Jonas Valančiūnas facts for kids
Valančiūnas in 2022
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| No. 17 – Washington Wizards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 May 1992 Utena, Lithuania |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Toronto Raptors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2008–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Perlas Vilnius | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Lietuvos rytas Vilnius | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2019 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | New Orleans Pelicans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Washington Wizards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Jonas Valančiūnas (born on May 6, 1992) is a professional basketball player from Lithuania. He plays as a center for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was chosen as the fifth player overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors.
Jonas has been a part of the Lithuania men's national basketball team since he was 19. He has won two silver medals at the EuroBasket tournament in 2013 and 2015. He was even named to the All-Tournament Team in 2015. Jonas also appeared in a documentary called The Other Dream Team.
Contents
Jonas's Basketball Journey
Starting Out in Lithuania (2008–2012)
Jonas began his professional career in 2008 with a team called Perlas. They played in Lithuania's second-best league. The next year, they moved up to the top league, the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL).
In 2009, Jonas signed a long-term deal with a major Lithuanian team, Lietuvos Rytas. But he stayed with Perlas for a while because it was like a sister club to Lietuvos Rytas.
Playing for Lietuvos Rytas (2010–2012)
On January 17, 2010, Jonas officially joined Lietuvos Rytas. A month later, his team won the Lithuanian Basketball Federation LKF Cup. He played in the LKL Finals three times with the team. They won the championship in 2010.
In 2012, Jonas was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) for February in the VTB United League. He also won the EuroCup Rising Star award and was chosen for the All-EuroCup team. He was a great player, scoring about 10.8 points and grabbing 7.6 rebounds per game.
Jonas played in three LKL All-Star Games from 2010 to 2012. He was named the MVP of the All-Star Game twice, in 2011 and 2012. He was also named Lithuania's Basketball Player of the Year multiple times. Plus, he won the FIBA European Young Player of the Year award twice.
Joining the NBA: Toronto Raptors (2012–2019)
Jonas was seen as a top player for the 2011 NBA draft. The Toronto Raptors picked him as the fifth overall player. He officially joined the Raptors on July 18, 2012.
First Season in the NBA (2012–2013)
Jonas played his first NBA game on October 31, 2012. He scored 12 points and got 10 rebounds. This was a "double-double," which means getting double-digit numbers in two different stats. He was the first Raptors rookie since 1995 to do this in his first game! In March 2013, he was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
Becoming a Key Player (2013–2016)
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In July 2013, Jonas was named MVP of the Las Vegas Summer League. He was the first non-American player to win this award. He set a new personal record with 18 rebounds in a game in December 2013. In April 2014, he scored a career-high 26 points.
In the 2014 playoffs, Jonas set a new Raptors playoff record with 19 rebounds in one game. He also became only the second Raptors player to get a double-double in his first playoff game.
In January 2015, Jonas scored a career-high 31 points in a game. He was one of the best players in the NBA at shooting close to the basket.
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In August 2015, Jonas signed a new contract with the Raptors. He was ranked as one of the top 60 players in the league by ESPN. In November 2015, he had to miss some games because of a hand injury. He came back in December.
In March 2016, Jonas had a great streak of 16 games where he scored double-digit points. He also had 16 double-doubles that season. The Raptors had their best season ever, winning 50 games for the first time.
In the 2016 playoffs, Jonas broke his own record with 19 rebounds in a game. He also scored a playoff career-high 23 points and 15 rebounds in another game. Unfortunately, he got a sprained ankle during the playoffs and missed several games. The Raptors made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, their furthest run ever, but lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Later Years with Raptors (2016–2019)
In October 2016, Jonas scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a game. In January 2017, he set another career-high with 23 rebounds. He also set a team record for most rebounds in a single quarter.
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In January 2018, Jonas had 15 points and 18 rebounds in a big win. He also scored a season-high 28 points later that month. In the 2018 playoffs, he set a new Raptors record for most playoff double-doubles. The Raptors won their first-round series. In the second round, Jonas had an amazing game with 21 points and 21 rebounds, but the Raptors lost the series.
In November 2018, Jonas had 24 points and 13 rebounds. In December, he scored a season-high 26 points. He later had to have surgery on his thumb and missed several weeks.
Moving to Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2021)
In February 2019, Jonas was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. He made his debut for the Grizzlies with 23 points and 10 rebounds. In March, he scored a career-high 33 points. A few days later, he set a new career-high with 24 rebounds, which was a franchise record for defensive rebounds. He also had a career-best six straight games with a double-double.
In July 2019, Jonas signed a new contract with the Grizzlies. In February 2020, he grabbed 25 rebounds in a game. He also set a Grizzlies club record for the most rebounds in two games in a row. In August 2020, Jonas achieved his first "triple-double" (double-digits in three stats) with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 12 assists. This helped his team get a chance to play in the playoffs.
In March 2021, Jonas had 29 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He was the first Grizzlies player ever to get at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a game. In April, he tied his career-high with 34 points and also had 22 rebounds. He then set a franchise record with 15 double-doubles in a row.
New Orleans Pelicans (2021–2024)
In August 2021, Jonas was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. In October, he signed a new contract with them. In November, Jonas had a career-high 39 points, including seven three-pointers, and 15 rebounds in a game.
Washington Wizards (2024–Present)
On July 6, 2024, Jonas signed a contract to play for the Washington Wizards.
Playing for Lithuania's National Team
Jonas first played for Lithuania's junior national team in 2008. He was amazing in the tournament, averaging 14.3 points and 11.1 rebounds. His team won the gold medal, and he was named the MVP.
In 2009, Jonas played in the European Under-18 All-Star Game. He was the MVP of that game, too! A year later, he led Lithuania to another gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. He was voted MVP again.
Jonas also played for the Lithuanian Under-19 team in the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. He led his team to win the gold medal and was named the tournament MVP. He scored 36 points in the gold medal game, which was the most by any player in that tournament. He is the only player to win an MVP and a gold medal in all of his FIBA youth tournaments!
Jonas joined Lithuania's senior men's national basketball team in 2011. He played his first game on August 6, 2011, scoring 26 points and getting 11 rebounds. He helped Lithuania get fifth place in EuroBasket 2011, which allowed them to try for the Olympics. He is the youngest Lithuanian ever to play for the main national team in a major tournament.
In 2013, Jonas won a silver medal at the EuroBasket 2013 tournament. In the 2014 FIBA World Cup, he led Lithuania to fourth place. He was also one of the best players at EuroBasket 2015, where he won another silver medal with his team. He was named to the All-Tournament Team.
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In 2017, Jonas played for Lithuania at the EuroBasket 2017 tournament. He led the tournament in double-doubles and rebounds per game. In 2019, he played in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
In 2023, Jonas played for the national team at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He helped his team achieve a great victory against the USA. He became only the second player to have multiple double-doubles in three World Cup tournaments since 1994. He was also named to the All-FIBA World Cup Second Team for his excellent play.
About Jonas's Life
Jonas Valančiūnas is married to Eglė Ačaitė, and they have two sons.
Jonas is involved in a campaign called "Itty Bitty Ballers," which sells small basketball figurines. The money from these sales goes to a charity called the MLSE Foundation. Jonas also has his own charity, the Jonas Valančiūnas Foundation, which he started in 2017. This group helps teenagers who are facing challenges. In 2018, his foundation opened a day home called "Išvien" (United) for adolescents.
Jonas on Screen
Jonas has appeared in a few documentaries about basketball. In 2012, he was in The Other Dream Team and We are... for the Lithuania!. In 2016, he even acted in a Lithuanian comedy movie called Received Call 3, where he played a village thief.
See also
In Spanish: Jonas Valančiūnas para niños
- List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
- List of European basketball players in the United States
