By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Lithuanian big man Laurynas Birutis, a product of Zalgiris junior teams, returns to the club after two seasons in Spain with Monbus Obradoiro.
Per the press release: Zalgiris begins their offseason duties by announcing the first newcomer for the upcoming season. Big man Laurynas Birutis returns to Kaunas, as he signs a two-year contract.
The 24-year-old center, who last played in the Spanish ACB for Monbus Obradoiro, will not be a complete newcomer to Kaunas, as he spent six years mastering his craft as a member of Zalgiris.
Birutis started his professional career in Zalgiris junior team, and later was loaned out to other LKL clubs. The big man played for Zalgiris’ main team in the 2018-2019 season, where he also made his EuroLeague debut.
During that time, he averaged 2.7 points in just over 6 minutes per game in the EuroLeague. In the domestic championship, Zalgiris’ newest signing was a more prominent figure, scoring 7.1 points and grabbing 3.3 rebounds per game in just over 14 minutes.
Back in 2018, the 213 cm tall player was the Lithuanian Basketball League regular season MVP and has been called up to the Lithuanian men’s national basketball team on multiple occasions since.
“Laurynas has already worked with the Lithuanian national team, so I’m familiar with his abilities and I know he can be an asset for us. The priority is always for the Lithuanians, so we are happy that a Zalgiris student is returning to the club after a solid campaign in Spain,” noted head coach Kazys Maksvytis.
The big man, who has been playing abroad for the last two years, was also happy about his return to Kaunas.
“Once you have played in Zalgiris, you always have a goal to come back here. I played two good seasons in Spain and I think I am ready to return to this level,” Birutis told Zalgiris.lt.
Last season, the new Zalgiris player averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 15 efficiency per game in the Spanish championship, and took player of the month honors in September 2020.