Joffrey Lauvergne’s handprint unveiled in the McDonald’s Star Alley 10

One more Zalgiris handprint has been unveiled in the McDonald’s Star Alley in Kaunas, as Zalgiris center Joffrey Lauvergne became the 20th Zalgiris member to leave a mark.

Lauvergne joins former basketball stars such as Arvydas Sabonis, Tanoka Beard, Marcus Brown, as well as current Zalgiris players Paulius Jankunas, Mantas Kalnietis, Arturas Milaknis, and Edgaras Ulanovas.

Lauvergne, who is in his second season in Kaunas, has helped Zalgiris win two King Mindaugas Cups and was the MVP of the Final Four both times. The Frenchman, who became Lithuanian champion last year, was also voted among the top five players in the Lithuanian Basketball League.

“I think that Paulius Jankunas, who is coming to the end of his career, could have left a second imprint in this alley,” – joked Lauvergne.

“On a serious note, it is a great honor to be immortalized alongside such famous Zalgiris players. Even though this season did not go the way we wanted it to for our team, it is great to see such traditions being continued.”

“We understand how important basketball is for the people of Kaunas. Over the course of almost two decades of partnership with Zalgiris, a basketball theme has taken hold in our restaurant. The Zalgiris corner here features trophies and jerseys of team members. Due to the pandemic last season, we were not able to unveil a new handprint, so we are happy that after two years we could all meet again to continue the tradition and celebrate the achievements of another team member,” – said Vladimir Janevski, McDonald’s General Manager for the Baltics.

The tradition of adding a new print at the end of each season has been dampened by the pandemic two years in a row. Before that, in spring 2019, Brandon Davies was the last one to leave his print in the Star Alley.