By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
The general manager of the senior national team of Lithuania, Linas Kleiza, opened up about potential options for the EuroBasket 2025, recapping a recent trip to the United States.
“In all the teams I’ve been on and won with, we all had the desire to play and win. Players always have their reasons, I don’t know of anyone who would be willing not to play for the national team. When there are some grievances, you can talk a player through, but because of personal matters, I don’t know if it’s possible to talk him through,” the former player explained in the latest installment of the Kleiza vs Tiskevicius podcast, focusing on Domantas Sabonis.
Sabonis, 28, previously represented his country in the Olympic Games 2016, the FIBA World Cup 2019, the EuroBasket 2015 and 2022, and in last summer’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico.
In contrast to the leading star of the Sacramento Kings expected to sit out this summer’s international tournament, teammate Jonas Valanciunas, a veteran of multiple international tournaments since 2011, is expected to return for a sixth EuroBasket appearance.
Projected to debut with Lithuania, Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls is likely to be available for head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis.
Kasparas Jakucionis, a 2025 NBA draft prospect coming out of Illinois, is another potential newcomer to the senior national team.
Depending on developments over the next few months, the situation will become clearer.
The team coached by Kurtinaitis will spend the preliminary stage of the EuroBasket in Tampere, facing Great Britain, Montenegro, Germany, host Finland, and Sweden between August 27 and September 3. Similar to the other three groups, the top four seeds of Group B will advance to the knockout stage, set to be played in Riga from September 6 to 14.
Photo Credit: FIBA