Laurynas Birutis
No. 15 – Žalgiris Kaunas | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | LKL EuroLeague |
Personal information | |
Born | Šiauliai, Lithuania | August 27, 1997
Nationality | Lithuanian |
Listed height | 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) |
Listed weight | 114 kg (251 lb) |
Career information | |
NBA draft | 2019: undrafted |
Playing career | 2014–present |
Career history | |
2014–2020 | Žalgiris Kaunas |
2014–2017 | →Žalgiris-2 |
2017 | →Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas |
2017–2018 | →Šiauliai |
2019–2020 | →CBet Prienai |
2020–2022 | Monbus Obradoiro |
2022–present | Žalgiris Kaunas |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Laurynas Birutis (born 27 August 1997) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Žalgiris Kaunas of Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.[1]
Professional career[edit]
BC Zalgiris junior team and debut in LKL[edit]
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]
BC Šiauliai[edit]
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.
BC Žalgiris[edit]
Birutis joined Lithuanian champions BC Žalgiris and had debut in EuroLeague on 12 October 2018 against Saski Baskonia. He scored 7 points in 10 minutes. Birutis struggled all season from start with injury, couldn't practise because of pain, which led to surgery on 14 February 2019. On 1 June he won his first Lietuvos krepšinio lyga title.
BC Prienai[edit]
On 23 November he came back after recovery from injury, and had 9 points and 4 rebounds including game-winning shot in 16 mins in a thrilling win 81:79 against BC Pieno žvaigždės. Later he earned player of the month award in February. He had his best game on 1 February 2020 against BC Neptūnas in which he scored 25 points and gathered 36 efficiency value. In that season he averaged 15,2 points (2nd in the League), 7 rebounds (2nd in the League) and 20,4 efficiency (1st in the League).
Monbus Obradoiro[edit]
On July 24, 2020, he has signed with Monbus Obradoiro of the Spanish Liga ACB.[15] On 28 September 2020, after averaging 19.3 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block per game, Birutis was named Liga ACB MVP of September.[16]
National team career[edit]
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.[17] 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.[18]
He had his second chance with Lithuania men's national basketball team in game against Czech Republic men's national basketball team in come-back win 97:89 in EuroBasket 2022 qualification game. He scored 17 points and 3 rebounds in 15 mins and had best +/- value in the team (+20).
Personal life[edit]
Laurynas is the son of former long-term BC Šiauliai player Sigitas Birutis.[19]
Career statistics[edit]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
Bold | Career high |
EuroLeague[edit]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Žalgiris Kaunas | 17 | 0 | 6.5 | .586 | .0 | .706 | .9 | .1 | .1 | .3 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
2022–23 | 31 | 1 | 13.1 | .635 | .0 | .736 | 3.1 | .4 | .2 | .3 | 5.4 | 7.4 | |
Career | 48 | 1 | 14.1 | .615 | .0 | .729 | 2.4 | .3 | .2 | .02 | 4.5 | 5.4 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Laurynas Birutis / Žaidėjai".
- ^ "Nacionalinė krepšinio lyga - NKL".
- ^ Malinauskas, Lukas. "Išaugęs pasitikėjimas savimi paruošė Lauryną Birutį galingam debiutui LKL čempionate". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ "Žaidėjas". www.nklyga.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ ""Vytautas" stiprinasi "Mažeikių" vedliu ir NKL siautusiu Biručiu". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Laurynas Birutis galingai debiutavo LKL pirmenybėse". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ "Fantastiškas T.Delininkaitis buvo per kietas riešutas "Neptūnui" – "Vytautas" pakilo į penktąją vietą | Krepsinis.net". Krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ ""Šiauliai" priekinę liniją papildė L.Biručiu". krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Įspūdingo Biručio šou "Šiauliams" neužteko – "Žalgiris" žengė į taurės pusfinalį". DELFI. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
- ^ @DraftExpress (April 16, 2018). "7'1 Lithuanian Laurynas Birutis, a potential 2nd rounder, declared for the NBA draft, his agent Sarunas Broga told…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Žaidėjų statistika". lkl.lt. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Birutis – naudingiausias LKL reguliariojo sezono žaidėjas". DELFI.lt. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ^ "Turnyro lentelė". www.lkl.lt. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ^ "Sezono uždarymo šventė: LKL titulai byrėjo žalgiriečiams". 15min.lt/24sek. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Obradoiro officially signs Laurynas Birutis". Sportando. July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "Laurynas Birutis pripažintas ACB lygos mėnesio MVP". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Trys Lietuvos jauniai pakviesti į Europos jaunųjų žvaigždžių mačą". BasketNews.lt. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ "Jauna Lietuvos rinktinė su kaupu išnaudojo savo šansą: antrąkart sutriuškintas Kosovas". DELFI.lt. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "DraftExpress - Laurynas Birutis DraftExpress Profile: Stats, Comparisons, and Outlook". DraftExpress. Retrieved 15 March 2017.