The 37th annual "Torneig de Básquet Júnior Ciutat de L'Hospitalet" was presented on Tuesday in suburban Barcelona with the promise of more high-level competition in the fight to reach the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT at the 2015 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four that will be played in Berlin next May. The L'Hospitalet tournament will be held in the province of Barcelona between January 4 and 6, 2016. Organized by CB L'Hospitalet, the tournament is a time-tested holiday magnet for teams, fans and scouts from all over Europe and beyond. The follow comments were made during the tournament press conference on Tuesday:

Nuria Marin, Mayor of Hospitalet: "We are here again to present a date marked in red on all our calendars, the 37th edition of the Hospitalet Junior Tournament. The city of Hospitalet is really proud to support this event for another year and to welcome all the teams who will join us in January."

Joan Ramón Patón, President of Club Bàsquet L'Hospitalet: "We are all waiting for the 37th edition of our junior tournament. From January 4 to 6 our home court will welcome some of the most talented junior players in Europe to bring the best competition possible to the fans. We are aware that this tournament would be really difficult to organize but with the support of all our sponsors, Euroleague Basketball and the city of Hospitalet, we can make this tournament happen. Thank you all for coming and hope you enjoy the tournament."

Diego Guillén d’Arlot de Saint-Saud, Euroleague Basketball Competitions Director: "Euroleague Basketball is really proud to collaborate for the ninth year in a row with the Hospitalet Tournament that together with the other three tournaments that we organize around Europe – Belgrade, Kaunas and Rome – gather the most talented junior players of the continent playing to achieve a spot in the final, which will be played during the Final Four of Berlin. I would like to thank Adidas for being the sponsor of the tournament for the second year in a row and the Club Bàsquet L'Hospitalet for organizing such an prestigious tournament which is a reference in Europe."

Enric Prats, Catalan Basketball Federation Vice-President: "There is no need to make a presentation of the tournament that, with 37 editions, we all know because of its excellent organization and the talented players who have participated, whom we can watch now on a weekly basis playing in the top European competitions and domestic leagues."



L'Hospitalet tournament's 37th edition presented

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## ROME TOURNAMENT, DECEMBER 27-29, 2015

### VENUE: ALTERO FELICI

GROUP A
CSKA MOSCOW
ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME
VIRTUS BOLOGNA

GROUP B
ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN
MEGA LEKS BELGRADE
UMANA REYER VENICE
UNICAJA MALAGA

### SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER:

9:30 STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME - CSKA MOSCOW
11:30 VIRTUS BOLOGNA - ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
14:30 UMANA REYER VENICE - UNICAJA MALAGA
16:30 MEGA LEKS BELGRADE - ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN
18:30 ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL - CSKA MOSCOW
20:30 STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME - VIRTUS BOLOGNA

### MONDAY 28 DECEMBER:

9:30 ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN - UNICAJA MALAGA
11:30 UMANA REYER VENICE - MEGA LEKS BELGRADE
14:30 VIRTUS BOLOGNA - CSKA MOSCOW
16:30 STELLAZZURRA BASKETBALL ACADEMY ROME - ANADOLU EFES ISTANBUL
18:30 UNICAJA MALAGA - MEGA LEKS BELGRADE
20:30 UMANA REYER VENICE - ARMANI JUNIOR MILAN

### TUESDAY 29 DECEMBER

9:00 7TH PLACE
11:00 5TH PLACE
16:00 3RD PLACE
18:00 FINAL

## L'HOSPITALET TOURNAMENT, JANUARY 4-6, 2016

### VENUE: PAVELLO HOSPITALET NORD

GROUP A
REAL MADRID
UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA
FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA
MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV

GROUP B
FC BARCELONA LASSA
BALONCESTO SEVILLE
TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET
BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG

### MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2015

10:00 TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET - BALONCESTO SEVILLE
12:00 BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG - FC BARCELONA LASSA
14:00  FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA - MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV
16:00  UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA - REAL MADRID
18:00 BALONCESTO SEVILLE - BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG
20:00  FC BARCELONA LASSA - TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET

### TUESDAY 5 JANUARY 2015

09:30 REAL MADRID - MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV
11:30 UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA - FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA
14:00 TORRONS VICENS L’HOSPITALET - BROSE BASKETS BAMBERG
16:00 FC BARCELONA LASSA - BALONCESTO SEVILLE
18:00  FIATC JOVENTUT BADALONA - REAL MADRID -
20:00 MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV - UNION OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA

