Giedrius Gustas (born 4 March 1980) is a former Lithuanian professional basketball player. At the height of 1.90 m (6'2 3⁄4") tall and a weight of 86 kg (190 lbs.), he mainly played at the point guard position. During his club playing career, as a member of Žalgiris Kaunas, he won the EuroLeague championship in 1999. As a member of the Barons LMT, he won the Europe Cup championship in 2008. He was also a member of the senior Lithuanian national team, and with Lithuania, he won the gold medal at the 2003 EuroBasket and the bronze medal at the 2007 EuroBasket.

Giedrius Gustas
Gustas playing with the Lithuanian national team.
Personal information
Born (1980-03-04) 4 March 1980 (age 44)
Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityLithuanian
Listed height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Listed weight84 kg (185 lb)
Career information
Playing career1998–2016
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
Career history
As player:
1998–2004Žalgiris Kaunas
2004–2005Lokomotiv Rostov
2005–2006Barons LMT
2006–2007Dynamo Moscow Region
2007–2009Barons LMT
2009–2010Kavala Panorama GS
2010–2011Trefl Sopot
2011–2012Turów Zgorzelec
2012–2013Neptūnas Klaipėda
2013–2014Rakvere Tarvas
2014–2016Dzūkija Alytus
As coach:
2016Dzūkija Alytus (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Lithuania
EuroBasket
Gold medal – first place 2003 Sweden
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Spain

Early years and life

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Giedrius Gustas graduated from the Arvydas Sabonis basketball school. He started his training being at eight with the Lithuanian basketball coach Ramūnas Šalūga. He was a member of the 1980s boys' generation, the first generation to graduate from Sabonis' basketball school. 1996 played for the Lithuanian junior basketball team. 1998 together with R. Javtokas, A. Macijauskas, D. Zavackas, G. Kadžiulis, T. Nagis, played for the Lithuanian youth basketball team. In 1998, Giedrius Gustas graduated from the Kaunas V. Kuprevičiaus (former Kaunas 32) primary school.

Professional career

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Giedrius Gustas joined the Lithuanian League club Žalgiris Kaunas, in 1998. With Žalgiris, he won the NEBL championship, the EuroLeague championship, and the Lithuanian League championship in 1999. In 2008, while he was playing with the Latvian League club Barons LMT, he won the FIBA EuroCup championship, and he was also named the league's Final Four MVP.[1]

In 2009, Giedrius Gustas joined the Greek League club EKK Kavala.[2]

National team career

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Giedrius Gustas played with the junior national teams of Lithuania. With Lithuania's Under-18 junior national team, he played at the 1998 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

Giedrius Gustas was also a member of the senior Lithuanian national team. With Lithuania, he played at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. He also played at the 2003 EuroBasket, where he won a gold medal, the 2005 EuroBasket, and the 2007 EuroBasket, where he won a bronze medal. With Lithuania, he played in 72 games and scored a total of 298 points.

Coaching and managerial career

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On 31 August 2016, Giedrius Gustas announced his retirement as a player, and he became the assistant basketball coach of the Lithuanian League club Dzūkija Alytus.[3] From 2016 to 2017, he worked as the Sports Director of Dzūkija Alytus.[4] In 2018, Giedrius Gustas became a member of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation's board and the Director of the Lithuanian Women's League.[5]

Personal life

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In 2017, Giedrius Gustas graduated from Vytautas Magnus University with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management. Two years later, Giedrius Gustas graduated from the same institution with a Master's degree in Marketing and Sales.

Career awards and achievements

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As player

References

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  1. ^ Gustas takes Home MVP.
  2. ^ "Gustas to EKK Kavala (Lithuanian)". Archived from the original on 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2009-01-09.
  3. ^ "G.Gustas deda tašką krepšininko karjeroje – tapo treneriu". krepsinis.net. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Europos čempionas krepšinio kamuolį paima retai ir nesigaili". Kauno diena (in Lithuanian). 6 May 2017. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  5. ^ "Personalas, kontaktai". Lietuvos krepšinio federacija (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2020-07-02.
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