Kęstutis Kemzūra

Kęstutis Kemzūra (born 20 April 1970) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach of BC Wolves of the Lithuanian Basketball League. He is also an assistant coach for the Lithuanian national team. During his playing career, at a height of 1.91 m (6'3") tall, he played at the point guard position.

Kęstutis Kemzūra
Kęstutis Kemzūra, while coaching Lithuania's national team, at EuroBasket 2011
BC Wolves
PositionHead coach
LeagueLithuanian Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1970-04-20) 20 April 1970
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)
2005–2006Lithuania (assistant)
2005–2007Benetton Treviso (assistant)
2007–2008Khimki
2008–2009Latvia
2009–2011Lokomotiv Kuban
2009–2012Lithuania
2012Asseco Prokom Gdynia
2013–2015ČEZ Nymburk
2016–2017Austria
2016–2018Darüşşafaka (assistant)
2018–2019Olympiacos (assistant)
2019–2020Olympiacos
2020–2021Petkim Spor
2021–presentLithuania (assistant)
2023–presentBC Wolves
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

As assistant coach:

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

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 3 July 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 20 October 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]

On 28 March 2023, Kemzūra was appointed as the head coach of BC Wolves in their debut season in the Lithuanian Basketball League.[14]

National team coaching 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. On 5 November 2009, Kemzūra became the head coach of Lithuania.[15][16] Under Kemzūra, Lithuania won the bronze medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship. 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. In October 2012, he was replaced as head coach by Jonas Kazlauskas. In October 2021, Kemzūra returned to the team as an assistant coach under Kazys Maksvytis.

Latvian national team

On 19 December 2008, Kemzūra was appointed as the head coach for Latvia.[17][18] 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.[19]

Austria national team

On 29 January 2016, Kemzūra became the head coach of Austria, and he coached them at the EuroBasket 2017 qualification.[20][21] Despite Austria's failed attempt to qualify for EuroBasket 2017, his contract was extended at the end of the year.[22]

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). 26 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  10. "Kestutis Kemzura joins the technical staff of Olympiacos". olympiacosbc.gr. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  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. "Kęstutis Kemzūra replaces Rimas Kurtinaitis as head coach". bcwolves.com. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  15. "Kemzura agrees terms, takes Lithuania national team reins". fiba.basketball. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  16. "Kemzūra patvirtintas rinktinės treneriu trejiems metams". basketnews.lt (in Lithuanian). 5 November 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  17. "Latvijos rinktinės treneriu tapo K.Kemzūra". delfi.lt (in Lithuanian). 19 December 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  18. "K.Kemzūra tapo Latvijos krepšinio rinktinės treneriu". lrytas.lt (in Lithuanian). 19 December 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  19. LTU – Lithuania set to appoint Kemzura as new coach.
  20. "K.Kemzūra priėmė ambicingą iššūkį". Krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  21. "Austria Hope For Big Leap With Kemzura At Helm". FIBA Europe. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  22. "Kęstutis Kemzūra nusprendė tęsti darbus Austrijoje" (in Lithuanian). 15min. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
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