Originally posted by Sashikas
Allright, it's about time to bring some energy to the forum by a fresh thread. Here's a question: Which version of Lithuanian national team was the strongest? What roster could reach the most, if there would be no "IF only...".
1. The Olympic team of Barcelona '92.
It was the first tournament in which Lithuania participated after the regaining the independence. Firstly, the team had to pass the qualification for the Olympics. It place in Spain a month before the Olympics. All the opponents were crashed by an average 18,7 point margin. The sweetest win was vs. the team Joint team of former Soviet Union repiblics by 37 points
In the Olympic tournament though, it was the same team, which defeated Lithuania in the group tournament (80-92), even after lithuanians were ahead by 12 points at the halftime. That loss forced to face the one and only Dream Team in the semifinal, so there was the only goal - bronze medals.
In the bronze medal match Lithuania got their revenge against the russians - 82-78.
Valdemaras Chomičius - Castors Braine (Belgium)
Arvydas Sabonis - Forum Valladolid (Spain)
Šarūnas Marčiulionis - Golden State Warriors (USA)
Gintaras Krapikas - Tus Iserlohn (Germany)
Artūras Karnišovas - Seton Hall University (USA)
Romanas Brazdauskis - ??? (Australia)
Alvydas Pazdrazdis - Statyba Vilnius
Sergėjus Jovaiša - ???
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Brandt Haagen (Germany)
Gintaras Einikis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Arūnas Visockas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Darius Dimavičius - ??? (Slovakia)
2. The roster for EC'95 in Athens
After a dissappointing three year break without a major tournament (Lithuania did not qualify for EC'93 in Germany, so did not have a chance to participate in WC'94 in Canada), Lithuania bounced back in Athens. The main goal was to qualify for the Olympics, but the team managed to reach far more.. almost everything. They even won the crowd. But they couldn't beat the Yugoslavs, which were even more hungry for victories, as they it was their first tournament after five-year global disqualification. It was too hard to stop Sasha Djordjevič in the final game, and the refereeing was questionable. But the latter fact does not clog to consider this game as one of the greatest in the European basketball history.
Valdemaras Chomičius - Castors Braine (Belgium)
Arūnas Visockas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Atletas Kaunas
Mindaugas Timinskas - Iona College (USA)
Darius Lukminas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Gintaras Krapikas - Tus Iserlohn (Germany)
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Real Madrid (Spain)
Arvydas Sabonis - Real Madrid (Spain)
Artūras Karnišovas - Pitch Cholet (France)
Šarūnas Marčiulionis - Seattle Supersonics (USA)
Gintaras Einikis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Gvidonas Markevičius - ??? (Poland)
3. The Olympic team in Atlanta '96
The preparation period for this tournament was not smooth. There was a generation change in the team, and several young players were invited to the roster, but just before the games were expelled - Virginijus Praskevicius, Kestutis Sestokas. So Lithuanians registered only 11 players for the games. Not everything went as expected in the group stage - a two overtime thriller versus Croatia, a loss to Argentina, a blowout vs. USA. Anyhow, the team managed to reach the semifinal, and there the oldpals - Yugoslavians were already waiting. It looked like a perfect time and place for a revenge but it did not come true. Final record - 5-3 and the third place.
Rytis Vaišvila - Atletas Kaunas
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Šiauliai
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Neptūnas Klaipėda
Tomas Pačėsas - Atletas Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Atletas Kaunas
Darius Lukminas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Arvydas Sabonis - Portland Trail Blazers (USA)
Artūras Karnišovas - Barcelona (Spain)
Šarūnas Marčiulionis - Sacramento Kings (USA)
Gintaras Einikis - Avtodor Saratov (Russia)
4. EC'99 roster
After the Olympics in Atlanta most of the key players have announced the retirement from the National team and the young players came up to their places. EC'97 and WC'98 were the tournaments, where those young players gained some international competition experience, the young players won the Euroleague that year with Žalgiris and they were expected to blossom in France. Moreover Arvydas Sabonis agreed to join the team after three year break, so Lithuania was considered as the main favorite. But that hype of the media got lower after the blowout loss to Czech Republic in the opening game. As the tournament went on, the team got the right ignition, and began to swoop all the opponents. But unexpectedly they were stopped in the quater final by spaniards.
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Tomas Masiulis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Kęstutis Marčiulionis - Delaware University (USA)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Dainius Adomaitis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Arvydas Sabonis - Portland Trail Blazers (USA)
Artūras Karnišovas - Teamsystem Bologna (Italy)
Darius Maskoliūnas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Gintaras Einikis - Avtodor Saratov (Russia)
Virginijus Praškevičius - Besiktas Istambul (Turkey)
5. The olympic team in Sydney '2000
The team, that surprised everybody, the team that proved that the rest of the world is not that far from NBA professionals, as it seemed. Nobody expected a lot from them, but they showed, what a TEAM can do. Firstly, they defeated the bitter opponents - Yugoslavians in the quaterfinals, and then they narrowly lost to the dream(ing) team in the semifinal.