### WEDNESDAY 6 JANUARY 2015

9:30 SF1: 1ST GR A VS. 2ND GR B
11:30 SF2: 2ND GR A VS. 1ST GR B
13:30 4TH GR A VS. 4TH GR B
15:30 3RD GR A VS. 3RD GR B
18:30 FINAL

## KAUNAS TOURNAMENT, JANUARY 15-17, 2016

### VENUE: ZALGIRIO ARENA

GROUP A
CIBONA ZAGREB
FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL
PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG
ZALGIRIS KAUNAS

GROUP B
INSEP PARIS
LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS
USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE
VEF RIGA

### FRIDAY 15 JANUARY

9:00 CIBONA ZAGREB - FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL
11:15 PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG - ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
13:30 INSEP PARIS - LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS
16:00 USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE - VEF RIGA
18:15 FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL - PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG
21:00 ZALGIRIS KAUNAS CIBONA ZAGREB

### SATURDAY 16 JANUARY

9:00 LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS - USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE
11:15 INSEP PARIS - VEF RIGA
13:30 CIBONA ZAGREB - PORSCHE BASKETBALL ACADEMY LUDWIGSBURG
16:00 FENERBAHCE ISTANBUL - ZALGIRIS KAUNAS
18:15 USK FUTURE STARS PRAGUE - INSEP PARIS
20:30 VEF RIGA - LIETUVOS RYTAS VILNIUS

### SUNDAY 17 JANUARY

11:00 3RD PLACE (A2-B2)
13:30 FINAL (A1-B1)

## BELGRADE TOURNAMENT, FEBRUARY 26-28, 2016

### VENUE: FMP ARENA

GROUP A
ALBA BERLIN
BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA
CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE
SPARS SARAJEVO

GROUP B
CEDEVITA ZAGREB
FC BAYERN MUNICH
PARTIZAN BELGRADE
ZEMUN

### FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2016

10:00 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE - BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA
12:00 SPARS SARAJEVO - ALBA BERLIN
14:00 CEDEVITA ZAGREB - FC BAYERN MUNICH
16:00 PARTIZAN BELGRADE - ZEMUN
18:00 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE - SPARS SARAJEVO
20:00 BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA - ALBA BERLIN

### SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2016

10:00 CEDEVITA ZAGREB - PARTIZAN BELGRADE
12:00 FC BAYERN MUNICH - ZEMUN
14:00 CRVENA ZVEZDA TELEKOM BELGRADE - ALBA BERLIN
16:00 BUDUCNOST VOLI PODGORICA - SPARS SARAJEVO
18:00 CEDEVITA ZAGREB - ZEMUN
21:00 PARTIZAN BELGRADE - FC BAYERN MUNICH

### SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2016

10:00 SF1: 1st GROUP A vs. 2ND GROUP B
12:00 SF2: 1ST GROUP B v.s 2ND GROUP A
14:00 5th PLACE: 3rd GROUP A vs. 3rd GROUP B
16:00 7th PLACE: 4th GROUP A vs. 4th GROUP B
18:00 3rd PLACE GAME
20:00 FINAL

2015-16 ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT schedules

A field of 32 junior teams from all corners of Europe are set to mount their own run for a continental title after the naming Tuesday of all the participating teams for the four qualifiers of the 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT.

This will mark the 14th edition of a competition that has grown from eight teams and one city in 2003 to qualifying tournaments held across the continent that offer 32 teams the chance to become the junior club champions of Europe.

Eight teams each will compete at qualifying tournaments in four countries for the right to advance to the finals during Final Four week in Berlin next spring.

The 32 teams participating in the qualifiers come from 15 countries. Amongst them are represented 13 clubs from the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and six from the Eurocup.

Many of the senior club teams boast alumni of the junior tournament like Jonas Maciulis (Real Madrid), Milos Teodosic (CSKA Moscow), Dario Saric (Anadolu Efes Istanbul), Nihad Dedovic (FC Bayern Munich) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (Fenerbahce Istanbul).

Again this year the first qualifying tournament will be in Rome, to be played from December 27 to 29, 2015. This year's participants in the Italian capital are: Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Armani Junior Milan, CSKA Moscow, Mega Leks Belgrade, Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome, Umana Reyer Venice, Unicaja Malaga, Virtus Bologna.

