Šarūnas Marčiulionis

The first Soviet player to sign an NBA contract — paved the way for European players in America.

Šarūnas Marčiulionis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania in 1964. He was the first Soviet player to sign an NBA contract when Golden State Warriors signed him in 1989 — a breakthrough moment in the internationalisation of the NBA. His eight-season career produced 13.0 points per game. He had won Olympic gold as part of the Soviet Union team at Seoul 1988. When Lithuania declared independence in 1990, he became one of the most celebrated Lithuanian citizens — helping fund the Lithuanian national basketball team's participation in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where they won bronze. The team wore Grateful Dead-designed tie-dye uniforms because the rock band funded his participation. Lithuania won bronze again in 1996 with Marčiulionis playing. His career was interrupted by a serious knee injury in 1994 that significantly affected his effectiveness. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. His historical significance — the first Soviet player to make the NBA — opened a door through which dozens of European players subsequently walked. He is considered the father of Lithuanian basketball's modern era.

Quick guard, excellent shooter, fearless competitor

Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, opened doors for Europeans in NBA

• Olympic Gold Medal (USSR 1988)
• Olympic Bronze Medal (Lithuania 1992,1996)
• EuroBasket champion
• Hall of Fame (2014)