By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Mantas Kalnietis has retired from the Lithuania national team, he told BasketNews.
“I had a very good time with the national team, and I never had any doubts about playing for my country,” he described his long run, “I was very lucky because my wife and children wanted me to play for the national team.”
Kalnietis, 35, debuted with the senior national team of his country back in the 2006 FIBA World Cup. A total of 95 caps stretched through a couple of Olympic Games, three World Cup appearances, and five editions of EuroBasket. Winnings include a bronze medal in the 2010 World Cup and a couple of EuroBasket silver medals in 2013 and 2015.
Except for the shoulder injury preventing him from helping Lithuania in the 2014 World Cup, he made himself available every summer between 2009 and 2021. He was not selected in the squad for the 2008 Olympic Games.
“Time has come for me to step down, and I took this decision calmly,” said Kalnietis noting the younger generation of point guards ready to take over at the Lithuania national team.
Last June, he signed a two-year contract with Zalgiris Kaunas returning for a third stint with his first professional team. In the 2021-22 season, his 12th in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, he has put up 5.9 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 rebounds per contest over 18 appearances. In addition, 4.5 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per Betsafe LKL game shape his domestic effort so far.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL