Mantas Kalnietis (born 6 September 1986) is a Lithuanian former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who last played for
Žalgiris Kaunas 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 ...
(LKL) and the
EuroLeague. He was also a member of the
Lithuanian 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 ...
. He would preferably take the
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
position, but could play
shooting guard
The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. A shooting guard's m ...
as well.
Early years
Kalnietis spent two and a half seasons with the
LKKA-Žalgiris. He averaged 17.7 points and 4.3 assists in his second season.
Professional career
Kalnietis made his pro debut in February 2006 with the
Žalgiris Kaunas. He averaged 6.8 points on 65 percent shooting in the
EuroLeague.
Kalnietis helped Žalgiris win a Baltic League title in 2008, two Lithuanian League titles in 2007 and 2008 and two Lithuanian Cups in 2007 and 2008. He also led the team to a 2007 ULEB Summer League title, where he was named MVP.
He competed at the Reebok Eurocamp in
Treviso
Treviso ( , ; vec, Trevixo) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 84,669 inhabitants (as of September 2017). Some 3,000 live within the Veneti ...
in 2006 and 2008.
Kalnietis had a breakout season in 2008–09, when he averaged 11.3 points in the Lithuanian League and 8.5 points and 3.0 assists in the EuroLeague. He scored a career-high 20 points in a loss against the
Montepaschi Siena
Mens Sana 1871 Basket is an Italian professional basketball club based in Siena. It is a section of the sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871.
Under the name Montepaschi Siena, derived from sponsor Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, ...
on 10 December 2008.
Kalnietis signed a three-year contract with the
Benetton Treviso in June 2009. However, because he had another one-year contract with Žalgiris Kaunas, FIBA arbiter's decided that he belonged to Žalgiris. On 27 December 2010, he signed a three-year extension with his hometown club Žalgiris Kaunas. In October 2012, however, he announced that he's interested in playing abroad for the first time in Russia's
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar. On 5 October, he signed a three-year contract with the team. On 18 December 2013, Kalnietis was named Lithuania Basketball Player of the Year. On 27 April 2015, he parted ways with Lokomotiv.
In July 2015, he joined the
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
for the
2015 NBA Summer League
The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA: the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League.
Ten teams participated in the week-long Orlando Pro Summer League a ...
. On 17 July 2015, he returned to Žalgiris Kaunas, signing a one-year contract. On 23 January 2016, he left Žalgiris and signed a 1.5-year contract with
Olimpia Milano
Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano, commonly known as Olimpia Milano or as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after its title sponsor, is an LBA Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy. Its colors are white and red, and the team is sometimes ...
.
On 24 July 2018, Kalnietis signed a one-year contract with
ASVEL
ASVEL Basket, commonly known as ASVEL or sometimes as ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, and also known as LDLC ASVEL for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional basketball team that is located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon, ...
of the French
LNB Pro A
The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...
.
In 2019, Kalnietis returned to the
PBC 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 ...
. On 25 October 2020, Kalnietis scored 11 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 17 assists and broke the
VTB United League
VTB United League (russian: Единая Лига ВТБ) is an international professional men's club basketball list of basketball leagues, league that was founded in 2008. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus an ...
's all-time record of assists in a single game.
On 21 June 2021, he has signed a two-year contract with
Žalgiris Kaunas, where his career had started.
National team career
Kalnietis started at point guard for the
Lithuanian 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 ...
that finished seventh in the
2006 FIBA World Championship
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised by ...
. He averaged 6.0 points and 2.8 assists. He also played at the
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship was the 16th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from 28 August to 12 September 2010. It was co-organised by the Inte ...
, as a starter, and won a
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
medal. He played in seven games for Lithuania at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, averaging 5.5 points. He led the Lithuanian national team during
EuroBasket 2013
EuroBasket 2013 was the 38th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It took place from 4 September until 22 September 2013 in Slovenia. The number of participating teams was 24.
France defeated Lithuania in th ...
to silver medals, averaging 12.1 points and 5 assists per game (the tournament's assist leader). He missed the
2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup
The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. Hosted by Spain, it was the last tournament to be held on the then-current four-year cycle ...
, due to a
clavicular
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the rig ...
dislocation, but returned to the national team at
EuroBasket 2015
EuroBasket 2015 was the 39th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It was co-hosted by Croatia, France, Germany, and Latvia, making it the first EuroBasket held in more than one country. It started on 5 Sept ...
. During the same championship, on 7 September, versus the
Belgian national team, he achieved the
EuroBasket
EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...
's all-time single-game record of 13 assists, only to be tied days later for the same record by
Miloš Teodosić
Miloš Teodosić ( sr-cyr, Милош Теодосић, born March 19, 1987) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the National Basketball ...
. The Lithuanian national team won their second straight silver medal in 2015, and Kalnietis was once again the tournament's assists leader, with an average of 7.8 assists per game. Furthermore, he dished out 70 assists in total, which is the all-time record of assists for a single EuroBasket. Kalnietis also remained assists leader in
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 ...
, averaging 7.2 per game.
Career statistics
EuroLeague
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2005–06
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan="7",
Žalgiris
, 4 , , 1 , , 16.4 , , .600 , , .333 , , .333 , , 2.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 6.8 , , 8.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2006–07
, 13 , , 1 , , 12.8 , , .560 , , .333 , , .500 , , 1.2 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .1 , , 4.0 , , 4.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2007–08
, 16 , , 0 , , 7.3 , , .357 , , .167 , , .444 , , .7 , , .8 , , .1 , , .0 , , 1.6 , , 1.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2008–09
, 10 , , 6 , , 24.6 , , .420 , , .310 , , .727 , , 2.3 , , 3.0 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 8.5 , , 7.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2009–10
, 16 , , 16 , , 30.1 , , .483 , , .275 , , .800 , , 2.8 , , 3.6 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 9.0 , , 10.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2010–11
, 15 , , 7 , , 22.2 , , .515 , , .371 , , .750 , , 2.8 , , 1.9 , , .2 , , .1 , , 9.1 , , 8.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2011–12
, 16 , , 12 , , 22.2 , , .408 , , .222 , , .636 , , 2.5 , , 3.7 , , .6 , , .1 , , 7.6 , , 7.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2013–14
, style="text-align:left;",
Lokomotiv
, 24 , , 19 , , 28.1 , , .457 , , .250 , , .658 , , 3.0 , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 9.4 , , 11.8
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2015–16
, style="text-align:left;",
Žalgiris
, 14 , , 12 , , 23.6 , , .356 , , .300 , , .857 , , 2.2 , , 4.1 , , .7 , , .1 , , 6.8 , , 5.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2016–17
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2",
Milano
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has ...
, 26 , , 9 , , 19.4 , , .435 , , .368 , , .667 , , 2.3 , , 2.9 , , .8 , , .1 , , 7.2 , , 7.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2017–18
, 20 , , 3 , , 16.3 , , .367 , , .382 , , .905 , , 1.8 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .1 , , 4.5 , , 4.9
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 174 , , 86 , , 20.7 , , .441 , , .303 , , .698 , , 2.2 , , 2.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 6.8 , , 7.2
EuroCup
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#AFE6BA;",
2012–13†
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2",
Lokomotiv
, 12 , , 10 , , 33.7 , , .493 , , .298 , , .500 , , 2.9 , , 4.9 , , .4 , , .3 , , 13.4 , , 14.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2014–15
, 5 , , 1 , , 12.8 , , .412 , , .286 , , 1.000 , , .8 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , .2 , , 3.4 , , 2.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2015–16
, style="text-align:left;",
Milano
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city has ...
, 6 , , 2 , , 22.1 , , .524 , , .389 , , .875 , , 1.3 , , 2.3 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 9.7 , , 9.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2018–19
, style="text-align:left;",
ASVEL
ASVEL Basket, commonly known as ASVEL or sometimes as ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, and also known as LDLC ASVEL for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional basketball team that is located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon, ...
, 18 , , 15 , , 25.0 , , .424 , , .360 , , .829 , , 2.9 , , 5.7 , , .9 , , .1 , , 10.2 , , 13.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2019–20
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2",
Lokomotiv
, 10 , , 5 , , 24.5 , , .516 , , .296 , , .813 , , 2.3 , , 3.5 , , .5 , , .2 , , 6.9 , , 8.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
, 18 , , 17 , , 28.0 , , .581 , , .379 , , .760 , , 2.8 , , 7.1 , , .7 , , .2 , , 8.7 , , 13.4
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 41 , , 28 , , 25.6 , , .462 , , .340 , , .714 , , 2.4 , , 4.5 , , .7 , , .2 , , 10.2 , , 11.8
References
External links
Euroleague.net profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalnietis, Mantas
1986 births
Living people
2006 FIBA World Championship players
2010 FIBA World Championship players
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup players
ASVEL Basket players
Basketball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Basketball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Kaunas
BC Žalgiris players
BC Žalgiris-2 players
Lega Basket Serie A players
Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in France
Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Italy
Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Russia
Lithuanian men's basketball players
Olimpia Milano players
Olympic basketball players of Lithuania
Pallacanestro Treviso players
PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban players
Point guards