Vinny Benedetto, The Gazette

There’s a new nation backing the Nuggets. 

“It’s a second religion for us, for Lithuanians,” Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas said of his homeland’s love for basketball after Monday’s game against the Bulls. 

A hundred or so Lithuanians gathered at Ball Arena for the Nuggets’ game against Chicago. Valanciunas spent time with the group before and after Denver’s loss to the Bulls, who featured the future of Lithuanian hoops, Matas Buzelis. Valanciunas is the present. 

“He’s like my big brother,” Buzelis said after the game. 

“He changed everyone’s vision that anyone can be in the NBA from Lithuania. Once one guy does it, anyone can do it. He’s a huge part of that.” 

Valanciunas is the eldest of the four Lithuanians in the NBA this season. Buzelis and Kings big man Domantas Sabonis, who missed Saturday’s game in Denver with a partially torn meniscus, were born in the United States to Lithuanian parents and elected to represent the old country in international competitions. Valanciunas was born in Utena, Lithuania, while Miami Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis was born in Vilnius, the nation’s capital. 

“He’s like the face of Lithuanian basketball. He’s always playing for the national team, also competing and giving all of his 100% to the national team, to Lithuania,” Jakucionis said before Miami’s Nov. 5 game in Denver. “He tries to give it back to the community, so I think he inspires a lot of people to do the same, starting (with) players, but also I think for people. He inspires a lot of people to start playing basketball and to start making Lithuania’s name bigger.” 

*** 

Being the face of Lithuanian basketball is no small role. 

The Baltic nation won the second and third EuroBasket tournaments in 1937 and 1939 before everything changed. 

World War II started, and Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuanian players wore red until the USSR’s dissolution some 50 years later. After regaining independence in 1990, Lithuania quickly reestablished a decorated basketball program led by Sarunas Marciulions, the first Lithuanian to play in the NBA, who ended his career with the Nuggets in 1997, and Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas’s father, who played for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1995 to 2003. 

Valanciunas was born in 1992, the same year Lithuania made its Olympic return thanks to a financial assist from the Grateful Dead. 

“It’s a big history behind it,” Valanciunas said of his country’s second religion. 

The country won bronze medals in three consecutive Olympics, from 1992 to 2000. That’s around the time Valanciunas received his basketball baptism. 

“Basketball has always been something I loved. I was a kid. I was just going to the backyard and shooting hoops. Now it’s become a hobby, a job, a good time, everything,” Valanciunas said after the Oct. 29 game against New Orleans. “It means a lot for me. That’s one of the biggest parts of my life.” 

Sarunas Jasikevicius, Saulius Stombergas, Ramunas Siskauskas and Darius Songaila helped continue the country’s momentum after the golden generation’s playing days ended. It culminated with a gold medal at the 2003 EuroBasket tournament with Jasikevicius being named Most Valuable Player. 

Years later, a new star emerged. 

“Lithuanian fans first got to know about Jonas when he was just 15, 16 years old and started playing for Lithuanian junior national teams,” Lithuanian sports reporter Marius Milasius said. “The hype surrounding him was immense and reached its peak when he was 18, 19.” 

*** 

Valanciunas started his professional career with Perlas Vilnius in 2008, the same year he led Lithuania to the gold medal at the European Under-16 Championship. A couple of years later, he led his country to the European Under-18 Championship. He was named MVP of both tournaments. 

In 2011, he added another gold medal and MVP at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. That tournament included a United States squad that featured current teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. Valanciunas dropped 36 points and eight rebounds against Serbia in the Final. 

The big man made his debut with the senior national team at EuroBasket 2011. He helped Lithuania win the silver medal at the 2013 and 2015 EuroBasket tournaments and represented his country in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Lithuania has failed to qualify for the last two Olympics. 

“He’s always there for the national team. From 2008, when he started playing for junior national team, until 2024 he didn’t miss a single national team tournament,” Milasius said. 

“From around 2017, he was a clear leader of the Lithuanian team in every tournament he’s played … He’s been a team captain since 2022 and a clear role model for anyone in the national team. Maybe he didn’t become a second Arvydas Sabonis regarding his level of play but he for sure has succeeded him as the soul of the national team.” 

*** 

The Toronto Raptors selected Valanciunas with the fifth pick of the 2011 NBA draft. 

After one more season with Rytas Vilnius, his second and final Lithuanian club, Valanciunas made his NBA debut in the 2012-13 season and earned All-Rookie second-team honors. He stayed with Toronto until he was traded to Memphis in 2019. He spent a couple of years in Memphis and a few more in New Orleans. He posted a career-best 17.8 points per game for the Pelicans in 2021-22 and started all 82 games in 2023-24, his final season with New Orleans. 

Valanciunas split last season between Washington and Sacramento before being traded to Denver over the summer. 

“They just asked me to go and try basketball when I was like 7, 8 years old,” Valanciunas said. “There you go. I’m here now.” 

*** 

The 33-year-old didn’t get off to the best start with Denver. 

Prior to putting on a Nuggets uniform, reports out of Europe said Valanciunas preferred to continue his career in Greece over honoring his NBA contract. The Nuggets never intended to allow that to happen, and Denver’s front office traveled to meet with him at last summer’s EuroBasket tournament. Valanciunas didn’t deny the reports during his press conference at media day but said he’s happy in Denver. Actions have matched those words early in his first season with the Nuggets. 

“Jonas’ attitude so far has been absolutely everything you could ask for,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after Valanciunas posted 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in Denver’s win over New Orleans in late October. “If he plays 10 minutes, he’s great. He’s great on the bench, great in timeouts. He’s been great on the plane, on the bus. He just has such a cool attitude about him. To see a guy that started in the NBA for 10 years come here and just want to be a part of this is pretty cool.” 

Jamal Murray called Valanciunas a “jolly guy” that night. Nikola Jokic said his backup has a “European” sense of humor after Valanciunas posted 16 points and six rebounds in Denver’s Nov. 7 win over Golden State. 

“You need to know it. I cannot explain it,” Jokic said. 

“He’s a good guy, good vet, fun guy to be around, so I think he’s a great fit for us in the locker room, too.” 

Valanciunas averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds entering Saturday. He’s playing 12.5 minutes per game. He’s never played fewer than 18.8 minutes per game, but the Nuggets had won 12 of their first 15 games. 

“The goal is to win no matter what kind of role you have, no matter what you do on and off the court,” Valanciunas said. 

“We all know our roles, and we all know what we need to do.” 

That’s spoken like a true Lithuanian.