Rytas Vilnius retained one of the most important foundations of the team – team captain Artūras Gudaitis will continue to play in the capital. Although the 33-year-old center had the opportunity this summer to use the clause in his contract to leave for a foreign team, the basketball player decided to stay in Vilnius. Both sides agreed on the details of a new contract, under which the basketball player will wear the capital team’s jersey until the summer of 2028, under a 1+1 formula.
During the past, highly turbulent season, the experienced center played a huge role both on and off the court. R. Gudaitis helped Rytas reach historic heights and win the FIBA Champions League title. In the international tournament, in an average of 22 minutes, he recorded 9.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, registering a 13.4 efficiency rating. For this solid play, the basketball player was selected to the All-FIBA Champions League Second Team.
“I highly value the club’s trust and especially the support of our fans. I know how much their energy and belief mean to the team,” said A. Gudaitis. “We have ambitious goals, so now the most important thing is to focus on work, remain united, and strive for victories together.”
In the Lithuanian Basketball League, sponsored by Betsson, the capital center’s statistics were slightly better – here his averages reached 12.46 points, 7.32 rebounds, and 1 assist per game, collecting an average of 19 efficiency points. Sports journalists, along with the head coaches of the LKL, sponsored by Betsson, also included A. Gudaitis in the symbolic starting five of the tournament’s best players.
Rytas head coach Nedas Pacevičius spoke about A. Gudaitis’s decision to stay with the team, emphasizing the captain’s authority and leadership qualities:
“There is no need to introduce Artūras’s importance to the team – he is a player dedicated to the club, firmly holding the locker room, and clearly feeling the weight of representing the three most beautiful colors. As a player, he has already proven his usefulness more than once, especially during crucial games. It is also important that, being one of the main players of the core, he will help incoming new players integrate into the group more quickly. Therefore, we are particularly happy to continue seeing Artūras in our ranks.”
For A. Gudaitis, this will be his fifth season playing for the representative team of Vilnius, with breaks.