Stombergas signs for Unics

Forward Saulius Stombergas is coming out of retirement to play for his former team. Stombergas (203, 35) signed a one-year deal with UNICS Kazan, the club announced Wednesday. Stombergas has not played professional basketball in two years, last suiting up for UNICS in the 2006-07 season. He averaged 14.6 points in 16 ULEB Cup games that year, knocking down a blistering 67.9% of his two-point shots and 58.5% on three-pointers, as Kazan reached the semifinals. Stombergas is the Eurocup’s all-time leader in three-point accuracy, having made 57 triples at a 51.3% clip.

Stombergas began his career with Atletas Kaunas in his native Lithuania and has alos played for Vostok Shanghai in China, Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, Virtus Bologna in Italy, Tau Ceramica in Spain and Efes Pilsen and Ulker in Turkey. He won the 1999 Euroleague with Zalgiris and is a three-time Olympian with the Lithuanian national team, having won bronze medals at the 1996 and 2000 games. Stombergas also won the gold medal at the 2003 European Championships and the silver medal at the 1995 European Championships. Among his other career highlights are winning the Saporta Cup in 1998 and the NEBL in 1999 with Zalgiris Kaunas and the 2004 Europe League with UNICS. He also has won the Lithuanian League twice, the Turkish League once and the Turkish Cup twice.