Darbas:
potential competitioner. But military leader J. Kazlauskas and"Zalgiris" didn't want to stop. There're no stars, no big money, but fast,
nice, commnadly play was the guaranty of luck. "Zalgiris" won the Cup of
EuroLeague! "Zalgiris" (see picture in file zalgiris98-99) showed that
money cannot win, only the team can win.
Women didn't fall. In 1997 national Lithuanian team became the European
champions. Men in 1995 were "only" second.
If you want to get big victories, you need some intelligence and some
organization. Lithuanians don't complain that they feel shortage of it. At
once after getting freedom, Lithuanians started to build national
basketball system. Sarunas Marciulionis was the fundamental organizer and
sponsor. In 1994 Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) was founded. It was
very important. Marciulionis
to make the same in Lithuania. LKL matches are very interesting and
persistent.
Sarunas Marciulionis didn`t stop, when he founded LKL. Northern European
Basketball League (NEBL) was founded in 1998. NEBL is made by NBA model. In
1999 took place the first Promotion Cup. In 2000 the first official
inaugural NEBL season will start. The Northern European Basketball League
was founded with the cooperation of five Northern European nations:
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. The goals of NEBL are:
To be the top Northern European professional basketball league;
To keep basketball as the leading sport in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;
To make basketball the leading sport in Sweden and Finland;
To support all the league's clubs and players;
To create a united market & sponsorship programs for Northern European
countries;
To attain creative support from the NBA.
The NEBL will tip off its first season in 2000 with plans to expand the
league to include the top teams from Denmark, Norway and Ukraine. Russia
and Belarus have both shown interest in joining the league as it continues
to grow and could be added in later seasons.
Basketball in Lithuania is very popular. The most popular TV programs are
basketball matches. Everybody in Lithuania knows what the basketball is.
Young and old play basketball. Thousands celebrate victories. Lithuania
isn't only amber country; it's basketball country too. Basketball is the
second Lithuanian religion.
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