Turkish telecommunications company. Türk Telekom was separated from Turkish Post (PTT) in 1995. Türk Telekom Group provides integrated telecommunication services for PSTN, GSM, and wide-band Internet. The Türk ...
, Hamburg Towers, Śląsk Wrocław and Aquila Basket Trento, Dolomiti Energia Trento, Lietkabelis shocked everyone - dominant home wins over Juventut, Partizan, Andorra and Metropolitans, great performances even in away games (during the previous season, Lietkabelis had lost all away games), and a 9-7 record helped Lietkabelis reach the EuroCup playoffs. Orelik, Dovydas Giedraitis, Kalaitzakis, Žemaitis had their best seasons of their careers, players like Lipkevičius and Gagić had their ressurgence as well. In the EuroCup playoffs, Lietkabelis faced Virtus Segafredo Bologna, fighting to the very end before losing 67:75, to a team that went on to win the EuroCup later during the season. In the LKL, Lietkabelis initially had some struggles, though quickly became one of the top teams at the standings as the season progressed. In the
King Mindaugas Cup King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
, Lietkabelis also had a great run. Playing in Vilnius, without Gagić, out due to COVID, and an injury to top point guard Radičević, Lietkabelis faced the hosts Rytas Vilnius in the semifinals, also one of the favorites of the tournament. Down even in double figures, Lietkabelis fought back, and managed to shock Rytas with a 82:80 win to qualify for the finals - for the second year in a row. During the game, much of the crowd actually started cheering for Lietkabelis. In the finals, Lietkabelis faced Žalgiris Kaunas. Having almost no front court, Lietkabelis was destroyed in the paint, and lost the finals 66:91 to Žalgiris. In the LKL, however, Lietkabelis looked to make history - a dominant win against Žalgiris 85:67, in April, assured that Lietkabelis would face Žalgiris again in the LKL semifinals, as Žalgiris would fail to win the LKL regular season. In the LKL playoffs, Lietkabelis beat
BC Juventus BC Juventus ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Juventus), also known as Uniclub Casino Juventus for sponsorship reasons, is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Utena, Lithuania. Founded in 1999, the club currently plays in the Lithuanian Bas ...
3:0 in the quarterfinals. At the start of the semifinals, Lietkabelis lost the first game to Žalgiris 70:71, in controversial fashion, in Kaunas. In Panevėžys, however, Lietkabelis made a comeback - Lietkabelis dominated the game to win 79:55, the biggest loss for Žalgiris ever in the semifinals. In Kaunas, during the third game of the series, Lietkabelis showed why they went so far the EuroCup - down by double digits for most of the game, a huge run in the fourth quarter helped Lietkabelis take a shocking 73:69 away win over Žalgiris, with Lietkabelis taking the lead in the series. In Panevėžys, Lietkabelis did what no other team for almost 30 years in the LKL had done - a 86:75 win over Žalgiris, a 3:1 series win ended the historic 11 year run of Žalgiris as LKL champions, and for the first time in history, Žalgiris had failed to make the LKL finals. Lietkabelis also saw many huge crowds during the series, and qualified to the LKL finals for the second time, after 2017. In the LKL finals, Lietkabelis faced Rytas Vilnius, and in the first game of the series, shocked Rytas with a 77:68 victory in Vilnius. However, that would be it for Lietkabelis, as Rytas won the next four games and won the series 4:1. Despite the loss, Lietkabelis returned to the city as heroes, with thousands of fans showing up to support the team for their amazing efforts during the season. Lietkabelis once again earned a spot in the EuroCup, for the 2022-2023 season.


Players


Current roster


Depth chart


Squad changes for/during the 2022–23 season


In


Out


Honours


Domestic competitions

*List of Lithuanian basketball league champions, Lithuanian SSR Championship : Winners (2): 1985, 1988 *Lithuanian Basketball League :Runners-up (2): 2017, 2022 :3rd place (2): 2020, 2021 *
King Mindaugas Cup King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
:Runners-up (3): 2017, 2021, 2022 :3rd place (3): 2018, 2019, 2020


Regional competitions

*Baltic Basketball League, BBL Challenge Cup :Winners (2): 2005, 2012 :3rd place (2): 2010, 2011 *Baltic Basketball League, BBL Championship :3rd place (1): 2016


Club achievements

::Detailed information of former rosters and results.


