A boy’s youth team arrived in Adelaide on
11 March with their sponsors and Zita Mačiulionyte, Šarunas’ sister. They arrived to Adelaide heat, maybe not hot
for those who grew up here but coming from Lithuania the 35 degrees would have
been felt. Aged between 16-18 years the
team played several games in Adelaide against the SA Sports Institute. The first game was won by the Lithuanians by
4 points, 71-67. The second game held on the 13th at Seymour College
which they won, 90-79. The third and
final game began poorly for the Lithuanians, being 14 points behind before they
scored. They pulled together and again
managed to win 78-69. The Lithuanians
played a friendly match against Adelaide Vytis again winning. Following the game, the players returned to
Lithuanian house for a meal and camaraderie with the Adelaide community members.
On the 15th, Adelaide bid
goodbye to the team as they caught a bus to Sydney. I can remember the tshirts and pendants given out by the players, orange and black featuring an eagle. Like the one below for the Academy’s opening in Vilnius. The Academy is still running. http://www.krepsinioakademija.lt
Š. Marčiulionis is one of the best
Lithuanian basketball players of all time. He was a first player to go to the
NBA from the Soviet Union, and one of the first European players to enter the
NBA. Šarūnas is a cavalier of the 1st, 3rd and 4th Order of Vytautas the Great,
and Order of the Badge of Honour.
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