Rokas Jokubaitis facts for kids
Jokubaitis in 2022
|
||||||||||||||
| No. 31 – Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point guard | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 November 2000 Mažeikiai, Lithuania |
|||||||||||||
| Listed height | 1.93 m (6 ft 3.98 in) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 91 kg (201 lb) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2021 / Round: 2 / Pick: 34th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2017–present | |||||||||||||
| League | Israeli Basketball Premier League EuroLeague |
|||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | Žalgiris Kaunas | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | →Žalgiris-2 Kaunas | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | FC Barcelona | |||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Rokas Jokubaitis (born November 19, 2000) is a professional basketball player from Lithuania. He plays as a point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv. This team competes in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague, which is a top European basketball league.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Basketball
Rokas was born in Mažeikiai, Lithuania. He started playing basketball at a young age. He first trained at the Vladas Knašius Basketball School in Klaipėda. Later, he joined the youth academy of Žalgiris, a famous Lithuanian team.
In 2018, Rokas was chosen for the all-tournament team at the Kaunas Tournament. He played very well, scoring about 15 points and making 8.3 assists per game. He helped his team, Žalgiris, finish in third place.
Professional Career Highlights
Starting with Žalgiris (2017–2021)
Rokas made his first big game appearance for Žalgiris in May 2018. This was in a game against Pieno žvaigždės in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL).
In the 2018–19 season, Rokas played for Žalgiris-2, the team's second squad. He was named the Best Young Player in the National Basketball League. He averaged 13.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game.
In June 2019, Rokas signed a new three-year contract with Žalgiris. During the 2020–21 season, he played in the EuroLeague, averaging seven points and 2.5 assists per game. He was also named the Best Young Player in the LKL, averaging eight points and four assists.
Playing for FC Barcelona (2021–2024)
On July 21, 2021, Rokas joined FC Barcelona, a major team in Spain. He signed a four-year contract to play in the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
In the 2023–24 season, he played 74 games, averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 assists. He shot 50% on his two-point shots. In July 2024, Rokas and FC Barcelona decided to go their separate ways.
Joining Maccabi Tel Aviv (2024–Present)
On July 24, 2024, Rokas signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He now plays for them in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague.
NBA Draft Journey
Rokas was chosen in the 2021 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the 34th player picked overall. On the same day, his draft rights were traded to the New York Knicks. This meant the Knicks now had the chance to sign him if he decided to play in the NBA. However, Rokas chose to return to FC Barcelona after playing in the 2021 NBA Summer League in August 2021.
Playing for His Country: Lithuania
Rokas has proudly represented Lithuania in many international tournaments.
He played in the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship in Poland. His team won a silver medal, and Rokas averaged 10 points per game. He was the youngest player at the 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Egypt. There, he averaged 10 points and 5.3 assists.
At the 2018 FIBA U18 European Championship in Latvia, he averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 rebounds. In the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Greece, he helped Lithuania finish fourth. He averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 assists in that tournament.
Rokas made his debut for the senior Lithuanian national team in February 2020. He also played in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2021.
Personal Life
Basketball runs in Rokas's family! His father, Aivaras Jokubaitis, was also a professional basketball player in Lithuania and Poland. Rokas's mother and sister also played the sport.
See also
In Spanish: Rokas Jokubaitis para niños
