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Zalgiris-jpg.jpg
BC Žalgiris is a basketball team based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It's one of the oldest teams in Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga.
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Team Info
- Founded: 1944
- Home arena: Kaunas Sports Hall (capacity 4,350)
- Uniform colors: Green and white
- Logo design: A green and white shield with the sign "BC Žalgiris", basketball and a letter "Ž"
- Official club name: "Basketball Club Žalgiris"
The name commemorates the victorious Battle of Žalgiris (Battle of Grunwald) (both names: Žalgiris and Grunwald are translated as "Green grove").
Since 1944, BC Žalgiris was the main Lithuanian basketball team to produce the top-flight talents for the European basketball, such as the Olympic champions Modestas Paulauskas, Arvydas Sabonis, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Valdemaras Chomicius, and many others. In the mid-1980's, the finals between BC Žalgiris Kaunas and CSKA Moscow (Central Sports Club of Army) served as a major inspiration for Lithuanian national revival that contributed to the emergence of Sąjūdis national movement and re-establishment of state independence.
Titles
- Euroleague Champion : 1999
- Winner of EuroCup : 1998
- Winner of Intercontinental W. Jones World Clubs Cup : 1986
- Winner of Lithuanian championship : 1946, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005
- Winner of Soviet Union championship : 1947, 1951, 1985, 1986, 1987
- Winner of Soviet Union Cup : 1953
- NEBL Champion : 1999
- Winner of Baltic Cup : 1998
- Winner of Baltic Basketball League : 2005
- 2nd place in Soviet Union championship : 1949, 1952, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989
- 3rd place in Soviet Union championship : 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1973, 1978
- Runner-up of European Cups Winners Cup : 1985
- Runner-up of European Champions Cup : 1986
Players of note
(Mostly former players)
- Arvydas Sabonis
- Rimas Kurtinaitis
- Modestas Paulauskas
- Saulius Štombergas
- Valdemaras Chomičius
- Sergejus Jovaiša
- Algirdas Brazys
External links
- Official site (http://www.zalgiris.lt) (in Lithuanian, with some English content)