Olimpia Milano signs Mindaugas Kuzminskas
The Lithuanian inks in Milano
Olimpia Milano reached an agreement with Mindaugas Kuzminskas, 2.05, 28, from Vilnius, Lithuania. Kuzminskas is a forward that lately played for the New York Knicks.
WHO’S KUZMINSKAS – Kuzminskas started to play with Sakalai Vilnius and made his debut with the senior tema in 2006. He stayed there until 2010 (in 2009/10 he played the Eurocup averaging 14.0 points per game). In 2010 he moved to Zalgiris Kaunas and made his EuroLeague debut. In 2012/13, his last season in Kaunas, he averaged 7.1 points per game. In Kaunas, he won twice the Baltic League, he won three times the Lithuanian championship, twice the Lithuanian Cup and once the Supercup. During his last Kaunas season he was coached by the Spanish, Joan Plaza, who brought him in Malaga for the following season. He stayed in Malaga three years. In 2015/16 he averaged 12.0 points per game in the EuroLeague, while converting 54-9% of his two-point shots and 37.7% of his threes. He made 78.3% of his foul shots. In the summer of 2016 he signed for the NBA’s New York Knicks. As a rookie ha appeared in 68 games averaging 6.3 points per outing (14.9 minutes). He was realeased early in the season.
NOTES – With the Lithuanian National Team he won twice the European silver medal in 2013 and 2015, he played the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympics (10.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds) and the last European Championships (15.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds). His older brother Saulius played for California-Berkeley and embarkde eventually in a long European career that finished in 2015 when he was 33. His mother, Zita, was also a professional player and his father a tennis table pro player.
WHO’S KUZMINSKAS – Kuzminskas started to play with Sakalai Vilnius and made his debut with the senior tema in 2006. He stayed there until 2010 (in 2009/10 he played the Eurocup averaging 14.0 points per game). In 2010 he moved to Zalgiris Kaunas and made his EuroLeague debut. In 2012/13, his last season in Kaunas, he averaged 7.1 points per game. In Kaunas, he won twice the Baltic League, he won three times the Lithuanian championship, twice the Lithuanian Cup and once the Supercup. During his last Kaunas season he was coached by the Spanish, Joan Plaza, who brought him in Malaga for the following season. He stayed in Malaga three years. In 2015/16 he averaged 12.0 points per game in the EuroLeague, while converting 54-9% of his two-point shots and 37.7% of his threes. He made 78.3% of his foul shots. In the summer of 2016 he signed for the NBA’s New York Knicks. As a rookie ha appeared in 68 games averaging 6.3 points per outing (14.9 minutes). He was realeased early in the season.
NOTES – With the Lithuanian National Team he won twice the European silver medal in 2013 and 2015, he played the 2014 World Cup, the 2016 Olympics (10.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds) and the last European Championships (15.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds). His older brother Saulius played for California-Berkeley and embarkde eventually in a long European career that finished in 2015 when he was 33. His mother, Zita, was also a professional player and his father a tennis table pro player.