The new year arrives with juniors battling for survival in L'Hospitalet from January 4 to 6, which will highlight European junior club champion Real Madrid alongside Baloncesto Seville, Brose Baskets Bamberg, FC Barcelona Lassa, Fiatc Joventut Badalona, L'Hospitalet, Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv and Union Olimpija Ljubljana.

Later the same month, from January 15 to 17, Kaunas takes center stage with host and two-time tournament champion Zalgiris Kaunas welcoming BBA Ludwigsburg, Cibona Zagreb, Fenerbahce Istanbul, INSEP Paris, Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, USK Future Stars Prague and VEF Riga.

The final qualifier in Belgrade runs from February 26 to 28 and will feature ALBA Berlin, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, Cedevita Zagreb, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade, FC Bayern Munich, Partizan Belgrade, Spars Sarajevo, Zemun Belgrade.

Winners of each qualifying tournament will take part in the Finals from May 12 to 15, 2016 in Berlin, to be joined by the reigning champions and three wild card invitations. The 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT champion will be crowned on the same court the morning of the 2016 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four Championship Game, hours before the Euroleague champion is known.

You can find more information throughout the 2015-16 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT at adidasngt.com!



32 teams announced for ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT qualifiers!

The well-known saying “There is no I in team” means that the whole of the group is more important than the individual. And that is ever so true for Vojislav Stojanovic and Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. When Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade played this past season at the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT, the team’s players often would pass up on a good scoring opportunity to find a teammate for an even better shot.

That unselfishness cannot always be expected from a group of highly talented players like the ones playing for Zvezda. But Stojanovic knows why he and his teammates are able to do that. “They teach us that way from the time we are kids growing up,” explained Stojanovic of the coaching at Zvezda.

With that kind of attitude and a seemingly endless supply of talent coming from the basketball hotbed of Belgrade, Zvezda has become perhaps the strongest youth club in European basketball. At the 2015 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Madrid, the team made its fifth straight ANGT Finals appearance and has won the Belgrade tournament every year since 2011. One of the reasons for that is the closeness in the team.

“We go to the same school and spend so much more time together. We live together. Most of us eat together, learn together and then practice together. And other clubs don’t do that,” said Stojanovic.

Although the players are a tight-knit group, there is little doubt that Stojanovic is among the best the squad has to offer in terms of talent. He was named to the ANGT All-Tournament Team, which was selected by the competition’s coaches, after leading the event with 6.8 assists, ranking fifth with 2.8 steals, sixth with 7.8 rebounds and ninth in scoring with 14.3 points per game.

Stojanovic has been a main cog in the Serbian club’s rise to the true elite of European junior club basketball, a road that the club has been climbing for years and culminated in Zvezda’s 2014 ANGT Finals title at the Milan Final Four. According to Stojanovic, the run to the 2014 ANGT title actually started back at the 2013 tournament in London. Zvezda lost 77-67 to Joventut Badalona in the second game of the group stage in 2013; that was the Belgrade team’s only loss of the entire ANGT season. And Joventut went on to win the title.

Zvezda drew Badalona in the group stage in Milan as well - and once again in the second game. Zvezda used a 20-2 run to come back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat Badalona 69-67. That victory pushed Zvezda onto its first ANGT title as the team beat Real Madrid in the final.

"It showed that we are one of the best in Europe and our players are some of the best in Europe,” Stojanovic said. “Before we went there, the Serbian media didn’t think we would win anything in Milan, not beat anybody… After that we were stars.”

Stojanovic was the MVP of the 2014 tournament and went on to take MVP honors of the Belgrade qualifier this season as well. His passion for basketball began around 2003 when he saw James “Scoonie” Penn play for Zvezda against Split on television. “That was it,” said Stojanovic, the older brother of a volleyball playing sister with two parents who have no active connection to sport.

Stojanovic’s coach Slobodan Klipa told the Belgrade media the guard was like a warrior and had the mentality of a champion.

“He’s right,” Stojanovic said. “It comes from my neighborhood. I used to play against older guys and they were better than me. I just shot every night and morning to be better than them.”

That warrior spirit and winning attitude helped Zvezda return to the ANGT final in Madrid - and once again against Real Madrid. This time Stojanovic could not get Zvezda a second title; he fouled out on an offensive foul late in the game and had to watch the final stages of Madrid’s 73-70 victory from the sidelines. But he stepped up and accepted full responsibility for the defeat.

“It was a charge. It was clear. Of course I feel bad. I lost that game. It’s all on me, the whole game. I lost it,” he said afterwards.

The letter “I” may not appear in the word “team”, but it does in responsibility. And Stojanovic lives up to that.



