Žalgiris Kaunas lifts Lithuanian trophy

On Monday evening Žalgiris Kaunas beat Rytas 85-74 and swept the final series 3-0. Since 1993 Žalgiris Kaunas has NEVER missed the finals and won the Lithuanian title 23 times! This is the 11th in a row.

Thomas Walkup was announced the MVP of the finals. The Žalgiris point guard led the way for his team in the third game with 20 points. Also, he dismantled the opponent’s offense with his ferocious defense.

Rytas has now lost the finals for a fourth season in a row.

Some eyebrows were raised at the beginning of the season when Žalgiris Kaunas appointed Austrian Martin Schiller as their head coach. Austria is not exactly a powerhouse in European basketball, and Schiller is only 39 years old!

Nevertheless, he does have a solid track record. Schiller earned his marks in the Austrian and German Bundesliga and several national teams of both countries. In addition, the last three seasons before signing with Žalgiris, he coached the Salt Lake City Stars in the NBA G League. The G League voted him coach of the year in 2019/2020 after leading his team to a 30-12 record.

Surely, Schiller is a name that we will hear a lot in the coming years. His biggest challenge will be to keep his champion team together. His two best Lithuanian players Marius Grigonis and Rokas Jokubaitis, are leaving for sure. They have already reached an agreement with CSKA Moscow and Barcelona, respectively.