Basketball in Lithuania

Unlike many other countries in Eastern Europe, people in Lithuania are especially glad when they score a basket. The reason, of course, is basketball, the national sport, which seems to be much more than just a pastime in Lithuania. The Baltic basket hunters can already point to considerable success on the international stage, and even in everyday life, much in Lithuania revolves around how—and whether—the ball eventually goes through the hoop.

As a visitor traveling in Lithuania, you should also familiarize yourself with the country's customs, so it is worth understanding the importance of basketball around Vilnius. While ice hockey and, of course, football stir passions in neighboring countries, basketball games in Lithuania naturally fill the arenas. Almost everyone in the country follows the national team's games, and newspaper coverage of the sport played by these towering men often dominates the news. For nearly 100 years, Lithuanians have played a significant role on the international basketball scene. The national team has brought home three European Championship titles to Vilnius. Even during the Soviet era, when Lithuanian players competed for the major victories on the USSR national teams, enthusiasm for the sport continued and gave many people in Lithuania a great sense of pride, since it was often their players who played a major role on the Russian team. The victory at EuroBasket 2003 in Sweden brought Lithuania back among the world's elite. Third place at the 2007 European Championship was also celebrated with great fanfare.