TALLINN (Estonia) - The Baltic countries can be freezing during winter times. But they've always found a way to warm themselves up, and we're not talking about wood and fireplaces.
Basketball is the true source of heat, bringing people together, sparking joy, and providing entertainment.
The passion for the game has always been central to Lithuania, a nation where basketball is more than a sport. Meanwhile, Latvia - winners of the inaugural FIBA EuroBasket in 1935 - has not only made its mark historically but is also enjoying a new wave of success today.
But when talking about basketball and the Baltics, make sure to include Estonia as well.
We would love to step on their toes. [Lithuania and Latvia] have shown that big things can happen with smaller countries and we just have to work hard and trust the process to have this kind of success.
On a magnificent and cold Friday of February 2025, they not only managed to secure back-to-back qualifications for FIBA EuroBasket for the first time since 1937 and 1939 - when the competition was organized respectively in Latvia and Lithuania, talking about coincidences.
Most importantly, they put the whole world on notice: the affection Estonia has always had for basketball is translating into concrete results on the hardwood, with an exciting generation of players leading the charge.
From North Macedonia to North Macedonia
Another cold night in February, five years ago, involved North Macedonia and Estonia going at each other.
Hoping to make a good first impression in Group B of the FIBA EuroBasket 2022, they got the 81-72 road victory with 31 points from future leader Kristian Kullamae. After that game, he had hopeful words.
"I think Estonian basketball has really exciting times right now. We have a lot of young guys who are talented. We just need to continue to work hard and hopefully one day, we will see the positive results," Kullamae said.
Fast forward to 2025, things didn't change on the court despite a different scenario in the stands.
On February 21, not even the deadly backcourt duo composed of TJ Shorts (21 points and 6 assists) and Nenad Dimitrijevic (20 points) was enough to spoil the party in Tallinn's Unibet Arena.
In search of a must-needed victory away from Skopje, the red-and-gold team approached the end of the first half ahead. But the remaining two quarters were all about Estonia fulfilling the goal, winning 84-65.
Five years in the making, Estonia's #77 is now one of the faces of basketball in his country, following the steps of his father Gert, shooting machine with the national team from 1993 to 2007.
Alongside other veterans of Estonian basketball, like Siim-Sander Vene or the returning Maik-Kalev Kotsar, dominant with 16 points and 9 rebounds in his qualifying comeback, there's also an up-coming wave of talents within the country. Most of them were destined to be surrounded by basketball from the early days.
The 2001-born point guard Kerr Kriisa, named after Steve Kerr, and currently in the NCAA with the Kentucky Wildcats, is the son of Valmo Kriisa, with Estonia at FIBA EuroBasket 2011. Or Henri Drell, whose father played for Kalev and whose mother represented the Estonian women's national team.
Ultimately, the decisive game to qualify for FIBA EuroBasket 2025 will also be remembered as the debut with the senior national team for the 2005-born Stefan Vaaks, who scored his first points for Estonia.
Team chemistry [was key]. We all know each other for years and we trust each other in every situation - on and off the court.
It has been a qualifying stage featured by changing flows. After the first window, long-time head coach Jukka Toijala left his spot, with the assistant Heiko Rannula replacing him with excellent results.
"Everybody who came to the game or watched the game understood the pressure was high: the first half was tough for us, especially mentally. I'm really happy for the guys, for Estonian basketball fans. We deserve it and this EuroBasket ticket is very important for us," Estonia's head coach said.
Expect a new wave of Estonian fans all over Europe
If "novelty" and "freshness" have been the perfect words to describe the new dawn of competitive outcomes for Estonian basketball, "noise" can follow according to thousands of fans following the team.
While Estonia is ready to actually make noise and emerge as one of the most hungry and exciting national teams to watch at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, what's certain is that they will count on a buzzing and loud support. Just like in Riga at FIBA EuroBasket 2015 and in Milan at FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
It doesn't matter if they will end up playing the Group Phase in the neighboring Finland or Latvia, if they will make the journey to Poland, or if they will bring beach apparel to Cyprus: Estonian fans will be there.
"I believe that it is going to be bigger than ever for Estonian fans. This is going to be an Estonian party and there will be even more fans than we had in 2015 and 2022," Kullamae commented on such support.
Maik-Kalev Kotsar believes the same. "We have shown that we can compete with everybody and basketball is more popular than it has ever been in Estonia."
They were close to an unprecedented success already three years ago, going only a few possessions away from stunning both Ukraine and Croatia while beating Great Britain by 32 points (94-62).
Following such results, they reaped even more benefits. On their way to FIBA EuroBasket 2025, they found a historic first-ever win - after eight consecutive defeats - over Baltic powerhouse Lithuania in what ended up being the last competitive game for Jukka Toijala on the bench.
If it wasn't for a narrow 88-86 home loss to co-hosts Poland, they would be undefeated at 5-0 right now. However, the goal was still reached, with a ticket for FIBA EuroBasket 2025 in their pockets.
"Looking at our current roster and the potential we have, I believe that we can be the next success story among smaller countries," Kotsar commented on Estonia's up-coming trajectory.
Kullamae also shared the optimism.
"We would love to step on their toes. [Lithuania and Latvia] have shown that big things can happen with smaller countries and we just have to work hard and trust the process to have this kind of success," he said.
Forget a two-headed monster in the area with Lithuania and Latvia taking the basketball spotlight.
Estonia is poised for something big this summer, propelled by the winds of the Baltic Sea and the overwhelming support of their fans. Mark our words: from being under the radar, they'll soon be the talk of everyone.
FIBA