Ramūnas Šiškauskas

Ramūnas Šiškauskas
Personal information
Born (1978-09-10) September 10, 1978
Kaišiadorys, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality Lithuanian
Listed height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
NBA draft 2000 / Undrafted
Playing career 1996–2012
Position Shooting guard / Small forward
Number 9
Career history
1996–1998 Sakalai Vilnius
1998–2004 Lietuvos rytas Vilnius
2004–2006 Benetton Treviso
2006–2007 Panathinaikos Athens
2007–2012 CSKA Moscow
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Lithuania
Summer Olympic Games
2000 Sydney National Team
EuroBasket
2003 Sweden National Team
2007 Spain National Team

Ramūnas Šiškauskas ([rɐˈmûːnɐs ʃɪʂˈkɐ̂ˑʊskɐs], born September 10, 1978) is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball, who could play both the shooting guard and small forward positions. Listed at 6'6" (1.98 m),[1] his individual accolades include a EuroLeague MVP award, four All-EuroLeague selections, as well as an All-EuroBasket Team designation. On May 16, 2014, Šiškauskas was named a EuroLeague Basketball Legend.[2]

Šiškauskas won two EuroLeague titles with Panathinaikos Athens and CSKA Moscow in 2007 and 2008, and reached two more EuroLeague Finals with CSKA in 2009 and 2012. He was a member of the Lithuanian national team that won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2003. As a member of the national team, he also won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games and the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2007.

Professional career

Šiškauskas made his pro debut with Sakalai in 1996. He played two seasons with the club, averaging 11.3 points, on 60 percent shooting.

In 1998, Šiškauskas signed with Lietuvos Rytas of Vilnius. He played there until the 2003-04 season, and led the team to Lithuanian League titles in 2000 and 2002, and a Northern Europe League title in 2002. In 2002-03, he had his most successful season, averaging 16.4 points, on 68 percent shooting, and 3.4 rebounds.

Šiškauskas joined Benetton Treviso in 2004. He led them to an Italian League title in 2006, where he was named the Finals MVP, and an Italian Cup in 2005. He played in 32 EuroLeague games over two seasons with Benetton, and averaged 12.3 points, on 60 percent shooting.

In 2006, Šiškauskas signed with Panathinaikos, and helped them win the EuroLeague in 2007. He averaged 11 points, on 51 percent shooting for the championship team. With Panathinaikos, he also won a Greek League title and the Greek Cup in 2007.

Šiškauskas joined CSKA Moscow in 2007. He helped to lead them to a EuroLeague title in 2008, and helped them reach the EuroLeague Final in 2009. However, CSKA lost to Šiškauskas' former team, Panathinaikos. On May 1, 2009, he scored a career-high 29 points against Barcelona. Šiškauskas also won two Russian Super League titles in 2008 and 2009.

On May 15, 2009, Šiškauskas signed a contract extension with CSKA. He signed through 2011. Šiškauskas said: "I feel like the right man in the right place in CSKA. I am happy with both the team and the organization. That is why I don't see any reason to think about changes. I feel myself as a part of history of a great club, which is aiming for the highest goals. And that's what absolutely matches with my character."

On May 13, 2012, Šiškauskas missed two vital free-throws with 10 seconds remaining in CSKA's EuroLeague Final game against Olympiacos Piraeus, which proved crucial in CSKA's 62 to 61 loss. He also missed the last second three-point shot in CSKA's EuroLeague Final game against Panathinaikos, on May 3, 2009, which meant that CSKA lost the final by a score of 73 to 71.[3]

Only one week after the EuroLeague Final game, on May 21, 2012, Šiškauskas announced his retirement from professional basketball.[4] On May 16, 2014, Šiškauskas was named a EuroLeague Basketball Legend.[5]

Lithuanian national team

Ramūnas Šiškauskas as a Lithuania national basketball team member

Šiškauskas was a member of the senior men's Lithuanian national basketball teams that won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games and the bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2007. He was also a member of the Lithuanian team that won the gold medal at the EuroBasket 2003. In 2008, he officially announced that he was stepping down from the Lithuanian National Team.

Player profile

Šiškauskas was a physical forward (198 cm or 6'6" tall) who could easily play, both on offense and defense, at the guard positions, on the wing, and also in the paint. His excellent leaping ability and his quickness made him a surprising shot blocker and one of the best one-on-one players and swingmen in Europe. The best defensive player of the Lithuanian national basketball team; he led the 2003-04 Lithuanian League in free throw percentage (90.6%).

Awards and achievements

Pro career

Lithuanian national team

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

† Denotes seasons in which Šiškauskas won the EuroLeague
Led the league

EuroLeague

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2004–05 Benetton 17 10 25.8 .487 .286 .700 2.4 1.5 1.4 .1 12.5 11.8
2005–06 Benetton 15 13 29.2 .516 .419 .711 2.8 1.9 1.4 .1 12.0 13.5
2006–07† Panathinaikos 20 19 26.2 .489 .471 .706 2.5 1.1 1.1 .3 10.9 11.6
2007–08† CSKA 24 23 27.3 .510 .442 .846 3.2 1.4 1.1 .4 14.0 16.0
2008–09 CSKA 18 14 28.4 .446 .348 .863 3.0 1.7 .8 .3 12.1 13.9
2009–10 CSKA 21 21 30.9 .557 .550 .765 4.0 3.0 1.2 .3 13.4 17.0
2010–11 CSKA 7 6 24.9 .422 .348 .500 4.0 .9 1.3 .1 7.0 8.9
2011–12 CSKA 21 21 22.9 .449 .393 .690 2.2 1.0 0.6 .0 7.5 6.7
Career 143 127 27.1 .493 .419 .767 3.0 1.6 1.1 .2 11.6 10.9

References

  1. ↑ 47. 6' 6" 220 1978 Lithuanian Ramunas Siskauskas---CSKA Moscow--Russia.
  2. ↑ Siskauskas named Euroleague Basketball Legend (English)
  3. ↑ Euroleague.net Box Score Panathinaikos vs. CSKA Moscow.
  4. ↑ "Euroleague classic Ramunas Siskauskas retires from basketball". Euroleague. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  5. ↑ Siskauskas named Euroleague Basketball Legend (English)
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