Renaldas Seibutis announces retirement / News - Basketnews.com

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One of the most passionate and dedicated Lithuanian National Team players, Renaldas Seibutis, retired from professional basketball. The 36-year-old guard confirmed his decision to BasketNews.

Renaldas Seibutis

Position:SG, SFAge:36Height:196 cmWeight:82 kgBirth place:Palanga, LithuaniaProfileNewsStatistics

"I went through so much after such an injury and long rehabilitation that deep in my heart I believed I played my last game in professional basketball," Seibutis told BasketNews regarding his second back surgery in 2020.

He played his last official game in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, on September 9, when Seibutis contributed to Lithuania's victory against the Dominican Republic 74-55. After the World Cup, he joined Casademont Zaragoza and played one pre-season game against Real Madrid. But due to back pain, Seibutis had to step aside.

He had similar back issues before the season 2018-19. But with some rest and the help of specialists, Seibutis managed to come back and played a great season, averaging 11.2 points in the ACB for Zaragoza. However, this time Seibutis couldn't recover.

Credit BNS

He was rehabbing and trained hard to return to the court. For instance, he felt ready to return to the lineup before the Copa del Rey 2020. However, during the practice, he felt a massive pain in his back again.

"That has gotten worse every single day. I couldn't last it anymore. There was no other choice but surgery," Seibutis revealed.

"I wanted to get back to living a normal life, to be able to walk. After some time, I understood that probably I wouldn't be able to play again. It was very tough. You practice every day, do what you love, and then suddenly, it all stops. The most painful thing is that I had to retire this way."

Seibutis had his first back surgery in 2007. However, the Dallas Mavericks No. 50 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft managed to come back and reach the highest level. He played for such teams as Olympiacos Piraeus, Zalgiris Kaunas, Rytas Vilnius, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Darussafaka, averaging 6.4 points in 97 EuroLeague games and 11 points in 53 EuroCup games.

Two-time LKL champion experienced the best time of his career with Lithuania National Team. In his first National Team campaign, Seibutis won bronze in the 2010 FIBA World Cup. Later he won the EuroBasket silver twice in 2013 and 2015. Before his pro career, Seibutis won gold in the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship, scoring game-winning free throws after the regulation for Lithuania.

Last year Seibutis started his bachelor’s degree studies in Sports Coaching at the Lithuanian Sports University. He is also a shareholder of the second Lithuanian division team Kursiai Palanga.

Credit LSU

"I already thanked my closest people around. But since everything happened so fast, I still didn't thank everybody I wanted," Seibutis told BasketNews. "I'm thankful to everybody who surrounded me through this journey. Starting with my parents, coaches, teammates, and the clubs I've played, doctors, physiotherapists, fans. I'm so thankful for all these fans. I received a lot of support from them during the most challenging moments. That also helped me to get through it. But most importantly, I'm so thankful for my family, my wife, and my kids. It wasn't easy for them to deal with me getting through this. But their belief, strength, and support were so important to me.

I'm thankful for the game of basketball. I'm so happy I fell in love with it. One more time, I want to thank you all."

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