By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
How can a small club from Lithuania which was established just in 1994, can make global headlines? You guessed the answer.
Vytautas Prienai already did this and no matter what happens after that, makes no difference. Europe is not the right place for most US teenagers to develop their game and you can read here why. Having said that, however, a club was found that’s interested mainly in the publicity that the Balls brother can bring.
“We saw Lietkabelis publicizing the fact that they have been approached by an agent representing the Ball brothers and we just got in touch with him and put forward the idea of them playing for Vytautas,” the club’s director Adomas Kubilius said to the Lithuanian League website.
“We committed to giving them opportunities in the Baltic Basketball League. We will have to see about the Betsafe LKL and whether they are good enough to play here. There is a clause to terminate the contract after a month, so it’s more of an experiment at this stage,” said club’s representative. “We committed to giving them opportunities in the Baltic Basketball League. We will have to see about the Betsafe LKL and whether they are good enough to play here.”
The two brothers are expected to arrive in Lithuania on January 4th and they are expected to debut on the 9th of the same month against Tsmoki Minsk in the BBL, a low-level local league that includes clubs from Baltic countries.
“We discussed the matter with the coaches and the players. The players took to the idea and found it fun – why not give it a try? The coach is also looking forward to the extra challenge,” Kubilius explained.
The management of the Prienai side is now looking for American companies, who would be interested in becoming a jersey sponsor of the club for a fee of €50,000. “That is one of our goals,” he confirmed.