Buenos días:
When I joined USA Basketball as an international scout last year, I always knew there was a possibility my allegiances could collide.
That possibility has become a reality.
It will be an emotional game for me when the United States faces Lithuania in the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup here in Barcelona. I proudly represented Lithuania for several years with the national team, but I will be in the stands cheering for Team USA on Thursday.
I was fortunate enough to play against the U.S. National Team three times with Lithuania. We lost to the U.S. Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona but went on to win the bronze medal. After falling to the U.S. again at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, we broke through for a victory at the 1998 World Championships in Athens. We finished seventh in the tournament, but that victory will always be special to the Lithuanian players and citizens.
In Lithuania, basketball is considered a second religion. The people have been passionate about the sport for a long time and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. The Lithuanian players are happy to be in the semifinals, and they deserves to be here. They’ve fought hard and played well together. I know they will put their hearts on the line against us. We have to be ready to match their desire and intensity.
Lithuania’s offense is based on detailed execution of plays and where they want to get the ball. We have to pressure them defensively in order to speed up their offense and force them into turnovers. We can’t expect to win if we play slow and sit back defensively. We have to be an attack mode at all times.
I look forward to watching the game as Team USA continues toward our goal of bringing home the gold.
Arturas
A longtime member of the Lithuanian national team, Arturas Karnisovas won Olympic bronze medals in 1992 and 1996 and captured silver at the 1995 European Championships. He joined USA Basketball as the international player personnel scout in 2013 and is entering his second season as the assistant general manager of the Denver Nuggets.