Virginijus Praškevičius facts for kids
| Power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 4 March 1974 Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
|||||||||||||
| Nationality | Lithuanian | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1993–2011 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Lavera Kaunas | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Atletas Kaunas | |||||||||||||
| 1997 | LaCrosse Bobcats | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Žalgiris Kaunas | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Beşiktaş | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Telindus Ostende | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Ülkerspor | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Hapoel Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Ülkerspor | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Upea Capo D'Orlando | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Baloncesto Fuenlabrada | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | BC Šiauliai | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Qianjiang Tan Tan | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Utena Juventus | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Virginijus Praškevičius (born March 4, 1974) is a former professional basketball player from Lithuania. He was known for playing as a power forward or center. These positions are usually for taller players who score close to the basket and grab rebounds. Virginijus is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters) tall.
Contents
Virginijus Praškevičius's Basketball Journey
Starting His Professional Career
Virginijus Praškevičius began his basketball journey with Banga Kaunas. In the 1993–94 season, he joined Lavera Kaunas. Later, in 1995–96, he moved to Atletas Kaunas. He played there alongside another famous player, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas.
In January 1997, Virginijus went to play for the LaCrosse Bobcats in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the United States. He had signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1996. However, he did not play any games for the Timberwolves. Instead, he was loaned to the LaCrosse Bobcats. He left the Timberwolves in February 1997.
Playing in Europe
In 1997–98, Virginijus returned to his hometown of Kaunas, Lithuania. He played for Atletas again and then for Žalgiris. With Žalgiris, one of Lithuania's top teams, he helped them win the Saporta Cup. This was a big achievement in European basketball.
After his time in Lithuania, he played for two years with Beşiktaş Spor Kulubu in the Turkish Basketball League. In 2000, he moved to Basketball Club Oostende in Belgium. There, he had great success, winning the Belgian National Championship twice. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league once, which means he was considered the best player.
From 2002 to 2005, Virginijus played for Ülkerspor in Turkey. During this time, he also played one season for Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. With Ülkerspor, he won the Turkish National Cup two times.
Later Career and Retirement
In the 2005–06 season, Virginijus played for Upea Capo d'Orlando in Italy's top league, Italian Serie A1. The next season, 2006–07, he played for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in the Spanish ACB League.
His last professional team was Utena Juventus in Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in the spring of 2010, when he was 36 years old.
Playing for His Country: The National Team
Virginijus Praškevičius also proudly represented his home country, Lithuania, in international basketball.
Junior National Team Success
He played for the Lithuania Under-22 junior national team. With this team, he won a gold medal at the 1996 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. This showed his talent from a young age.
Senior National Team Achievements
Virginijus was also an important member of the senior Lithuanian national team. He played in several major tournaments:
- EuroBasket 1997
- 1998 FIBA World Championship
- EuroBasket 1999
- EuroBasket 2003
At the EuroBasket 2003 tournament in Sweden, Virginijus and his team achieved a huge victory. They won the gold medal, making Lithuania the champions of Europe!
See also
In Spanish: Virginijus Praškevičius para niños
