Rimas Kurtinaitis
Encyclopedia
Rimas Kurtinaitis (born May 15, 1960 in Kaunas
, Lithuanian SSR, USSR
) is a basketball trainer, head coach of the VEF Riga
, retired Soviet
and Lithuania
n basketball
player who was a member of the USSR and Lithuanian national basketball team
s. He played as a shooting guard
and is the only non-NBA player to participate in the NBA All-Star Three Point Contest in 1989. He is 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) tall.
In 1997 he was named to the Lithuanian Ministry of Sport, and in 2003 he took the position of head coach
of the Azerbaijan
national basketball team.
He became BC Sakalai
head coach during the mid 2000s. In December 2007 he became head coach of Polish men's Śląsk Wrocław basketball team. He is currently coaching BC Lietuvos Rytas
with whom he won the 2009 Eurocup Basketball title in the Final-Eight tournament in Turin (Torino)Italy in a game against Khimky Moscow Region (Final score 80-74).
His former teams include Žalgiris Kaunas
, CSKA Moscow
, and Real Madrid
. Kurtinaitis was also the first European player to play as an import in Australia's National Basketball League
, playing for the Townsville Suns
in 1993.
LKL champion 2009(head coach)
BBL champion 2009(head coach)
LKF cup winner 2009(head coach)
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuanian SSR, USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) is a basketball trainer, head coach of the VEF Riga
VEF Riga
VEF Rīga is the name of a professional basketball club that is based in Riga, Latvia. The club plays their home domestic league games at Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs in Riga. VEF Rīga is the oldest professional basketball club in Latvia and the Baltic region. The club name VEF came from the radio...
, retired Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who was a member of the USSR and Lithuanian national basketball team
Lithuania national basketball team
The Lithuanian national basketball team is the representative for Lithuania in international men's basketball. Lithuania won bronze medals in three out of five Olympic tournaments it participated in....
s. He played as a shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
and is the only non-NBA player to participate in the NBA All-Star Three Point Contest in 1989. He is 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) tall.
In 1997 he was named to the Lithuanian Ministry of Sport, and in 2003 he took the position of head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
national basketball team.
He became BC Sakalai
BC Sakalai
BC „Sakalai“ is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League and the Baltic Basketball League. They play their home games at the 1,000-seat Ekinstos laisvalaikio centras....
head coach during the mid 2000s. In December 2007 he became head coach of Polish men's Śląsk Wrocław basketball team. He is currently coaching BC Lietuvos Rytas
BC Lietuvos Rytas
BC Lietuvos rytas is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League , the VTB United League, and the Eurocup...
with whom he won the 2009 Eurocup Basketball title in the Final-Eight tournament in Turin (Torino)Italy in a game against Khimky Moscow Region (Final score 80-74).
Awards and achievements
- World Champion - 1982
- World championship Silver medalist - 1986
- European champion - 1985EuroBasket 1985-Venues:-Group A - Karlsruhe :-Group A - Leverkusen :-Places 9 - 12 in Stuttgart:-1/4 finals :-Places 5 - 8 in Stuttgart:-Places 1 - 4 in Stuttgart:-Finals in Stuttgart:-Final rankings:# # # # # # # # # # # #...
- European championship Silver medalist - 1987Eurobasket 1987The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
, 1995EuroBasket 1995EuroBasket 1995 final tournament stage was XXIX European basketball championship and was held in Athens, Greece from 21 June to 2 July, 1995. This European championship was the first one that saw the successful return of Lithuania national basketball team to the tournament, since its last triumph... - European championship Bronze medalist - 1989EuroBasket 1989-Group A:-Group B:-Places 5 - 8:-Places 1 - 4:-Finals:-Final rankings:# # # # # # # # -Team rosters:#Yugoslavia: Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, Vlade Divac, Dino Rađa, Žarko Paspalj, Stojan Vranković, Predrag Danilović, Jure Zdovc, Zoran Čutura, Zdravko Radulović, Zoran Radović, Mario Primorac...
- Olympic champion - 1988Basketball at the 1988 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place at the Jamsil Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea. The United States won the gold medal in the women's competition, thus repeating their performance from the 1984 tournament. In the men's tournament, the Soviet Union took home their second gold medal in...
- Olympic Bronze medalist - 1992Basketball at the 1992 Summer OlympicsThe Basketball games of the 1992 Summer Olympics were played at the Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona. 12 men's teams and 8 women's teams participated in the tournament....
, 1996Basketball at the 1996 Summer OlympicsBasketball contests at the 1996 Olympic Games were held from July 20, 1996 to August 4, 1996. Games took place at the Morehouse College Gymnasium and the Georgia Dome. For the second straight Olympic games, the American men's team composed almost entirely of NBA players won the gold medal... - USSR champion in BC ŽalgirisBC ŽalgirisBC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
- 1985, 1986, 1987 - Spanish ACBAsociación de Clubs de BaloncestoThe Liga ACB, known as the Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Spain. It was founded in 1956 with the name of Liga Nacional. The league changed its name to the current one in 1983. The league is rated as one of the three "A" level European...
champion in Real Madrid BaloncestoReal Madrid BaloncestoReal Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
- 1994 - LKL All-Star game MVP - 1996
His former teams include Žalgiris Kaunas
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
, CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
, and Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
. Kurtinaitis was also the first European player to play as an import in Australia's National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
, playing for the Townsville Suns
Townsville Crocodiles
The Townsville Crocodiles are a professional Australian basketball team based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in the National Basketball League...
in 1993.
- ULEB Eurocup champion 2009 (head coach)
LKL champion 2009(head coach)
BBL champion 2009(head coach)
LKF cup winner 2009(head coach)