Kęstutis Kemzūra took the coaching reins of BC Wolves on Tuesday, March 28, replacing Olympic champion Rimas Kurtinaitis.
Experienced Kurtinaitis guided Alytus team to a 16-8 record at the Betsafe LKL and a maiden Final Four at the ENBL.
The Wolves currently occupy the third place in LKL standings just behind Žalgiris Kaunas (20-4) and Rytas Vilnius (19-5).
Kęstutis Kemzūra was born on April 20, 1970.
He played as a point guard for Atletas Kaunas (1992-1996), Šilute (1996-1998), Lietuvos Rytas (1998-1999), Kalnapilis Panevežys (1999-2002) and Swans Gmunden (2000-2001).
Kemzūra is in his 22nd season in coaching business.
He was an assistant of legendary David Blatt at Dynamo Saint Petersburg (2004-2005), Benetton Treviso (2005-2007), Darussafaka (2016-2018) and Olympiacos (2018-2019).
Kemzūra also was an assistant to Jonas Kazlauskas at Lietuvos Rytas (2002-2004).
Vilnius team won the NEBL – a league founded by Šarūnas Marčiuļionis – in 2002, and reached the final in 2003.
Rimantas Kaukenas played for Rytas in 2001-2002 but signed with Oostende after.
Kemzūra took the coaching reins of Latvia National team in 2008-2009.
The next year he took an even bigger challenge and led Lithuania to the bronze medal finish at the 2010 FIBA World Championship – after receiving a wild card on December 12, 2009.
Lithuania hosted a 2011 EuroBasket but suffered a heartbreak loss in the quarterfinals against North Macedonia to finish in the fifth place.
Kemzūra remained at the helm of the National team.
The Lithuanians won the Olympic Qualifying tournament in July 2012 in Caracas, Venezuela but didn`t made the Olympic semifinals for the first time.
Kemzūra was replaced by his former boss Jonas Kazlauskas.
He returned to the National team nine years later to help Kazys Maksvytis.
BM Stal Ostrow and King Szczecin add new players
The transfer window in the Energa Basket Liga was closed on Monday, March 27.
King Szczecin signed Alex Hamilton from Utenas Juventus.
A former Louisiana Tech guard (2012-2016) went undrafted but played for the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Summer league.
Hamilton signed a training camp contract but was waived on September 30.
His European stops include Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Galatasaray Istanbul, Telekom Baskets Bonn and Hapoel Eilat at the Red Sea.
BM Stal Ostrow signed shooting guard Michał Michalak and Croatian-Bosnian big man Markus Loncar.
Michalak has played for Trefl Sopot (2012-2015) and Anwil Wloclawek (2018-2019).
Markus Loncar returns to Ostrow Wielkopolski as he already briefly played there last year.
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