Two members of Kaunas Zalgiris youth teams, Ignas Stombergas and Maksim Brnvovic are participating in the NBA and FIBA-organized Basketball Without Borders European regional camp in Manchester this week, where they are trying to showcase their talent and learn new skills from top-level coaches.
Launched in 2001, the program is now one of the most prestigious in the world, with 77 Basketball Without Borders camps organized in 33 different countries over the years. In addition to improving their skills on the basketball court, camp participants gain knowledge and leadership and life skills through various programs, as well as intercultural experience by getting to know players from different countries. A total of 30 boys and 30 girls from all over Europe were selected for the camp.
Stombergas played in both the RKL and NKL leagues last season, while Brnovic wore the Zalgiris-3 jersey and played in the RKL A division. The Montenegrin spent an average of 24 minutes on the court, contributing 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist to his team's score.
For his part, Stombergas was a dominant force under the basket for Zalgiris-3, averaging 15.5 points and 8 rebounds per game, shooting 62% from the field. Both big men represented Zalgiris in the EuroLeague NextGen tournament, where Zalgiris became champions.
The Montenegrin player scored 6 points per game in the tournament and had his best game against Overtime Elite, against whom he collected 16 efficiency points. Meanwhile, Stombergas performed best against the same team, scoring 8 points per game throughout the final tournament stage.
Among the alumni of the Basketball Without Borders camp are a bunch of current Zalgiris players, including Deividas Sirvydis, Ignas Brazdeikis, Dovydas Giedraitis, Azuolas Tubelis, and Laurynas Birutis.
