Lithuania is one of 12 teams from Europe to qualify for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. A total of 32 teams participated in the European qualifiers that took place in six different phases from November 2021 to February 2023.
Basketball is very popular and one of the most followed sports in Lithuania, a country with a population of just three million. After World War II, Lithuania was annexed and controlled by the Soviet Union. Eventually, all the Soviet’s key players belonged to Lithuania and the team won their first Olympic gold in 1988. In 1990, Lithuania was established as an independent state and the national team once again rejuvenated. The team continuously won three bronze medals in the Olympics of 1992,1996 and 2000.
The 2023 World Cup will be the team’s fourth FIBA appearance, their best performance came at the 2010 FIBA World Cup, when the team won the bronze medal.
Lithuania is in Group D alongside Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro. If they manage to come out of the group, they will play against one of the best teams in Group C, which could be USA or Greece.
Team Lithuania Roster
Coach Kazys Maksvytis has disclosed the preliminary 15-men roster for the 2023 World Cup.
There is a doubt if Lithuania will be able to perform in this upcoming World Cup, as notable stars Domantas Sabonis, forward Edgaras Ulanovas, Marius Grigonis and Rokas Giedraitis will miss the competition due to injuries.
The greatest loss for Lithuania is the absence of Domantas Sabonis from the team. He is a three-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2021 and 2023) as well as the NBA rebounding leader last season. His hand injury will require surgery and rehab time.
Looking at that, Lithuania staff has also announced an 18-men reserve roster therefore, the reserve players can join the senior team if the coach demands.
| Player | Position |
| Jonas Valanciunas | Center |
| Gytis Radzevicius | Forward |
| Rokas Jokubaitis | Guard |
| Tomas Dimsa | Guard |
| Ignas Brazdeikis | Forward |
| Eigirdas Žukauskas | Forward |
| Margiris Normantas | Guard |
| Donatas Motiejunas | Center |
| Tadas Sedekerskis | Forward |
| Elimantas Bendzius | Forward |
| Donatas Tarolis | Forward |
| Martynas Sajus | Center |
| Vaidas Kariniauskas | Guard |
| Mindaugas Kuzminskas | Forward |
| Laurynas Birutis | Center |
FAQs
A. Yes, the FIBA Basketball World Cup is held every four years. This time it is in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan.
A. Yes, Slovenia has qualified for the 2023 FIBA World Cup happening in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan.
A. The 2027 FIBA World Cup is also in an Asiatic nation, Qatar.
A. Yes, Giannis also plays in the FIBA World Cup, he represents Greece.
A. FIBA stands for the International Basketball Federation which governs basketball worldwide.
