Gintaras Krapikas facts for kids
Krapikas with Lithuania in 2013
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Žalgiris Kaunas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 6, 1961 Kretinga, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Lithuanian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1980–1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | LKL EuroLeague |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1990 | Žalgiris Kaunas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1999 | Tus Iserlohn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2006 | Žalgiris Kaunas (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Unics Kazan (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Žalgiris Kaunas (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Žalgiris Kaunas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Nevėžis Kėdainiai | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Azovmash Mariupol | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Unics Kazan (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Žalgiris Kaunas (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Žalgiris Kaunas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Nanjing Monkey Kings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Nanjing Monkey Kings (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Guangdong Southern Tigers (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–present | Žalgiris Kaunas (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As player:
As assistant coach:
As head coach:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gintaras "Vytas" Krapikas (born July 6, 1961) is a famous Lithuanian basketball coach and former player. He was born in Kretinga, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. Gintaras Krapikas played for the Lithuanian national team. He helped them win a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Today, he works as an assistant coach for the Žalgiris Kaunas basketball team.
Contents
Playing Basketball: Gintaras Krapikas as a Player
During the 1980s, Gintaras Krapikas played for the Žalgiris Kaunas team. He wore jersey number 9. His main positions on the court were small forward and shooting guard. As a player, he helped his team win the Soviet Union championship in 1987. He also won the Intercontinental W. Jones Cup in 1986.
Olympic and European Medals
Gintaras Krapikas was a key player for the Lithuanian national team. He won a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. This was a big achievement for Lithuania. He also won silver medals at the 1995 and 2013 European championships.
Coaching Basketball: Gintaras Krapikas's Career
After his playing career, Gintaras Krapikas became a basketball coach. He has worked with many teams, mostly as an assistant coach. He has also been a head coach for some periods.
Early Coaching Years
In 2000, Krapikas started as an assistant coach for Žalgiris Kaunas. He worked there until 2006. During this time, Žalgiris won the Lithuanian League championship multiple times (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005). He also served as an assistant coach for the Lithuanian national team from 2002 to 2005. From 2006 to 2008, he was an assistant coach for UNICS Kazan.
Becoming a Head Coach
In 2008, Krapikas became the head coach of Žalgiris Kaunas. He later coached Nevėžis and Azovmash. In 2012, he returned to UNICS Kazan as an assistant.
Success with Žalgiris Kaunas
Before the 2013-2014 season, Krapikas came back to Žalgiris Kaunas as an assistant coach. He soon became the head coach in April 2014. This time, he had great success. Under his leadership, Žalgiris played strong defense. They reached the Top16 phase in the EuroLeague during the 2014-2015 season. Žalgiris also won the Lithuanian Cup in 2015. They won the Lithuanian League titles in 2014 and 2015. The team was very strong against their main rival, BC Lietuvos rytas.
However, in the 2015-2016 season, the team's results were not as good. Krapikas resigned in January 2016. He was replaced by Šarūnas Jasikevičius.
Coaching in China and Return to Žalgiris
In 2018, Krapikas joined the Nanjing Monkey Kings in China. He first worked as a coach and then became an assistant coach for them. In 2020, he moved to the Guangdong Southern Tigers. With this team, he won a championship in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in the 2020-2021 season. On April 11, 2022, Gintaras Krapikas returned to Žalgiris Kaunas once again. He is currently an assistant coach there. In 2023, he helped Žalgiris win another Lithuanian League championship and the King Mindaugas Cup.
Gintaras Krapikas's Nickname
Gintaras Krapikas has an old nickname: "Vytas". This nickname started when he played for Kaunas Žalgiris. His last name, "Krapikas," sounds a bit like the Lithuanian word "Krapai," which means "Dill." At that time, there was a well-known dill farmer named Vytas from a place called Petrašiūnai. That's how Gintaras Krapikas got his nickname.
See also
In Spanish: Gintaras Krapikas para niños
