Take a closer look at players from Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland and Russia.
The Euros: Part 3

Want to take a closer look at the European players in the NBA? NBA.com presents "The Euros," a five-part series that breaks down European players currently hooping it up in the NBA. Be sure to check back each week to find out more about your favorite players from Europe. Also, check out these cool wallpapers and photo galleries.

Lithuania
 Zydrunas Ilgauskas | Darius Songaila
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
John Grieshop/NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 7-3 | Weight: 260 lbs. | Born: June 5, 1975 | Position: Center
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers

Two-time NBA All-Star Zydrunas Ilgauskas was taken by Cleveland with the 20 th overall pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft.

The once injury-prone big man – sidelined for parts of four seasons with a fractured left foot – has recovered to start every game this season for the Cavaliers after playing in all but one each of the two previous seasons.

Ilgauskas, a major contributor – alongside second-year star LeBron James – to the Cavaliers’ success and second-best record in the Central Division, is averaging a career-high 17.5 points this season.

Before joining the NBA, Ilgauskas played in his hometown of Kaunas, Lithuania in 1994-95 for Atletas Basketball Club and also played for the Lithuanian National Team against the University of Kentucky at Rupp Arena.

 
Darius Songaila
Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 6-9 | Weight: 248 lbs. | Born: Feb. 14, 1978 | Position: Forward
Team: Sacramento Kings

Kings forward Darius Songaila, currently in his second NBA season with the Sacramento Kings after being selected by the Boston Celtics with the 50 th overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, is averaging 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in the 2004-05 campaign.

A four-year starter at Wake Forest, Songaila was named Honorable Mention All-America by The Associated Press as a senior and helped lead the Demon Deacons to the NCAA Tournament in his final two seasons.

Songaila was a member of the Lithuanian National Team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and helped Lithuania to a gold medal at the 2003 European Championship. He also led CSKA Moscow of the Russian A Superleague to the 2003 Euroleague Final Four, earning Eurobasket first-team all-league honors.

 
Netherlands

Dan Gadzuric | Francisco Elson
Dan Gadzuric
NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 6-11 | Weight: 240 lbs. | Born: Feb. 2, 1978 | Position: Center
Team: Milwaukee Bucks

Gadzuric, the 34 th overall pick in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft, is in his third season with the Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 6.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

The Den Haag, Holland native attended Governor Drummer Academy in Byfield, Mass, before spending four years at UCLA, where he averaged 10.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game, and earned honorable mention all Pac-10 honors his senior year.

 
Francisco Elson
Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 7-0 | Weight: 235 lbs. | Born: Feb. 28, 1976 | Position: Forward/Center
Team: Denver Nuggets

Elson was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft, but spent four seasons playing in Spain for FC Barcelona (1999-2001), Valencia Basket (2001-02) and CSF Sevilla (2002-03) before joining the Nuggets for the 2003-04 season.

A native of Rotterdam, Holland, Elson is the seventh Dutch player to play in the NBA, where he’s averaging 3.8 point, 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 120 career games. He was a member of the Dutch under-20 National Team.

 
Poland
Maciej Lampe
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 6-11 | Weight: 275 lbs. | Born: Feb. 5, 1985 | Position: Forward/Center
Team: New Orleans Hornets

Lampe joined the New Orleans Hornets in a January 2005 trade which saw Jim Jackson going to the Phoenix Suns. In 13 games with the Hornets, Lampe is averaging 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds.

The 30 th overall selection by the Knicks in the 2003 NBA Draft, Lampe was traded to Phoenix in a seven-player deal featuring Stephon Marbury’s move to New York.

Lampe played briefly for Real Madrid in Spain in 2002-03 before being sent on loan to Universidad Complutense of LEB1, one of the highest minor leagues in Spain, to receive more playing time.

The first Polish-born player to be drafted by an NBA team, Lampe can speak five languages – English , Polish, Swedish, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian.

 

Russia

Andrei Kirilenko | Viktor Khryapa | Pavel Podkolzine
Andrei Kirilenko
NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 6-9 | Weight: 235 lbs. | Born: Feb. 5, 1985 | Position: Forward
Team: Utah Jazz

One of the NBA’s best defenders with an incredible wingspan, Andrei Kirilenko is averaging 15.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.63 steals and 3.32 blocks per game this season for the Utah Jazz.

Selected by the coaches to participate in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, Kirilenko was taken by Utah with the 24 th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

An active player on and off the court, Kirilenko held two youth basketball camps in Salt Lake City the past two summers and has also participated in the NBA’s 2003 Basketball Without Borders program. He also played in various games for the Russian National Team and led the team to the Russian National Championship.

 
Viktor Khryapa
Sam Forencich/NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 6-9 | Weight: 210 lbs. | Born: Aug. 3, 1982 | Position: Forward
Team: Portland Trial Blazers

Portland rookie Viktor Khryapa was selected with the 22 nd overall pick in last June’s NBA Draft. He has appeared in 18 games – starting four – and is averaging 3.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.

At 19 years of age, Khryapa was the youngest player on the Russian National Team that competed in the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis. He was also a member of CSKA and led the team to the Euroleague Final Four in Tel Aviv. In 2000-01, Khryapa was named the Russian League’s Most Improved Player.

 
Pavel Podkolzine
Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images

Height: 7-5 | Weight: 260 lbs. | Born: Jan. 15, 1985 | Position: Center
Team: Dallas Mavericks

Pavel Podkolzin was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft (21st overall), when his draft rights were immediately traded to Dallas in exchange for a future first round pick. He signed with the Mavericks on July 29, 2004.

Russian-born Podkolzin played for the Mavericks at the Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue in summer 2004, averaging 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in six games.

Before playing in the NBA, Podkolkin spent time with Varese in Italy’s top league and played in the ULEB Cup. Podkolzin speaks English, Italian and Russian.