BC Rytas


Basketball Club Rytas, commonly referred to as Rytas Vilnius, is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania. The club competes in the Lithuanian Basketball League, the top tier of Lithuanian basketball, and internationally in the Basketball Champions League since 2020.
The club plays its home matches in the 2,741-capacity Active Vilnius Arena, with select domestic and all international matches played at the 10,000-capacity Twinsbet Arena.
Nicknamed juodai baltai raudoni, Rytas are one of the most successful basketball clubs in Lithuania. Domestically, the club has won 7 league titles, 3 LKF Cups and 2 King Mindaugas Cups. Internationally, Rytas have won 2 EuroCup titles and 3 Baltic Basketball League titles.
The club's affiliate teams, Rytas-2 and Rytas-MRU, are used for development of young players and compete in the National Basketball League and the Regional Basketball League, respectively.
Notable members of the club include Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Arvydas Macijauskas, Jonas Valančiūnas, Martynas Gecevičius, Renaldas Seibutis, Simas Jasaitis, Robertas Javtokas, Darius Songaila, Marijonas Petravičius, Rimantas Kaukėnas, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Gintaras Einikis, Deividas Sirvydis, Rokas Giedraitis, Artūras Gudaitis, Ąžuolas Tubelis.

History

Origins (1963–1997)

In 1963, the first basketball team from Vilnius, called Žalgiris, was formed. The following year in 1964, it changed its name to Plastikas. In that same year, Plastikas players joined a new team, called Statyba. This name was used for over 30 years.
Jonas Kazlauskas, Rimas Girskis, and then-head coach Rimantas Endrijaitis led Statyba to third place in the 1979 Soviet Union Championship. Three years later, Šarūnas Marčiulionis joined the team and became its leader. In 1987, Artūras Karnišovas joined the team at the age of 16. In 1994, Statyba won bronze medals in their first LKL season.
In 1995, Lietuvos rytas began sponsoring Sūduva Marijampolė, a basketball club from Marijampolė, Lithuania. The partnership lasted for two seasons, during which the team was known as Lietuvos rytas Marijampolė and played in the second-tier Lithuanian league, the LKAL. A notable player for the team was teenager Darius Songaila. However, after the 1996–97 season the partnership ended.
At the same time, Statyba was faced with financial difficulties and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The team needed new investors and in 1997 Lietuvos rytas bought the club. However, the new owners did not want to continue the team's history and renamed it Statyba-Lietuvos rytas, then just Lietuvos rytas. The newspaper's investment helped the club to establish itself as one of the two best in Lithuania, the other being Žalgiris from the country's second-largest city Kaunas.

First successes (1997–2004)

During its first season, BC Rytas won a bronze medal in the LKL. In the following season, Rytas won LKL silver, losing to reigning EuroLeague champions Žalgiris Kaunas. The team also took second place in 1997 William Jones Cup.
In 2000, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Andrius Giedraitis and Eric Elliott, combined with Arvydas Macijauskas and Robertas Javtokas, managed to win LKL. The team was coached by Šarūnas Sakalauskas. It was the first time in the history of the Lithuanian Basketball League that Žalgiris Kaunas did not win the LKL title. Also, Rytas reached the Saporta Cup semifinal, where they met last season's EuroLeague runner-up Kinder. After a home win of 70–60, Lietuvos rytas lost in Italy 83–71, with Šiškauskas missing a three-pointer which would have won the two-game series for his team.
The next season, due to the split between the FIBA and ULEB, Rytas played in the FIBA SuproLeague, making it to the quarterfinals, but losing to Anadolu Efes S.K. The team won third place in the NEBL. In the LKL finals, Žalgiris Kaunas defeated Lietuvos rytas in a tough five-game series 3–2.
In 2002, Lietuvos rytas won the LKL again, this time in a seven-game final series with the last game decided in overtime. The team played without center Robertas Javtokas, who was seriously injured in a motorbike crash. Lietuvos rytas also won the NEBL title in 2002, becoming the last team to win the tournament. The team held first place in the group stage of the Saporta Cup but lost in the quarterfinals to Hapoel Jerusalem.
Over the next two seasons, Lietuvos rytas lost in the LKL finals to Žalgiris Kaunas. They had more success in Europe, though, finishing in second place in the FIBA Champions Cup regional stage. The team also debuted in the ULEB Cup, getting to the quarterfinals but losing to Hapoel Jerusalem.

Success in the ULEB Cup and Euroleague (2004–2008)

2004–05: ULEB Cup champions

After not winning any titles in the past two seasons, Lietuvos rytas recruited Vlade Đurović as a new coach. Midway through the season, Frederick House, the team leader, suffered a season-ending injury. Đurović later resigned and was replaced by Tomo Mahorič. Tyrone Nesby, Roberts Štelmahers and Robertas Javtokas, Simas Jasaitis and Tomas Delininkaitis led the team to victory in the 2005 ULEB Cup, beating Pamesa Valencia in the semifinals and Makedonikos in the final. This victory granted them a place in the EuroLeague, the continent's primary basketball club tournament. Lietuvos rytas won second place in both the LKL and BBL finals, losing to Žalgiris Kaunas.

2005–06: EuroLeague debut

Before the 2005–06 season, Neven Spahija became the head coach of the team. After losing their first two matches, Lietuvos rytas matched the EuroLeague record by winning seven consecutive EuroLeague fixtures, defeating as FC Barcelona, champions Maccabi Tel Aviv and Efes Pilsen Istanbul. Those wins allowed Rytas to advance to the Top 16 phase, where they won three times out of six, beating Tau Ceramica Vitoria once and Brose Baskets Bamberg twice. However, Lietuvos rytas was eliminated from that year's EuroLeague.
After winning the Baltic Basketball League title, Lietuvos rytas defeated Žalgiris Kaunas 4–0. Despite winning the Lithuanian title, Lietuvos rytas did not acquire the country's spot for 2006–07 EuroLeague that was reserved for Žalgiris Kaunas.

