By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Lithuanian Basketball Federation reacted to recent reports connecting D’Angelo Russell to the senior national team of the country.
The necessary process to naturalize the player has not been initiated, the LKF announced on Tuesday.
“The basketball-related decisions are handled by the coaching staff, led by head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis, and the national team program manager, Linas Kleiza. Their approach is clear, we aim to achieve success using our own talent pool. This is the right path, in my opinion,” mentioned LKF president Mindaugas Balciunas.
“The issue goes way beyond basketball,” he added, “It is primarily a legal issue. The law on citizenship in Lithuania clearly defines circumstances under which a foreigner can apply for a Lithuanian passport in special cases. It can only be granted by the President of the Republic of Lithuania. To date, there are no arguments for Russell to qualify for this exception. The LKF has not started any legal process that would allow him to play for the national team of Lithuania.”
Watch all the action of the Eurobasket qualifiers with Courtside1891 on DAZN
Improving to 3-1 in Group H of the Qualifiers, Lithuania recently clinched a berth in the 2025 EuroBasket. The second win in a home-and-away series against North Macedonia sealed the deal on Sunday, at the bottom end of the international window.
Follow all the Eurobasket action on Eurohoops and the official Eurobasket website! Moreover, watch games on your local television providers and stream them on your devices.