LTU – Kaukenas beats the odds after serious knee injury to play at Olympics

BEIJING (Olympics) – Rimantas Kaukenas never lost faith that he would play in his first Olympics for Lithuania, even after suffering a terrible knee injury earlier this year while playing for Italian champions Montepaschi Siena.

Kaukenas, who finally broke into the national team last summer and played an instrumental role for the Baltic country’s bronze-medal win at the EuroBasket to qualifying for Beijing, tore ligaments and had surgery but remarkably made it back in time to play for his club in the play-offs.

While not 100%, he did enough to prove to Lithuania coach Ramunas Butautus that he was fit enough to travel to Beijing.

After playing 24 minutes in Lithuania’s thrilling 79-75 win over Argentina on opening day, the 31-year-old guard was on the floor for 20 in the 99-67 victory Iran.

In the two games, he has averaged 8.5 points and 2.5 assists.

Kaukenas spoke to FIBA.com after the triumph over the Iranians.

FIBA: Rimantas, Lithuania couldn't have asked for a better start to the Olympics with two wins.

Kaukenas: It's a good start but at the same time it is only a start. We still have a lot of great teams to play against like Russia, Croatia and Australia. It's not going to be easy. The Olympics is a tough tournament.

FIBA: How much confidence did the win against defending Olympic champions Argentina on opening day give your team?

Kaukenas: We played pretty well against Argentina and the win at the end gave us a little bit of a breather to regroup, re-think what we could have done better. We are going to try and improve our game in every aspect and that gives us a little bit of a push. Argentina is a really good team so we are happy to have won against them.

FIBA: What do you think your team did well in the 99-67 triumph over Iran?

Kaukenas: We had to pick up our aggressiveness on the defensive end as well as on offense against Iran. We executed our plays and utilized our mismatches. That was the key to the game. We also had to get used to their big guy, Hamed Ehadadi.

FIBA: Next up is Russia, a team that you will no doubt be looking forward to beating considering what happened at last year's EuroBasket.

Kaukenas: The Russian team is a very, very good team. They won the European Championship and have good players and a very good coaching staff. We lost to them in the semi-finals and we have not forgotten what happened there.

FIBA: Lithuania travelled to Beijing without Darius Songaila. How important is he for the national team and how is your team overcoming his absence?

Kaukenas: Songaila was one of our key players on the defensive end and on offense as well. Without him, we are trying to utilize everybody else a little bit more than before. We are trying to play hard and aggressive and we’ll see what happens. We cannot look back now, we cannot cry about it even though it has hurt us a lot that he is not here. We are going to try to do our best.

FIBA: Rimantas, unlike Songaila, you did make it to the Olympics following a remarkable recovery from a serious knee injury. How challenging was it to make the final team and to realize your dream of playing at a Summer Games?

Kaukenas: I had a tough injury and I underwent reconstructive surgery in January. I tore my ACL and it took me four months to come back. Everything went fine. My club, Montepaschi Siena, offered great support. The club coaches, the team doctors did a great job in helping me come back. I managed to return in the Lega A play-offs and I am happy I did that because it gave me the thought that I didn't totally lose the season. Had I not started playing in Italy, maybe I wouldn't have made it to the Olympic team because you have to start playing. Physically, it's one thing to come back but also you have to come back in basketball terms and that you can only do by playing.

FIBA: Rimantas, are you fully recovered?

Kaukenas: I can't say that I'm 100%. My knee is in the healing process. Sometimes I’ve had up and downs but now I have to keep working at it and try to stay concentrated. When I play, I don't think about my knee and that's good enough for me. My muscles are strong enough and I just have to keep working on my condition.

FIBA: Rimantas, you show a lot of passion and dedication to the national team. Can you put into words how much this sport means to you and to be a part of the Lithuanian side?

Kaukenas: Basketball is everything to me alongside my family. I love playing this sport and not to be able to play with the national team would be meaningless to me. I love to play for my nation, because by doing that I am representing not only myself, but my family and my friends.

FIBA: The good news, then, is that for all basketball fans, we’ll be able to see you play for your country for years to come.

Kaukenas: I hope so. Everything depends on whether you are healthy. You can’t play with one leg but what I can assure you is that if I cannot make it on the court due to injury for the EuroBasket, my heart will be on the court.

FIBA