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Union Olimpija (Slovenia)
Mindaugas Timinskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Kinder Bologna (Italy)
Ramūnas Šiškauskas - Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
Andrius Giedraitis - Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
Dainius Adomaitis - WTK Wliclawek (Poland)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Tomas Masiulis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Darius Maskoliūnas - SSA Sopot (Poland)
Gintaras Einikis - CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Darius Songaila - Wake Forest University (USA)
6. The roster for EC' 2003 in Sweden
Again, the national team was forced to have a break - they suffered a fiasco in 2001 in Turkey, so they skipped the WC'2002 in Indianapolis. The players have brought the biggest victory in 64 years. A perfect record 6-0 and 5 players have averaged 10+ points per game.
Giedrius Gustas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Montepaschi Siena (Italy)
Arvydas Macijauskas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Saulius Štombergas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Ramūnas Šiškauskas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Darius Songaila - CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Donatas Slanina - CSF Sevilla (Spain)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Unics Kazan (Russia)
Kšyštof Lavrinovič - Ural Great Perm (Russia)
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Barcelona (Spain)
Dainius Šalenga - Žalgiris Kaunas
Virginijus Praškevičius - Ulker Istambul (Turkey)
7. Olympic roster in Athens '2004
Almost the same golden roster went to the Olympics with only two changes, but after the perfect start, the end was bitter - the team lost in the semifinal and the third place final.
Vidas Ginevičius - Žalgiris Kaunas
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Montepaschi Siena (Italy)
Arvydas Macijauskas - TAU Ceramica Vitoria (Spain)
Saulius Štombergas - Unics Kazan (Russia)
Ramūnas Šiškauskas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Darius Songaila - Sacramento Kings (USA)
Donatas Slanina - CSF Sevilla (Spain)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Unics Kazan (Russia)
Kšyštof Lavrinovič - Ural Great Perm (Russia)
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Dainius Šalenga - Žalgiris Kaunas
Robertas Javtokas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Allright, it's about time to bring some energy to the forum by a fresh thread. Here's a question: Which version of Lithuanian national team was the strongest? What roster could reach the most, if there would be no "IF only...".
1. The Olympic team of Barcelona '92.
It was the first tournament in which Lithuania participated after the regaining the independence. Firstly, the team had to pass the qualification for the Olympics. It place in Spain a month before the Olympics. All the opponents were crashed by an average 18,7 point margin. The sweetest win was vs. the team Joint team of former Soviet Union repiblics by 37 points
In the Olympic tournament though, it was the same team, which defeated Lithuania in the group tournament (80-92), even after lithuanians were ahead by 12 points at the halftime. That loss forced to face the one and only Dream Team in the semifinal, so there was the only goal - bronze medals.
In the bronze medal match Lithuania got their revenge against the russians - 82-78.
Valdemaras Chomičius - Castors Braine (Belgium)
Arvydas Sabonis - Forum Valladolid (Spain)
Šarūnas Marčiulionis - Golden State Warriors (USA)
Gintaras Krapikas - Tus Iserlohn (Germany)
Artūras Karnišovas - Seton Hall University (USA)
Romanas Brazdauskis - ??? (Australia)
Alvydas Pazdrazdis - Statyba Vilnius
Sergėjus Jovaiša - ???
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Brandt Haagen (Germany)
Gintaras Einikis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Arūnas Visockas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Darius Dimavičius - ??? (Slovakia)
2. The roster for EC'95 in Athens
After a dissappointing three year break without a major tournament (Lithuania did not qualify for EC'93 in Germany, so did not have a chance to participate in WC'94 in Canada), Lithuania bounced back in Athens. The main goal was to qualify for the Olympics, but the team managed to reach far more.. almost everything. They even won the crowd. But they couldn't beat the Yugoslavs, which were even more hungry for victories, as they it was their first tournament after five-year global disqualification. It was too hard to stop Sasha Djordjevič in the final game, and the refereeing was questionable. But the latter fact does not clog to consider this game as one of the greatest in the European basketball history.
Valdemaras Chomičius - Castors Braine (Belgium)
Arūnas Visockas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Atletas Kaunas
Mindaugas Timinskas - Iona College (USA)
Darius Lukminas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Gintaras Krapikas - Tus Iserlohn (Germany)
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Real Madrid (Spain)
Arvydas Sabonis - Real Madrid (Spain)
Artūras Karnišovas - Pitch Cholet (France)
Šarūnas Marčiulionis - Seattle Supersonics (USA)
Gintaras Einikis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Gvidonas Markevičius - ??? (Poland)
3. The Olympic team in Atlanta '96
The preparation period for this tournament was not smooth. There was a generation change in the team, and several young players were invited to the roster, but just before the games were expelled - Virginijus Praskevicius, Kestutis Sestokas. So Lithuanians registered only 11 players for the games. Not everything went as expected in the group stage - a two overtime thriller versus Croatia, a loss to Argentina, a blowout vs. USA. Anyhow, the team managed to reach the semifinal, and there the oldpals - Yugoslavians were already waiting. It looked like a perfect time and place for a revenge but it did not come true. Final record - 5-3 and the third place.
Rytis Vaišvila - Atletas Kaunas
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Šiauliai
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Neptūnas Klaipėda
Tomas Pačėsas - Atletas Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Atletas Kaunas
Darius Lukminas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Arvydas Sabonis - Portland Trail Blazers (USA)
Artūras Karnišovas - Barcelona (Spain)
Šarūnas Marčiulionis - Sacramento Kings (USA)
Gintaras Einikis - Avtodor Saratov (Russia)
4. EC'99 roster
After the Olympics in Atlanta most of the key players have announced the retirement from the National team and the young players came up to their places. EC'97 and WC'98 were the tournaments, where those young players gained some international competition experience, the young players won the Euroleague that year with Žalgiris and they were expected to blossom in France. Moreover Arvydas Sabonis agreed to join the team after three year break, so Lithuania was considered as the main favorite. But that hype of the media got lower after the blowout loss to Czech Republic in the opening game. As the tournament went on, the team got the right ignition, and began to swoop all the opponents. But unexpectedly they were stopped in the quater final by spaniards.
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Tomas Masiulis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Kęstutis Marčiulionis - Delaware University (USA)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Dainius Adomaitis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Arvydas Sabonis - Portland Trail Blazers (USA)
Artūras Karnišovas - Teamsystem Bologna (Italy)
Darius Maskoliūnas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Gintaras Einikis - Avtodor Saratov (Russia)
Virginijus Praškevičius - Besiktas Istambul (Turkey)
5. The olympic team in Sydney '2000
The team, that surprised everybody, the team that proved that the rest of the world is not that far from NBA professionals, as it seemed. Nobody expected a lot from them, but they showed, what a TEAM can do. Firstly, they defeated the bitter opponents - Yugoslavians in the quaterfinals, and then they narrowly lost to the dream(ing) team in the semifinal.
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Union Olimpija (Slovenia)
Mindaugas Timinskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Saulius Štombergas - Kinder Bologna (Italy)
Ramūnas Šiškauskas - Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
Andrius Giedraitis - Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
Dainius Adomaitis - WTK Wliclawek (Poland)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Tomas Masiulis - Žalgiris Kaunas
Darius Maskoliūnas - SSA Sopot (Poland)
Gintaras Einikis - CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Darius Songaila - Wake Forest University (USA)
6. The roster for EC' 2003 in Sweden
Again, the national team was forced to have a break - they suffered a fiasco in 2001 in Turkey, so they skipped the WC'2002 in Indianapolis. The players have brought the biggest victory in 64 years. A perfect record 6-0 and 5 players have averaged 10+ points per game.
Giedrius Gustas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Montepaschi Siena (Italy)
Arvydas Macijauskas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Saulius Štombergas - Žalgiris Kaunas
Ramūnas Šiškauskas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Darius Songaila - CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Donatas Slanina - CSF Sevilla (Spain)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Unics Kazan (Russia)
Kšyštof Lavrinovič - Ural Great Perm (Russia)
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Barcelona (Spain)
Dainius Šalenga - Žalgiris Kaunas
Virginijus Praškevičius - Ulker Istambul (Turkey)
7. Olympic roster in Athens '2004
Almost the same golden roster went to the Olympics with only two changes, but after the perfect start, the end was bitter - the team lost in the semifinal and the third place final.
Vidas Ginevičius - Žalgiris Kaunas
Mindaugas Žukauskas - Montepaschi Siena (Italy)
Arvydas Macijauskas - TAU Ceramica Vitoria (Spain)
Saulius Štombergas - Unics Kazan (Russia)
Ramūnas Šiškauskas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Darius Songaila - Sacramento Kings (USA)
Donatas Slanina - CSF Sevilla (Spain)
Eurelijus Žukauskas - Unics Kazan (Russia)
Kšyštof Lavrinovič - Ural Great Perm (Russia)
Šarūnas Jasikevičius - Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Dainius Šalenga - Žalgiris Kaunas
Robertas Javtokas - Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius
Comment