Like all his Crvena Zvezda teammates, team comes first for Stojanovic

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Spars Sarajevo had visions of reaching the title game of the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT, but winning two games at the ANGT Finals in Madrid should still be considered a success. And the performance of point guard Amar Gegic played a role in that.

“We had big expectations maybe to play in the final,” Gegic said. “But we are not fully satisfied with the two wins. Maybe we can say we achieved at least this goal.”

Gegic admitted that he struggled a bit in Madrid, where he made just 36.8% of his two point shots, 1 of 8 free throws (12.5%) and committed 19 turnovers in three games. But he also ranked sixth at the event with 3.7 assists per game. Gegic also averaged 5.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals and helped Spars beat Zalgiris Kaunas and Unicaja Malaga for their first ever victories at an ANGT Finals. The Bosnian team’s sole loss came against Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade.

“The team played really great,” the promising point guard said. “I didn’t play that well, but overall I am satisfied with how we played.”

What makes Gegic’s play more impressive is the fact that he was one of four Spars players at the 1997 tournament who was born in either 1998 or 1999 along with Darko Bajo (1999), Sani Campara (1999) and Sabahudin Jahic (1998). And Gegic, who was third on Spars in minutes played in Madrid, played more than double the other three underclassmen combined! “All the younger guys are really training hard, including me,” he said. “Every year we are producing great players.”

Gegic also played for Spars in the ANGT qualifying tournament in Rome last season. This year he put up much better numbers in the Rome event with 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.3 steals and 0.5 blocks while committing 3.3 turnovers a game. With Gegic’s help, Spars finished third in Rome and eventually received a wild card for the ANGT Finals in Madrid.

Gegic not only is accomplishing big things for the Bosnian club, but has already helped the country make history. In 2013 he was a leader on the Bosnia and Herzegovina team that was promoted from Division B at the U16 European Championship. It was the first time that the Bosnians had reached Division A. And last summer he averaged 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals to help Bosnia stay in Division A.

Gegic was actually born in Germany in 1998, where his family had fled to because of the war in the former Yugoslavia, but returned to Bosnia when he was six months old. His next task is to focus on this summer’s U18 European Championship, where Bosnia will be playing for a second summer in the Division A. He will likely be playing with some of his Spars teammates, including Edin Atic, Emir Ahmedic and Fahrudin Manjgafic.

Gegic continues to work on all facets of his game. After watching his flashy passing game, it’s not a big surprise to learn that his role model is former Euroleague champion and Euroleague Rising Star award winner Ricky Rubio. “I like his no-look passes, also his penetration and he is a really good ball-handler,” Gegic said. “One day I would like to be a player like him.”

If Gegic keeps working hard, he could one day be leading a Euroleague team on the fast break just as he has done for Spars Sarajevo.



Playmaker Gegic emerges as building block for improving Spars program

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Romaric Belemene is part of a growing trend in Spanish basketball. And the athletic Unicaja Malaga forward is quite thankful. The native of the Republic of the Congo is one of a number of African-born players who are playing for the youth teams at Spain’s top clubs.

Belemene is finishing his third season with Unicaja and played a huge role in getting the Spanish team to the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Finals. The 2.05-meter forward averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks at the Rome qualifying tournament and the ANGT Finals at the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four. It marked his third time competing in the event since arriving in Spain. Playing at his first ANGT Finals, Belemene was impressed with the steady improvement of the teams involved.

"I think that every season the playing level gets better," Belemene said. "The best teams in Europe come to the Final Four tournament. They are taller, more-physical teams than in previous tournaments."

Belemene helped keep Unicaja competitive in Madrid, where it lost to eventual runner-up Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade by just 5 points, beat Zalgiris Kaunas by 5 points and fell to Spars Sarajevo by 3. His game relies on his superb athleticism and his passion for the game, which leads him to regularly throwing his body around for loose balls and playing tough defense.

"I gave everything I had, with all of my energy, but things didn't work out well for me as I had expected," Belemene said. "But I did what I could and I am happy with the job I did. Most importantly, we competed and I fought with all of my soul."

It’s that heart and energy that has earned Belemene playing time in four Spanish League games for Unicaja this season. In fact, he scored his first point for Unicaja’s senior team during the season.

“I am very happy with the way I am improving and the chances the club is giving me. I am working hard and still have a lot of things to improve, which I can only do by working hard," Belemene said. "I did a lot of things working hard and can get better if I keep doing that. I hope to be at a high level soon."

