Jonas Valanciunas, the Big V

Jonas Valanciunas is a talented 19-year-old basketball player from Lithuania. He’s been selected by the Toronto Raptors in this year’s NBA draft and he’s been the MVP in the FIBA World Under-19 Championship 2011. He’s currently playing with the Lithuanian national basketball team in Eurobasket, at home. He’s also going to play with Lietuvos Rytas the upcoming season. What makes Valanciunas such a hot topic? Without doubt, his talent, his hunger for going high, his attitude and many more things. He’s just 19 and the world belongs to him. Gold medals and thousands of fans around the world are just a few achievements of young Jonas. (side note: it’s pronounced like Yionas) From Perlas to Lietuvos Rytas and then to NBA, that’s only the beginning of a prosperous career for the Lithuanian center. He has all the signs to become the next super star of basketball.

According to Wikipedia, Valanciunas started playing professionally for Perlas in 2008 and played there until December 2009. During the 2008–09 season the team played in the Lithuanian National Basketball League (NKL), Lithuania’s second strongest league, but moved up to the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) the following season. Valanciunas played in the first half of the 2009–10 season with Perlas, but on January 17, 2010, he signed a contract with Lithuanian powerhouse Lietuvos Rytas.

While playing for Lietuvos Rytas, Valanciunas participated in two LKL All-Star Games, the 2010 and 2011 All-Star Games. During the 2011 All-Star Game Valanciunas scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping the “Lithuanians” win the game. He was named as the 2011 LKL All-Star Game MVP. Outside of the entertainment events, Valanciunas has led Lietuvos Rytas to the LKL Finals twice, in 2010 and 2011. The team won the 2010 series against Žalgiris 4–3, but lost to the same team the following year 1–4. In 2010, Lietuvos Rytas also won the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) Cup.

Valanciunas was considered as a top prospect at the 2011 NBA Draft, held on June 23, 2011, and was drafted 5th overall by the Toronto Raptors. He will wear Toronto Raptors jersey with number 17, but he will have to wait one year until 2012-2013 NBA season to join the Raptors because of his $2.5 million contract buyout with Lietuvos Rytas. The Raptors only can pay $500,000 for his buyout because of NBA rules, but Valanciunas has promised that he will pay the rest of the buyout price so he could play in the NBA. However, Lietuvos Rytas didn’t permit him to join the NBA until 2012-2013 NBA season.

Ending this Valanciunas tribute, I’d like you too see a very related video, with the latest song of O’Grime, “Valanciunas”. Enjoy!