MIES (Switzerland) - Jonas Valanciunas had a magical June 2011 with two historic accomplishments that more than 10 years later would not have gone together.
First off, he was selected fifth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Then 17 days later he celebrated guiding Lithuania to the title at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2011 - as Most Valuable Player for a country which won their first-ever junior global crown.
Valanciunas dominated the competition as truly a man among boys, but the center did so for one of the most successful generations in basketball history.
But before we get to the U19 World Cup, Valanciunas should be commended for even playing in Riga in the summer of 2011. On June 23, the Toronto Raptors drafted the 19-year-old big man, who the season before played a strong role for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in the European club competition with 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds - as still an 18-year-old.
The 2011 FIBA U19 World Cup tipped off a week later and in future years it became commonplace that NBA draft picks did not play in the global competition after the draft. But Valanciunas lining up for Lietuva probably has to due with his love for his 1992-born generation.
Valanciunas in Riga that summer was playing with Edgaras Ulanovas, Vytenis Cizauskas, Rolandas Jakstas, Tautvydas Sabonis, Dovydas Redikas and Deividas Pukis. That sextet of teammates would go onto make history that started back in 2008 when they helped Lithuania win the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2008. Then they captured the title at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2010.
Valanciunas helped the Baltic nation claim the U19 World Cup crown in 2011 but did not play the following summer at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2012. Instead, the center had graduated to Lithuania's senior national team and played at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela and then participated in the 2012 London Olympics.
Ulanovas and the other five players meanwhile also won the 2012 U20 EuroBasket, becoming the first generation in history to win gold in all three European youth categories as well as the FIBA U19 World Cup.
The Serbian 1987-born generation of Milos Teodosic, Milenko Tepic, Dragan Labovic, Nikola Dragovic, Marko Durkovic, Branko Jereminov and Nenad Zivcevik won the 2003 U16 EuroBasket under the Yugoslavia flag and the 2005 U18 EuroBasket as Serbia & Montenegro before winning the 2007 U20 EuroBasket as Serbia. But those seven players had no chance to play at the U19 World Cup as the event was still quadrennial during their time and held in 2003 and 2007.
The coach for all four of those competitions for Lithuania was Kazys Maksvytis, who would go on to coach the Lithauanian senior national team from 2021 to 2024. He coached Valanciunas at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 and FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, and also had on his rosters Rokas Giedraitis and Arnas Butkevicius - who were born in 1992 as well and played on the U19 World Cup and 2012 U20 EuroBasket teams.
The 2011 U19 World Cup was played in Riga in Latvia, which allowed for thousands of Lithuanians to flock to the neighboring country to see their youth national heroes. Lietuva were looking for a second U19 medal following second place in 2003.
They opened the campaign with a thud, losing 88-75 to Croatia despite Valanciunas putting up 19 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. The big man and the rest of Lithuania took out their frustrations on Korea in the next game with 25 points and 17 rebounds in a 117-64 win. And Valanciunas followed that with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 111-68 blowout of Canada.
The first game of the eighth-final group stage saw Lithuania facing Serbia in a rematch of the U18 EuroBasket Semi-Finals from the previous summer, won 67-66 by Lithuania. Valanciunas collected 18 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in a comfortable 71-54 win over the Balkan side.
Lithuania were handed a second loss however in the next game - a 107-105 thrilling overtime defeat against United States despite Valanciunas pouring in 30 points along with 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. Lithuania bounced back in strong fashion with a 78-59 win over Egypt thanks to 17 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks from Valanciunas.
With the competition moving to the knockout stage, Valanciunas stepped up his game. He scored 26 points to go with 24 rebounds and 5 blocks in an 87-75 victory over Poland in the Quarter-Finals. The 24 rebounds were tied for the most in a single game in U19 World Cup history - just one board off the mark.
Next up in the Semi-Finals were Russia in what was a re-match of the previous summer's U18 EuroBasket Final, won 90-61 with Valanciunas tallying 31 points and 18 rebounds. The Lithuania star center was dominant again with 21 points and 13 rebounds in an 85-68 victory to send Lithuania into the Final.
The only thing standing in Lithuania's way of three straight trophies - as well as three straight Most Valuable Player awards for Valanciunas - was another matchup with Serbia. And Valanciunas made sure Lithuania would finally celebrate their first junior global crown.
He scored 36 points and added 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks in an 87-65 win over Serbia. Valanciunas finished the event as the tournament leader with 23.0 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks - the highest tournament average since Iran's Jaber Rouzbahani swatted 4.9 shots per game in 2003 - for an efficiency of 33.1.
It remains as of 2025 Lithuania's only U19 World Cup crown and the country's only other podium came two years later when they finished third.
Valanciunas of course would go on to become a world star - both in the NBA and at the European and international level. But that 2011 summer in Riga was where for many the star of Jonas Valanciunas was born.
FIBA