Belemene has made major strides in all aspects of his game since coming to Spain from Congo three years ago. He is one of many African players who made the jump to the Iberian Peninsula. Among Belemene’s Unicaja teammates this season at the ANGT Finals were Ablaye Sow from Senegal and Viny Okouo from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last season, Belemene and Okouo were joined by another Senegalese forward, Bruno Diatta.

Unicaja Malaga is just one of a handful of Spanish clubs bringing in African players. At the recent ANGT Finals, Souleymane Diakite from Mali played for Canarias Basketball Academy and Atoumane Diagne from Senegal played for Barcelona. African players also had an impact on 2014 ANGT finalist and 2015 ANGT champion Real Madrid with Senegalese Samba Ndiaye. Last season the Madrid club had Ndiaye as well as compatriot Waly Niang and Jonathan Kasibabu from the same country as Belemene.

The Unicaja forward appreciates the offer that he and the other African players received to develop their careers in Spain. "It is an opportunity for us African young players to have Spanish clubs counting on us and giving us this opportunity to come here to Europe, where everything is more developed, and improve," Belemene said. "We can study and play at a good level, do what we need to become good players. I can only thank Spain and its clubs for what they do for us. I hope that more African players will come here with great willingness to work. Let's see if any of them can reach a high level."

Belemene would like to use the opportunity that he has to help others back in his homeland. "I am helping my country as much as I can. Sometimes, I can go back with some sports material - basketball clothes, jerseys and stuff like that," he said.

Belemene also tries to organize tournaments and talk to clubs and agents about getting more of his younger compatriots to Europe. And he’s not nearly done yet.

According to Belemene, "In the future, if I get to be a big player, I have a lot of plans to help my country."



Congo's Belemene thankful for opportunities in Spain

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Kristinn Palsson never thought he would be on the court playing against superstar talents the likes of Luka Doncic, Rodions Kurucs and Stephane Gombauld at an event as prestigious as the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT finals. Not when he was growing up in the small town of Njarovik in Iceland. But the 1.97-meter guard more than held his own for Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome at the ANGT. And the 17-year-old is in the process of giving Icelandic basketball fans another exciting name to follow for the future.

Palsson was Stellazzurra’s top scorer with 11.3 points per game at the ANGT Finals in Madrid. He also led the team in average performance index rating (8) and steals (2 spg.) and ranked second in assists (2.7 apg.). Before that, Palsson helped Stellazzurra clinch a ticket to Madrid with 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 3.3 steals as his side won the Rome qualifying tournament.

Although Palsson has proven that he belongs on the court with the best of his age group in Europe, he still cannot believe it sometimes. “It’s a pretty amazing experience. I thought I would never be here, coming from a small country. It’s good to compare against the best placers in Europe,” Palsson said. “And these are really the best players in Europe. This is the best thing that could have happened. It’s amazing.”

Even though Palsson comes from a small town, he was able to shoot hoops from a young age. “I started at 6 years old because in my town they play a lot of basketball. It became a trend, so I started to play.”

He said his parents played basketball and his father, Pall Kristinsson, played for the Icelandic national team for a number of years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Palsson always looked up to a former national teammate friend of his father, Jon Stefansson, who currently plays at Unicaja Malaga and has played in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and Eurocup. “He’s always been one of my role models. I always wanted to go play professionally,” Palsson said. “So he’s been a role (model) for me.”

Palsson is one of a handful of up-and-coming players for an up-and-coming Icelandic squad. The Stellazzurra guard believes Iceland should now be considered among the top teams in Scandinavia. “I think we are one of the top teams and we can really fight against the others and really beat them. We just have to believe it.”

Palsson’s senior team compatriots have qualified for EuroBasket 2015 and will play against great teams like Spain, Serbia, Turkey, Italy and Germany in their group. “Now we have to see how good we are compared to the good teams,” Palsson said.

H will absolutely be rooting for the senior national team this summer and hopes to get his chance to suit up alongside those stars in years to come. Because the Stellazzurra guard has already proven that even if you are from Iceland, it doesn’t mean you can’t dream big in basketball.



Stellazzurra's Palsson makes jump from Iceland to ANGT

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Laurynas Birutis has the same long, lengthy build as Sigitas Birutis. As Zalgiris Kaunas coach Tomas Masiulis joked, “The frame is the same as his father, who also needed to put on some weight.”

The younger Birutis was one of the top performers at the recent ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT finals, which he led in blocked shots with 3.3 per game. The 17-year-old was also worth 9.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in three games in Madrid and his average index rating of 15.7 was best among all centers. In the qualifying tourney in Kaunas, the 2.10-meter Birutis averaged a double-double with 13.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Those numbers are a drastic improvement over last season’s tournament, where he averaged 4.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while playing for Lietuvos Rytus Vilnius.

One of the main reasons for his step forward was playing last summer at the U18 European Championship, where Birutis averaged 4.4 points and 4.9 rebounds, including a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds against Latvia.

He was also fortunate enough to play alongside Domantas Sabonis, the son of the legendary Arvydas Sabonis. “It was a great experience to play with Domantas Sabonis. He is a good player,” Birutis said.

Birutis is thankful for the opportunity to learn from his coach on the Lithuanian squad, Saulius Stombergas. “Stombergas is a good coach. He really helped me a lot. He showed me some really good post moves,” Birutis said of Stombergas, who won the Euroleague title in 1999 with Zalgiris and reached the finals with Tau Ceramica Vitoria in 2001. “He really knows the game. He was such a good player.”

Birutis also has the man who gave him his long slender frame to learn from. Sigitas Birutis enjoyed his best playing days for Siauliai in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He continued to play in lower leagues until he was 40 years old in 2005. He later played at the 2013 FIMBA World MaxiBasketball Championship, where he competed in the +45 years age group.

The younger Birutis said his father helps him and offers tips. It wasn’t until about three years ago that son finally defeated father in a game of basketball.

Despite his recent improvements, the left-handed Laurynas Birutis knows he still has plenty to work on in his game. “I am working on a mid-range shot and post moves,” Birutis said, even though he shot 52.4% from the field in Madrid.

When asked what he feels he is best at, Birutis said: “I think I am good at passing. I see our players and I see the court.”

And what about his weakest element? Birutis said: “Maybe my body. I am trying to add some weight to do better job in paint. I need to work a lot on it.”

That, it appears, must be a Birutis family trait.



ANGT standout Birutis working hard to improve

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Future stars of basketball met two current greats of the game as Euroleague Basketball introduced its first-ever ANGT Players Educational Session at the recent Final Four in Madrid. Players from the ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT came to the Barclaycard Center for an informational discussion featuring Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets and Taylor Rochestie of Nizhny Novgorod.

Faried and Rochestie shared their stories with the ANGT players and told them to remain hungry and humble as they shoot for greatness. Euroleague Basketball representatives introduced to the players the organization's philosophy and vision while adidas urged the youngsters to become the next icons and inspire the next generation of talents.

Faried gave the young players an acronym to remember that he learned during his rise to become an NBA star and 2014 FIBA World Cup champion. "Just remember HAT," he said. "Stay Humble, Appreciate what you have and be Thankful of people around you."

Rochestie, who received the 2014-15 Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy as the top scorer of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, told the ANGT players that planning their careers has to start early and be taken seriously.

"You have to think of yourself as your own brand. Have respect for yourself and your future," Rochestie said. "The second you stop working is the time you start going down."

Jim Gatto, Director of Global Sports Marketing adidas Basketball, urged the youngsters to think big and dedicate themselves to becoming the best they can be in the sport.

"We're excited to help you build your brands and maybe down the line become an icon," Gatto told the players. "We look forward to seeing you grow. Learn the game, respect the game."

Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball's Director Brand and Communication, started by saying: "It's very nice to see the future of European basketball and international basketball all sitting in one room."

He then described to the players the company's philosophy and vision and its idea of excellence.

"We are working with the youngsters to educate them, to make them understand what it means to be a professional player," said Ferrer.

"At this age, you don't always realize or understand that. And it's good to have the two players explaining first person what the job of a professional player is like on and off the court."

The players were very excited to hear what Faried and Rochestie had to say.

"It's very amazing for me to see Faried. He's a really great player, he's so athletic. It's good for me and my teammates to see him. I learned that Faried was always hungry and he's a role model.," said Stephane Gombauld from INSEP Paris.

"I think it was very important for us to know these things about professional players, Euroleague Basketball and adidas," said Stellazzurra Basketball Academy Rome's Andrea La Torre.

"It was a good experience to learn how these people think and that they are looking at us like a lot of scouts. It was an amazing experience," added La Torre's teammate Kristinn Palsson.

And Martynas Echodas from Zalgiris Kaunas said: "I think it is very useful and there was a lot of new information from professionals who I would like to be like one day."