Lietuvos Rytas head coach: Rimas Kurtinaitis
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 A playing legend in Lithuania, his basketball-crazy homeland, Rimas Kurtinaitis can establish himself among Europe’s top coaches, too, when he leads Lietuvos Rytas into the Eurocup Final Eight. Ever since Kurtinaitis took over the L. Rytas bench in December, the team has flourished, going undefeated at home in Eurocup play to reach Turin. His players can only hope now that some of their coach’s success rubs off on them. A world-renowned shooter, Kurtinaitis won World, European and Olympic Championships as a player for the Soviet Union in the 1980s, when he also claimed three domestic club titles with Zalgiris Kaunas. During his 18-year playing career, Kurtinaitis added a Spanish League title with Real Madrid in 1994 and became the first European player to try Australia. Soon after retiring, Kurtinaitis became Lithuania’s minister of sport. He has since climbed the coaching ladder with club stops at Baku Gala of Azerbaijan, Sakalai of Lithuania and Slask Wroclaw of Poland, not to mention serving as Azerbaijan’s national coach and as an assistant for Lithuania at two Olympics. With his first chance at a major title as a head coach, no one can doubt the resolve of Rimas Kurtinaitis to put his hands around the Eurocup trophy.
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Eurocupbasketball.com
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