By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Euroleague Basketball is proud to announce that Paulius Jankunas, President of Zalgiris Kaunas, has been selected as the winner of the 2025-26 Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year award.
This prestigious award recognizes the executive whose leadership and strategic decisions most effectively exemplify excellence across all areas of club management throughout the season. Key evaluation criteria include sporting success, business growth, fan experience, marketing innovation, and overall organizational impact.
Jankunas’s tenure at the helm has coincided with a resurgence for Zalgiris on the EuroLeague stage. After missing out on the Playoffs in the two seasons prior, the club returned to the postseason in 2025-26, a result that reflects the roster and organizational rebuild Jankunas has overseen since stepping into his current role.
Off the court, the season was defined by an extraordinary run at the box office. Zalgirio Arena sold out for 40 consecutive EuroLeague home games, a streak that speaks to the connection between the club and its fanbase and to the matchday experience Jankunas’s front office has built around it.
Few executives in the competition understand what Zalgiris means to its supporters better than Jankunas himself. He is the club’s all-time leader in games played (376), points scored (3,110), steals (238), blocks (101), and PIR (3,915), and ranks fourth in assists (412), figures built over a playing career spent almost entirely in Zalgiris colors. He retired in 2022 and moved directly into a front-office role with the club that same year.
The Gianluigi Porelli EuroLeague Executive of the Year award has been presented annually since 2005. Named after the legendary Virtus Bologna president and ULEB founder, the award honors those who shape EuroLeague clubs into sustainable and competitive success stories.
Euroleague Basketball congratulates Paulius Jankunas for his outstanding contributions and visionary leadership.
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