Kęstutis Kemzūra

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Kęstutis Kemzūra
Kestutis Kemzura by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg
Kęstutis Kemzūra, while coaching Lithuania's national team, at EuroBasket 2011
Personal information
Born (1970-04-20) April 20, 1970 (age 51)
Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityLithuanian
Listed height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Listed weight91 kg (201 lb)
Career information
Playing career1992–2001
PositionPoint guard
Coaching career2001–present
Career history
As player:
1992–1996Atletas Kaunas
1996–1998Šilutė
1998–1999Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
1999–2000Kalnapilis Panevėžys / Sema Panevėžys
2000–2001Swans Gmunden
As coach:
2001–2002Beşiktaş (assistant)
2002–2004Lietuvos rytas Vilnius (assistant)
2004Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
2004–2005Dynamo Saint Petersburg (assistant)
2005–2007Benetton Treviso (assistant)
2007–2008Khimki
2009–2011Lokomotiv Kuban
2012Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2013–2015ČEZ Nymburk
2016–2018Darüşşafaka (assistant)
2018–2019Olympiacos (assistant)
2019–2020Olympiacos
2020–2021Petkim Spor
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

As assistant coach:

hide
Medals
Men's basketball Head coach
Representing  Lithuania
FIBA World Cup
Bronze medal – third place Turkey 2010

Kęstutis Kemzūra (born 20 April 1970) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and coach. During his playing career, at a height of 1.91 m (6'3") tall, he played at the point guard position.

Professional playing career[]

Kemzūra started his club playing career as a point guard, with the Lithuanian club Atletas Kaunas. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1 assist per game in the FIBA Saporta Cup competition's 1992–93 season, in his first year.[1] His next year he had better stats, as he recorded 12.5 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists per game in the Saporta Cup's 1993–94 season.[2]

In 1996, he moved to the Lithuanian club Šilutė. After that, he went to the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, for the 1998–99 season, where he became a player coach. Kemzūra left the team in November, and joined the Lithuanian club Kalnapilis Panevėžys. In the 1999–2000 season, he played in the FIBA Korać Cup competition with Sema Panevėžys. His last playing season was the 2000–01 season, in which he played with the Austrian club Swans Gmunden.

National team playing career[]

Kemzūra also briefly played with the senior Lithuanian national basketball team in 1994.[3] He played with Lithuania at the qualification tournament for the EuroBasket 1995.[4]

Club coaching career[]

After finishing his basketball playing career with the Swans Gmunden, Kemzūra pursued a basketball coaching career. During the 2001–02 season, he was hired by the Turkish club Beşiktaş, as an assistant coach. The following year, he moved to the Lithuanian club Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, where he first worked as an assistant coach, and then later as a head coach.

He spent the next three years working as an assistant coach with the Russian club Dynamo Saint Petersburg, and the Italian club Benetton Treviso. In 2007, Kemzūra became the head coach of the Russian club Khimki Moscow Region.[5] He was replaced in that role by Sergio Scariolo, in December 2008.[6]

In December 2009, he signed to be the head coach of the Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar.[7] In 2011, he was chosen to become the foreign players' coach during the Russian All-Star Game. Kemzūra left the team in 2011.

Kemzūra then signed a contract to be the head coach of the Polish club Asseco Prokom Gdynia, in July 2012.[8] He left Prokom in December 2012. In June 2013, he became the head coach of the Czech club ČEZ Basketball Nymburk.

In December 2016, he became an assistant coach of the Turkish EuroLeague side Darüşşafaka, after Ainars Bagatskis' decision to leave the team.[9] On July 3, 2018, Kemzūra was named an assistant coach of the Greek club Olympiacos, where he would work in that role under the club's head coach David Blatt.[10] On 6 October 2019, Blatt resigned, and Kemzūra became the temporary interim head coach of the team.[11]

Kemzūra debuted as the interim head coach of Olympiacos, on 11 October 2019, and coached Olympiacos to a crushing 89–63 victory versus the Spanish club Valencia Basket.[12] On October 20, 2019, Olympiacos announced that Kemzūra would remain as the head coach of the team, until the end of the 2019–20 season. He was later, however, replaced by Georgios Bartzokas[13]

National coaching team career[]

Lithuanian national team[]

At the EuroBasket 2005 and 2006 FIBA World Championship, Kemzūra served as an assistant coach with the senior Lithuanian national team. At the 2010 FIBA World Championship, he was the head coach of Lithuania, which won the bronze medal at the tournament. He also coached the team to a 5th place finish at the EuroBasket 2011, and to an 8th place finish at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He later resigned in 2012.

Latvian national team[]

In 2009, Kemzūra became Latvia's head coach. His team finished in 13th place at the EuroBasket 2009. After that, he declined to extend his contract with the team, and instead opted to become the head coach of the senior Lithuanian national basketball team.[14]

Austrian national team[]

On January 29, 2016, Kemzūra became the head coach of Austria, and he coached them at the EuroBasket 2017 qualification.[15][16] Despite Austria's failed attempt to qualify for EuroBasket 2017, his contract was extended at the end of the year.[17]

Awards and achievements[]

Head coach[]

References[]

  1. ^ 1992–1993 season.
  2. ^ 1993–1994 season.
  3. ^ LATVIA 91-94 LITHUANIA.
  4. ^ Kestutis KEMZURA (LTU).
  5. ^ Khimki tabs Kemzura as new coach.
  6. ^ Khimki releases head coach Kemzura.
  7. ^ K.Kemzūra tapo „Lokomotiv“ klubo treneriu (in Lithuanian).
  8. ^ Asseco Prokom makes Kemzura its new boss!
  9. ^ "Svarbus įvertinimas: Kęstutis Kemzūra tapo Davido Blatto asistentu". 15min (in Lithuanian). December 26, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  10. ^ "Στο τεχνικό επιτελείο του Ολυμπιακού ο Κεστούτις Κεμζούρα". olympiacosbc.gr (in Greek). July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  11. ^ "Permainos: išsiskyrė D.Blatto ir "Olympiakos" keliai, laikinu treneriu tapo K.Kemzūra". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  12. ^ "Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Valencia Basket (11 October 2019)". euroleague.net. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Kestutis Kemzura to remain Olympiacos' head coach until the end of the season". eurohoops.net. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  14. ^ LTU – Lithuania set to appoint Kemzura as new coach.
  15. ^ "K.Kemzūra priėmė ambicingą iššūkį". Krepsinis.net. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  16. ^ "Austria Hope For Big Leap With Kemzura At Helm". FIBA Europe. January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  17. ^ "Kęstutis Kemzūra nusprendė tęsti darbus Austrijoje" (in Lithuanian). 15min. November 23, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2016.

External links[]

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