Arnoldas Kulboka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arnoldas Kulboka

Kulboka with Wolves in 2024
No. 98 – Wolves Twinsbet
Power forward / Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1998-01-04) 4 January 1998 (age 27) Marijampolė, Lithuania
Listed weight	104 kg (229 lb)
Career information
NBA Draft	2018 / Round: 2 / Pick: 55th overall
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career	2014–present
League	Lithuanian Basketball League EuroCup
Career history
2014–2015	Žalgiris-2
2015–2019	Brose Bamberg
2015–2017	→ Baunach Young Pikes
2017–2018	→ Orlandina
2019–2021	Bilbao
2021–2022	Charlotte Hornets
2021–2022	→ Greensboro Swarm
2022–2023	Promitheas Patras
2023–2024	Prometey
2024–present	Wolves Twinsbet
Career highlights and awards
FIBA Champions League Best Young Player (2018) All-Spanish League Best Young Players Team (2020) Greek League All-Star (2022) German Cup winner (2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Lithuania FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Silver 2016 Turkey U18 National Team Bronze 2015 Greece U18 National Team

Arnoldas Kulboka (born January 5, 1998) is a professional basketball player from Lithuania. He plays for Wolves Twinsbet in the Lithuanian Basketball League and also in the EuroCup. He is a tall player, standing at 2.06 meters (about 6 feet 9 inches). He can play in two forward positions: power forward and small forward. In 2018, the Charlotte Hornets picked him in the 2018 NBA draft.

Arnoldas Kulboka's Basketball Journey

Starting Out: Žalgiris-2 (2014–2015)

Arnoldas Kulboka began his basketball career playing for the youth teams of Žalgiris Kaunas. He was part of the club's reserve team, Žalgiris-2 Kaunas.

Playing in Germany: Brose Bamberg (2015–2017)

In August 2015, Kulboka signed a five-year deal with a strong German team, Brose Bamberg. In his first year, he played for their related youth teams. These included TSV Breitengüßbach in the German under-19 league (NBBL). He also played for Baunach Young Pikes in the second German division, ProA.

He helped Breitengüßbach win the 2016 NBBL title. For Baunach, he scored 6.4 points and grabbed 1.5 rebounds per game. In 2016, he took part in special basketball camps. These were the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Toronto and the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso.

During the 2016–17 season, his performance improved a lot. For Baunach, he averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. On May 1, 2017, Kulboka played his first game for Brose Bamberg. This was in Germany's top basketball league, the Basketball Bundesliga. He scored 13 points and got 5 rebounds in a win against Science City Jena.

In June 2017, Kulboka impressed at the adidas Eurocamp. He was called the best shooter for making 10 three-pointers in a row. He was also chosen for the First Team All-Eurocamp 2017. He thought about joining the 2017 NBA draft that year but decided not to on June 12.

Loan to Italy: Orlandina (2017–2018)

On July 14, 2017, Kulboka moved to Orlandina Basket in Italy's top league, Serie A. He joined them on a temporary loan. He played well in the 2017–18 Basketball Champions League season. He averaged 10.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Because of his great play, he was named the league's Best Young Player of the season.

Back to Germany: Bamberg (2018–2019)

After his time in Italy, Brose Bamberg announced on July 23, 2018, that Kulboka would return to their team.

Playing in Spain: Bilbao (2019–2021)

On August 6, 2019, Kulboka signed with the Spanish club RETAbet Bilbao Basket. In his first season, he averaged 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He signed a new contract for two more seasons on June 12, 2020. In the summer of 2021, he left Bilbao. This was because he received an exciting offer from the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA.

NBA Dream: Charlotte Hornets (2021–2022)

Near the end of the 2017–18 season, Kulboka decided to enter his name in the 2018 NBA draft. He was one of only 11 international players to declare early that year. On June 21, 2018, the Charlotte Hornets picked him. He was the 55th player chosen overall in the second round.

He played for the Hornets during the 2018 NBA Summer League. In his first game, he scored 12 points in just 13 minutes. He helped his team win 88–87 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kulboka played for the Hornets again in the 2019 NBA Summer League. His best game was against the China men's national basketball team. He scored 18 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in that game.

On August 3, 2021, the Charlotte Hornets signed Kulboka to a special two-way contract. This meant he would split his time between the Hornets and their NBA G League team, the Greensboro Swarm. On December 11, 2021, Kulboka played his first NBA game for the Charlotte Hornets. He played for 3 minutes. He played one more time for 3 minutes on April 10, 2024.

Playing in Greece: Promitheas Patras (2022–2023)

On July 5, 2022, Kulboka signed a one-year contract with the Greek club Promitheas Patras. On January 25, 2023, Kulboka had his best game yet. He scored 30 points, grabbed four rebounds, and made three assists. This helped his team win 81–72 against Budućnost VOLI.

In 27 games in the Greek league, Kulboka averaged 12.1 points. He was very good at shooting three-pointers, making 44% of them. He also averaged 5.3 rebounds per game. In 20 EuroCup games, he averaged 14.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Playing in Latvia/Estonia: Prometey (2023–2024)

On July 21, 2023, Kulboka signed with Prometey. This team plays in the Latvian–Estonian Basketball League.

Back to Lithuania: Wolves Twinsbet (2024–present)

On August 8, 2024, Kulboka signed with Wolves Twinsbet. This team is from Lithuania and plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroCup.

Playing for Lithuania

Arnoldas Kulboka has proudly represented his home country, Lithuania, many times. He played for the junior national teams. This included the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship and the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

In the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, he was the top scorer for his team. He averaged 15.7 points per game. His team won a silver medal in that tournament. He also played for Lithuania in the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. There, he again led his team in scoring with 13.7 points per game.

On February 26, 2018, Kulboka played his first game for the senior Lithuanian national team. He scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds, and made two assists. He helped his team win big, 106–50, against Kosovo. This was during the qualification games for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification.

Career Statistics

NBA

EuroCup

See also

In Spanish: Arnoldas Kulboka para niños