Valanciunas was born in 1992 in Utena, Lithuania. In June 2008, he participated in the NBA and FIBA Basketball Without Borders Europe camp in Istanbul, Turkey. As a member of the Raptors, Valanciunas sponsored a ticket program for youth in the Lithuanian/Canadian community. He also surprised youth basketball players at clinics around Toronto. Since the age of 19, he's been a member of the Lithuania men's national basketball team. Valanciunas won two EuroBasket silver medals in 2013 and 2015, earning All-Tournament honors in 2015. Fans can learn more about JV on Twitter (@JValanciunas) and Instagram (@jvalanciunas).