As the centenary of Lithuanian basketball approaches, basketball legends will soon be chosen. The 100 people that have impacted the Lithuanian basketball the most will be perpetuated in special brass tiles, which will be located in a symbolic basketball legend and fan court near the Lithuanian House of Basketball in Kaunas. Every Lithuanian basketball fan can be right next to the legends – not necessarily from Lithuania.
“Our task is very hard. After all, we want to perpetuate everyone whose contribution to the basketball of our country is very important, – says Živilė Belejevaitė, the director of the House of Basketball. – By commemorating basketball legends, the most important victories of Lithuanian national teams will also be perpetuated. At the same time, we will select players and coaches”.
The selections will be held with the help of a special working commission and the public (an open vote will be announced, which should start during this year’s Lithuanian basketball birthday). A special working commission is made up of people from different fields (former basketball players, journalists, chroniclers, etc.).
This working group has already held its first meeting and has been intensively discussing the project and people who should be perpetuated on the basketball court.
“It is amazing that the basketball federation (LBF) with the Lithuanian House of Basketball came up with such project. Very symbolic, 100 years of basketball – 100 legends, and I know it will be very difficult for the commission to make their selection and the public to select their favourites. It seems to me that all together we will make the best selection we can. This is truly really great and amazing project.
The first meeting was very formal and, most importantly, there were very different views, however, collectively we have created the most optimal ideas.
It is very good that not only LBF (orig. LKF) employees are in the working group, but also residents from Vilnius, Joniškis, Klaipėda, Kaunas, additionally, journalists, historians, basketball players and our father Vladas Garastas, the father of all basketball players and coaches, I would say”, – said Vidas Mačiulis.
The basketball community can also nominate its candidates for the basketball legends court. Information should be sent by e-mail to info@krepsinionamai.lt
Mosaic – a basketball court composed of brass tiles with names and surnames – will be opened in April of 2022, when Lithuania will celebrate its basketball century. The mosaic of legends will consist of 100 round tiles with 20 cm in diameter.
The first symbolic tile in the middle of the court is dedicated to Steponas Darius, a person who brought basketball to Lithuania. The limited quantity (about 6000) will be 10 cm in diameter brass tiles that can be perpetuated by any person or company/organisation in the world. It is possible to perpetuate with a nominal tile in a unique place for 350 euros.
The person perpetuated in this court will also help to complete the internal design works of the Lithuanian House of Basketball Museum, thus contributing to the creation of history.
The Lithuanian House of Basketball itself will also have a sponsors’ wall and an interactive place with the names of everyone who contributed to the establishment of the house.
You can perpetuate yourself on the court and contribute to the installation of the Lithuanian House of Basketball Museum online at www.parama.krepsinionamai.lt
Working group consists of following people:
Algimantas Bertašius, Ramūnas Butautas, Vladas Garastas, Gintarė Grikštaitė, Leonas Karaliūnas, Rasa Kreivytė, Linas Kunigėlis, Vidas Mačiulis, Modestas Paulauskas, Vytaras Radzevičius, Angelė Rupšienė, Algirdas Vaicekauskas, Vaidotas Zajarskas.