2006–07: ULEB Cup finalists

Although the coach and three leading players Robertas Javtokas, Simas Jasaitis and Fred House had left the team during the interseason, the 2006–07 ULEB Cup season was rather successful for Lietuvos rytas. Two coaches were replaced during the season: Sharon Drucker from Israel was replaced by Slovenian Zmago Sagadin and the latter by his assistant coach Aleksandar Trifunović from Serbia. NBA player Kareem Rush arrived to lead the team to the ULEB Cup final where Real Madrid defeated Lietuvos rytas. However, Real Madrid's victory at the ACB semifinals, and of one of four spots reserved for Spain, allowed Lietuvos rytas to take part in the 2007–08 EuroLeague as the ULEB Cup finalist. On 27 April 2007, Lietuvos rytas won their second consecutive BBL title; Kareem Rush was named the Final Four MVP. The LKL finals and LKF Cup finals were both unsuccessful, though, as Žalgiris Kaunas won both tournaments.

2007–08: Back to EuroLeague

Lietuvos rytas had a successful season during 2007–08 EuroLeague, defeating Unicaja Málaga and Armani Jeans Milano, and Maccabi Tel Aviv, the future EuroLeague finalist. Their 11–3 record was the team's best regular season performance ever, and the best by a Lithuanian team in Euroleague at the time. However, the team was not as successful in the Top 16 and with record of 2–4 did not advance to the playoffs. Lietuvos rytas were the runner-up in the Lithuanian Basketball League, the Baltic Basketball League and the Lithuanian Cup, losing each time to Žalgiris Kaunas.

Rimas Kurtinaitis era (2008–2010)

During the 2008–09 season, Lietuvos rytas, affected by the 2008 financial crisis, had a significantly lower budget and put a greater emphasis on prospective local players. Lietuvos rytas won the first Baltic Basketball Presidents Cup during this season. On 21 October 2008, Lietuvos rytas lost against the NBA Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena 126–106. Head coach Antanas Sireika resigned and was replaced by Rimas Kurtinaitis, a former Lietuvos rytas player, for the second half of the season. Rytas successfully advanced to the Final 8. Chuck Eidson was named the regular season MVP.
After victories against Benetton Treviso and Hemofarm Vršac, Rytas was considered an underdog against BC Khimki of Russia in the final. However, the performances of Steponas Babrauskas and Marijonas Petravičius led the team to victory. Rytas became the first team to reclaim the EuroCup title; Marijonas Petravičius was selected the Final 8 MVP. Lietuvos rytas was also successful in matches against arch rival Žalgiris Kaunas. It won the 2009 LKF Cup. Lietuvois rytas also won the Baltic Basketball League final game over Žalgiris Kaunas, 97–74. Chuck Eidson scored 41 points, and he was the MVP for the season. It was the third BBL title for the club. Lietuvos rytas also won the Lithuanian Basketball League during this season as well, the fourth time Lietuvos rytas became the LKL champion.
After losing Petravičius, Lukauskis and Eidson, Lietuvos rytas also participated in the 2009 Gomelsky Cup. Lietuvos rytas was not as successful in the 2009–10 EuroLeague—they did not advance to the Top 16. Lietuvos rytas won the LKL trophy, beating Žalgiris Kaunas 4–3. It was the second consecutive LKL title for the Vilnius team. After the conclusion of the season, head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis left the club to be replaced by Dražen Anzulović.

Big dreams, small achievements (2010–2014)

2010–11: Fourth season in the Euroleague

Rytas had huge expectations for the upcoming season. However, after a very poor pre-season and the start of the season, where Rytas lost nearly every game, and also losing in the BBL Cup to Tartu Rock, Dražen Anzulović was fired and replaced by the team's former coach Aleksandar Trifunović, just before the start of the 2010–11 EuroLeague season. Rytas started the EuroLeague with a 0–4 record, before shocking the basketball community by signing Šarūnas Jasikevičius to a contract. Rytas recovered, and went on to qualify for the EuroLeague Top-16 with a 4–6 record, including a win over defending champions Barcelona. Jasikevičius left Rytas in December, but Rytas signed the returning Simas Jasaitis just before the Top-16. Playing in the Group E in EuroLeague, Lietuvos rytas defeated Caja Laboral at Vitoria, Panathinaikos Athens in Athens and Unicaja Málaga at home - with a 3–2 record, Rytas faced Caja Laboral with a playoff spot in the EuroLeague on the line in Vilnius. Team leader Khalid El-Amin went out with an injury during the game - in front of a sellout crowd in the Siemens Arena, Caja Laboral finished off Rytas and qualified to the EuroLeague playoffs - Rytas losing out on the spot just by points differential to Caja Laboral - a heartbreaking end for Rytas.
Rytas lost the LKF Cup final to Žalgiris Kaunas. Rytas also debuted in the VTB United League during the season - finishing just a win away from the Final Four competition. In the Baltic Basketball League, however, Rytas shockingly lost in the semifinals at the Baltic Basketball League, to VEF Rīga and finished in third place for the first time in club history with a win over BK Ventspils. The loss resulted in head coach Trifunović was fired and replaced by assistant coach Darius Maskoliūnas - a long-time former Žalgiris player and coach. The team's game improved, but Rytas still lost the LKL finals to Žalgiris - Žalgiris won the LKL finals over Rytas 4–1.