Notable players

To appear in this section a player must be either: * A player who has played at least 3 seasons (if foreign player) or 5 seasons (if Lithuanian player) for the club. * A player who has won an #Individual awards, individual award. * A Lithuanian player who has played for the Lithuania men's national basketball team, Lithuanian national basketball team. * A foreign international player who has significantly contributed into the results of the club. * A Lithuanian player who has significantly contributed into the results of the club. * Lithuanians: * Egidijus Karalevičius 1993–1994 *
Žydrūnas Urbonas Žydrūnas Urbonas (born October 4, 1976, in Zarasai, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR) is a former Lithuanian professional basketball player, who is the current head coach of Juventus Utena. Playing career Urbonas made his profession ...
1993–1994, 1995–1998, 2007–2008 * Paulius Staškūnas 1993–1998, 2001–2002, 2003–2004, 2005–2009 * Dainius Pleta 1994–1997 * Gintaras Bačianskas 1994–1995, 1996–1997 * Gintaras Leonavičius (1957), Gintaras Leonavičius 1994–1996 * Andrius Vyšniauskas 1996–1998 * Gediminas Ramonas 1996–1999 *
Gintaras Kadžiulis Gintaras Kadžiulis (born 29 March 1980) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. His playing position was combo guard. Professional career Born in Panevėžys, Kadžiulis started his professional basketball career at th ...
1996–1999 * Gintaras Stulga 1998–1999, 2000–2001 *
Mindaugas Lukauskis Mindaugas Lukauskis aka "The Legend", "Iron man", (born May 19, 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. Lukauskis is a holder of numerous Lithuanian League records. Professional car ...
1996–2001, 2016–2017 * Saulius Raziulis 1993–1994, 1998–2001 * Nerijus Varnelis 1997–1998, 2006–2007 * Marius Janišius 2002–2004, 2008–2009 * Tomas Gaidamavičius 2004–2007 * Giedrius Jankauskas 2004–2007 * Mindaugas Budzinauskas 2007–2008 * Darius Griškėnas 2007–2010, 2012–2015 * Aidas Viskontas 2009–2010 * Gytis Sirutavičius 2004–2005, 2009–2010, 2012–2013 * Egidijus Dimša 2010–2011, 2014–2015 * Vaidas Čepukaitis 2011–2012 * Edgaras Ulanovas 2012–2013 * Vaidotas Volkus 2012–2013 * Vytenis Čižauskas 2014 * Dainius Šalenga 2014–2015 * Žygimantas Janavičius 2014, 2016–2017 * Evaldas Žabas 2014–2015 *
Darjuš Lavrinovič Darjuš Lavrinovič ( pl, Dariusz Ławrynowicz, born 1 November 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the BC Vytis of the National Basketball League. He is 2.12m (6' 11½") in height. He plays the center position. He is also a ...
2016–2018 *
Kšyštof Lavrinovič Kšyštof Lavrinovič ( pl, Krzysztof Ławrynowicz; born November 1, 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the BC Vytis of the National Basketball League. He plays at the power forward and center positions. Professional career ...
2016–2018 * Žygimantas Skučas 2016–2018 * Lithuanians (cont): * Valdas Vasylius 2008–2009, 2010–2011, 2013–2015 *
Adas Juškevičius Adas Juškevičius (born 3 January 1989) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. He is a tall combo guard. Professional career Tecnyconta Zaragoza (2016–2017) On 9 November 2016, Juške ...
2017–2018 *
Simas Jasaitis Simas Jasaitis (born 26 March 1982) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for BC Dzūkija of the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga, Lithuania Basketball League (LKL). He also represented the Lithuania men's national basketball team, Lithuanian nat ...
2017–2019 * Foreigners: * Chris Hill (point guard), Christopher Hill 2007–2009 * Robert Griffin (basketball), Robert Griffin 2007–2008 * Demarius Bolds 2008–2009 * Goran Vrbanc 2013–2014 * Jurica Žuža 2014–2015 * Brandon Wood (basketball), Brandon Wood 2015 * Lorenzo Williams 2016–2018 * Ben Madgen 2016–2017 *
Žanis Peiners Žanis Peiners (born 1 August 1990) is a Latvian professional basketball player. He is 2.05 m (6 ft  in) tall shooting guard-small forward. Professional career In 2009, he started pro career with VEF Rīga. After that season, he ...
2017–2018 *
Jamar Wilson Jamar J. Wilson (born February 22, 1984) is an American-Finnish professional basketball player for Boulazac Basket Dordogne of the LNB Pro B. Standing at , he plays at the point guard position. High school career Wilson attended Our Savior New Am ...
2018–2019 * Panagiotis Kalaitzakis 2021–2022 * Nikola Radičević 2021–2022


References


External links


Official website of BC Lietkabelis

BC Lietkabelis LKL.lt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lietkabelis BC Lietkabelis, Basketball teams in Lithuania Sport in Panevėžys KK Panevėžys Basketball teams established in 1964