Legendary Lithuanian Coach Vladas Garastas Dies
The coach who brought Lithuanian basketball to the European elite was 94 years old.
Lithuania has lost a basketball legend, coach Vladas Garastas. The head of the Lithuanian Basketball Association, Mindaugas Balčiūnas, reported the heavy loss to Delfi.
"A heavy loss, the respected coach passed away overnight, family members confirmed this," Balčiūnas noted.
Vladas Garastas turned 94 in February, and he actively followed Lithuanian basketball life, the performances of Lithuanian basketball clubs in Europe, and expressed opinions on current issues and problems of the Lithuanian national team.
Vladas Garastas coached Kaunas "Žalgiris" from 1979 to 1989.
Under his leadership, Lithuanian basketball players achieved phenomenal results: "Žalgiris" won the USSR Championship three times (1985-1987), became the winner of the Intercontinental Cup (1986), and reached the final of the FIBA European Champions' Cup.
From 1989 to 1991, he was the head coach of the USSR national basketball team, and from 1992 to 1997, he was the head coach of the Lithuanian national team. With the team, he achieved bronze medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, and won silver at EuroBasket 1995.