DistantNews
Support us
Former Žalgiris Player Šmitas to Play in China
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Sports

Former Žalgiris Player Šmitas to Play in China

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Rolandas Šmitas, a former player for Kaunas Žalgiris, has signed with a Chinese basketball team.
  • Šmitas previously played for Anadolu Efes Istanbul, where he averaged 6.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in the EuroLeague last season.
  • The Rockets team will be coached by Oliver Kostič, who previously served as an assistant coach at Žalgiris.

Former Kaunas Žalgiris forward Rolandas Šmitas is set to continue his basketball career in China, signing with a new team after two seasons with Anadolu Efes Istanbul. The 31-year-old Lithuanian player brings his experience to the Chinese league.

Last season with Anadolu Efes, the 208 cm tall Šmitas averaged 6.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a performance index rating of 6 in 19 minutes per EuroLeague game. He had joined the Turkish club after a strong stint with Žalgiris, where he played from 2022 to 2024. During his second season in Kaunas, he averaged 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Before his time in Lithuania, Šmitas spent four years with FC Barcelona. His move to China sees him join a team coached by Oliver Kostič, a Serbian coach who previously worked as an assistant at Žalgiris from 2010 to 2013. Kostič most recently coached Utenos Juventus in the 2023-2024 season.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog