On Wednesday evening, a massive crowd of Rytas Vilnius supporters gathered at the club’s official embassy in the capital for a special meet-and-greet with the team. Inside a packed OlyBar Sports Bar, fans had the opportunity to connect with the players who captured silver at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in China last weekend.
Supporters began arriving at the official Rytas Vilnius embassy more than an hour before the event began. They were greeted by the Rytas Dance team, who invited guests to take photos with the FIBA Champions League trophy lifted last spring, while the first 150 attendees received exclusive Rytas Vilnius autograph cards.
The turnout was so overwhelming that the venue was filled to capacity. Throughout the evening, fans enjoyed an entertaining live interview with the squad, chatted and took photos with the players, and collected signatures from the newly assembled roster.
The players arrived at the gathering just twenty-four hours after returning to Lithuania from Beijing, where they made their debut in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup last week. The Vilnius squad marched all the way to the final before falling in a nail-biter to NBA G League United, taking home the silver medals.
The fan gathering was attended by Rytas Vilnius head coach Nedas Pacevičius alongside players Augustas Marčiulionis, Martynas Paliukėnas, Ignas Urbonas, Kay Bruhnke, Gytis Masiulis, Artūras Gudaitis, Cassius Winston, Michael Devoe, Matas Jogėla, Gytis Radzevičius, and Oskaras Pleikys.
“We are thrilled to see Rytas Vilnius events draw this level of excitement. Over the summer, we renovated the venue, installed more screens, expanded seating, and welcomed the autumn season with an updated food menu. We look forward to hosting everyone here to watch all of the team’s away games,” said Deividas Montvila, manager of OlyBar Sports Bar, following the event.
Due to the FIBA Intercontinental Cup campaign in China, the official domestic season for Rytas Vilnius tips off this week. The team plays their Lithuanian league opener on Saturday, October 3, followed by the start of their FIBA Champions League title defense on October 6.