Probably one of those weird questions but Lithuania and Spain have more in common than you think. If you already know, you might find new elements in this article.

Before I forget, this is the video in case you prefer to watch a more complete version:

BASKETBALL IN SPAIN

If you move to Madrid, you’ll see that the Spaniards take their sports very seriously. From football, going through padel, to cycling, there’s a sport for every one to enjoy here in Spain. Basketball is the second most important in Spain and the most important one in Lithuania.

The top Spanish basketball league (Liga ACB or Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons) is considered the best in Europe and multiple teams from the league play in the EuroLeague.

When it comes to the country level, Spain has also been successfully internationally, they are ranked second best at basketball in the world after of course the USA. Additionally, they have won 3 Olympic silver medals and 1 bronze as well as many other titles. Spain’s most successful player Pau Gasol has played in the NBA in the US, winning the NBA twice with the LA Lakers. And all this success has inspired new generations of players.

BASKETBALL IN LITHUANIA

Basketball is a cultural phenomenon in Lithuania, it’s truly the number one sport there. So don’t get surprised if you hear Lithuanians saying that basketball is the second religion for them. How a country with a population of less than 3 million people is so good?

Pranas Lubinas played a big role in the 1930s to bring basketball to Lithuania. He won 2 EuroBasket championships and served as inspiration for many other players. He’s also known as the grandfather of Lithuanian basketball

The future seemed super bright, but then the WWII came, and the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania, and those dreams to become the best basketball nation faded away.

Lithuanian players were so good that in the Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, the Soviet Union basketball team had 4 starter players out of 5… Lithuanians! A year later, the 3 brothers in the Baltics: Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia formed a peaceful 600km protest against the Soviet Union. Lithuania regained its independence the following year in 1990 and in the Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona they won the bronze as a free and independent country. Actually, I made a video to explain why Lithuania is the most underrated country in Europe.

REAL MADRID & ŽALGIRIS KAUNAS

We went to the WiZink Center stadium (or in Spanish: Palacio de Deportes) in Madrid, our home now. Wow can’t believe I’m saying this. Yes, it’s been over 6 weeks and I’m loving Madrid.

This stadium can host around 15,000 people, so it’s quite similar to Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas too. By the way, if you haven’t visited that stadium, I strongly recommend you do it when you can as it’s not just a beautiful stadium but also Kaunas is a great city for sightseeing (I made a video about it in case you’re interested).

Žalgiris came to the game with 8 losses in 8 matches… and ended up with the 9th one. They put a great fight for three quarters but on the last one, they couldn’t do much to offset Real Madrid’s pressure.

Hopefully the 10th match will be the one that can give Žalgiris some fresh air. In the meantime, Real Madrid deserved the victory and they’ll be a serious contender for the championship. Could they win their 11th EuroLeague?