By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Arnoldas Kulboka is a very familiar name around European basketball and until recently, he was also a player shrouded in mystery. Many have heard of him, but few had the chance to see him in action with consistent meaningful minutes.
Since 2014, when his name first made headlines, Kulboka has played for the Zalgiris B team in his native Lithuania, Brose Bamberg in Germany, Orlandina in Italy, Bilbao in Spain, the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA, and the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League. He is still just 25 years old and finally, the general public has a good chance to see what the whole fuss was all about with him playing for Promitheas Patras in the 7DAYS EuroCup.
It may sound odd, but this is the first season that Kulboka is having a big role in his team and is not considered a prospect anymore, a label he had since he moved to Germany from Lithuania when he was just 15 years old.
And he has delivered while enjoying an experience that’s so far one of the best in his career.
“It has been nice so far, the club is good, the weather is great, my family is happy here and that’s the most important thing,” Kulboka told Eurohoops about his life in the coastal city of Patras, on the western side of Peloponnese.
This has also been translated on the court. Kulboka, who was named MVP of Round 1 of the EuroCup, is averaging 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds for an average PIR of 17.5 in 33 minutes per game.
For the first time in his career, a team trusts him unconditionally and he is making the most of it. After many years of trying to prove that he is ready to mature as a player, Promitheas gave him the role he wanted.
“I’m happy to have a big role on a team, it’s exactly what I was looking for after my season in the US,” Kulboka explained. “And, of course, like every other player, I want to become the best version of myself and this club is giving me all the tools to do that.”
Simply put, Kulboka is having his best season yet at the top level and Promitheas is bearing the fruits of its decision to sign him. It’s the right time for the Lithuanian forward to prove his talents and at the same time make a splash with his team.
Despite parting ways with Joe Young, the top scorer in the competition, Promitheas has a 6-5 record and the team appears playoff-bound in the EuroCup, where the single-elimination format makes practically anything possible.
Kulboka knows that and that’s why he doesn’t like to think too much about the future: “We take every game as a final at this point, not looking too much into the future, just doing our job every day.”
Promitheas is focused on the present. It has a crucial home game against Buducnost waiting and Kulboka knows that he and his team must be ready. Like his career so far, Promitheas’s season has been a roller coaster ride and Kulboka thinks that the newfound stability he’s found in Greece must also translate into performance stability for the team.
“There were a lot of ups and downs, but I do believe we can have a good playoff run in both EuroCup and Greek League,” he said.
Kulboka’s potential was evident since the early days of his career and he finally is maturing into a solid performer who can win games on any given day.