Modestas Paulauskas facts for kids
Paulauskas in 1970, as a member of the USSR national team
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 19 March 1945 Kretinga, Lithuania |
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| Nationality | Lithuanian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 206 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1962–1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 1977–1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1976 | Žalgiris Kaunas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1991–1992 | Žalgiris Kaunas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Statyba-Lietuvos rytas Vilnius | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As a player:
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Medals
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Modestas Paulauskas was a famous Lithuanian basketball player and coach. He was born on March 19, 1945. Many people consider him one of the best Lithuanian basketball players ever. He was known for his amazing dribbling skills.
Paulauskas achieved many great things in his career. He was the youngest player to win the EuroBasket MVP award at just 20 years old. He was also named the Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year seven times! This happened in 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972.
He was a key player for the Soviet team. They won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. In 1991, he was recognized as one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players. Later, in 2021, he was added to the FIBA Hall of Fame, which is a huge honor for basketball legends.
Contents
Playing for His Club
Modestas Paulauskas played his entire club career with one team, Žalgiris Kaunas. This team is from his home country, Lithuania. Even though teams from Western Europe and the National Basketball Association (NBA) were interested in him, he stayed with Žalgiris Kaunas.
At that time, Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union. It was very difficult for people to travel outside the Soviet Union. Another reason he stayed was that he truly loved his homeland and didn't want to leave. He even turned down an offer to join Žalgiris Kaunas's main rival, CSKA Moscow.
Representing His Country
Paulauskas was a very important part of the Soviet Union national basketball team. He helped them win a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Four years later, he led them to a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He became the captain of the Soviet national team in 1969.
After His Playing Days
After he stopped playing basketball professionally, Modestas Paulauskas became a coach. From 1977 to 1989, he coached the Soviet Union's junior national teams. In the early 1990s, he became the head coach for his old club, Žalgiris Kaunas. After that, he continued to coach basketball in schools in both Lithuania and Russia.
External Links
- FIBA Player Profile
See also
In Spanish: Modestas Paulauskas para niños
