Laurynas Birutis

Laurynas Birutis
Birutis with Žalgiris-2 in 2015
No. 17 – Žalgiris Kaunas
Position Center
League LKL
Euroleague
Personal information
Born (1997-08-27) August 27, 1997
Šiauliai, Lithuania
Nationality Lithuanian
Listed height 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in)
Listed weight 110 kg (243 lb)
Career information
Playing career 2014–present
Career history
2014–2017 Žalgiris-2
2017 Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas
2017–2018 Šiauliai
2018-present Žalgiris Kaunas
Career highlights and awards
  • LKL MVP (2018)
  • LKL leading scorer (2018)
  • LKL rebounding leader (2018)
  • LKL blocks leader (2018)
  • LKL Best Young Player (2018)
Medals
Representing  Lithuania
FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
2015 Greece U18 National Team
FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship
2016 Finland U20 National Team

Laurynas Birutis (born 27 August 1997) is a Lithuanian basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League.[1]

Professional career

Birutis started his professional career when he signed with BC Žalgiris-2 in summer 2014. On January 5, 2016, in a match against BC Petrochema he made a National Basketball League record by rebounding 23 balls.[2] Later, that season he won silver medals with Žalgiris-2, who lost the final game against BC Sūduva.

On 14 April 2017, after dominating in the second-tier National Basketball League with 17.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2 blocks averages per game, Birutis was invited to join the top-tier Lithuanian Basketball League playoffs team Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas.[3][4][5] Birutis powerfully debuted on 15 April 2017 by scoring 17 points and grabbing 4 rebounds, but his team lost 92–89 after Justas Tamulis buzzer-beater.[6] Two days later, he achieved his first 96–89 victory in LKL versus the Neptūnas Klaipėda, and he was second-best Vytautas' scorer with 19 points and 6 rebounds.[7]

On 1 August 2017, Birutis joined his hometown team BC Šiauliai.[8] During the 2018 Karaliaus Mindaugo taurė quarter-final versus the Lithuanian champions Žalgiris Kaunas, Birutis played his career-best game by scoring 35 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists and blocking one shot, however his team lost 85–78.[9] On 18 April 2018, Birutis entered his name into the 2018 NBA Draft.[10] During his second LKL season, he led all three main statistical lines of his position in the league: 14,9 points, 7,3 rebounds and 1,3 blocks.[11] After his astonishing season, Birutis has received the LKL Most Valuable Player Award.[12] Moreover, with his help BC Šiauliai recovered from having the worst record in the league last season (6–30) and became a solid playoffs participant by finishing in the 5th place during the regular season (16–20).[13] During the season closing ceremony he was also named as the best young player of LKL.[14] It was announced at the end of the season that Birutis would return to Žalgiris for the 2018-2019 season.

National team career

Laurynas Birutis debuted for the Lithuania men's u-16 basketball team in the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Ukraine. He won bronze medals with Lithuania men's u-18 basketball team in the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. Birutis, together with his age teammates: Tadas Sedekerskis and Martynas Varnas, was invited to play in the FIBA's Youth All-Star Game during EuroBasket 2015.[15] On February 26, 2018, Birutis debuted as a member of the Lithuania men's national basketball team by scoring 8 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, and helped to crush the Kosovo national basketball team 106–50 during the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification.[16]

Personal life

Laurynas is the son of former long-term BC Šiauliai player Sigitas Birutis.[17]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.basketnews.lt/zaidejai/14028-laurynas-birutis.html
  2. ↑ http://www.nklyga.lt/lt/news/pergalingose-rungtynese-l-birutis-pasieke-atkovotu-kamuoliu-rekorda/
  3. ↑ Malinauskas, Lukas. "Išaugęs pasitikėjimas savimi paruošė Lauryną Birutį galingam debiutui LKL čempionate". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Žaidėjas". www.nklyga.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  5. ↑ ""Vytautas" stiprinasi "Mažeikių" vedliu ir NKL siautusiu Biručiu". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Laurynas Birutis galingai debiutavo LKL pirmenybėse". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Fantastiškas T.Delininkaitis buvo per kietas riešutas "Neptūnui" – "Vytautas" pakilo į penktąją vietą | Krepsinis.net". Krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  8. ↑ ""Šiauliai" priekinę liniją papildė L.Biručiu". krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Įspūdingo Biručio šou „Šiauliams" neužteko – „Žalgiris" žengė į taurės pusfinalį". DELFI. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  10. ↑ https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/985930909437321216
  11. ↑ "Žaidėjų statistika". lkl.lt. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "Birutis – naudingiausias LKL reguliariojo sezono žaidėjas". DELFI.lt. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  13. ↑ "Turnyro lentelė". www.lkl.lt. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  14. ↑ "Sezono uždarymo šventė: LKL titulai byrėjo žalgiriečiams". 15min.lt/24sek. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  15. ↑ "Trys Lietuvos jauniai pakviesti į Europos jaunųjų žvaigždžių mačą". BasketNews.lt. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Jauna Lietuvos rinktinė su kaupu išnaudojo savo šansą: antrąkart sutriuškintas Kosovas". DELFI.lt. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "DraftExpress - Laurynas Birutis DraftExpress Profile: Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook". DraftExpress. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
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