The European basketball scene is shaking! Lithuania, once a basketball powerhouse, has announced a wider roster of 16 players for the upcoming EuroBasket — but without one of their biggest stars, Domantas Sabonis! Yes, you read that right. Sabonis, along with Kasparas Jakučionis, Matas Buzelis, Edgaras Ulanovas, and Arnas Butkevičius, will not be part of the team. Injured Ignas Brazdeikis is almost certainly out, and three more players will drop before the tournament starts. Lithuania will compete in a group with Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, and Montenegro, and coach Rimas Kurtinaitis is under huge pressure to get the most out of the available squad.
Jonas Valančiūnas, one of the few big names on the list, is returning to Europe and is expected to finalize a move to Panathinaikos, while his agent has stated that Australian center Jock Landale will not leave the NBA. This situation casts a shadow over Lithuania’s ambitions, traditionally one of Europe’s strongest basketball nations.
Can Rimas Kurtinaitis assemble a team that can stand up to Europe’s heavyweights? Or will Lithuania once again be just a shadow of its former basketball glory? EuroBasket kicks off on August 27, and everyone will be watching how this drama unfolds on the court.
Meanwhile, other interesting basketball news is happening: Kris Duarte is the new player for Unicaja, Tyson Carter has left Unicaja, and the Denver Nuggets have kicked off free agency with some key trades. But all that pales in comparison to Lithuania’s crisis and Valančiūnas’s return to Europe.
If you thought basketball drama was reserved only for the NBA, think again. Europe has its own stories, and Lithuania is currently in the spotlight. Will you be following how this saga plays out? Or do you have a favorite to win the title? Drop a comment and let’s see who the real European basketball expert is!
