User:8obis/sandbox/LKL History

Creation and Žalgiris dominance
The Lithuanian Basketball Assosiation was founded in 1993, by eight of the strongest Lithuanian basketball clubs (Žalgiris Kaunas, Atletas Kaunas, Drobė Kaunas, Statyba Vilnius, Olimpas Plungė, BC Šilutė, Lietkabelis Panevėžys and Neptūnas Klaipėda) and representatives of the Šarūnas Marčiulionis basketball fund. The assosiation established the Lithuanian Basketball League. Before the start of the season Lavera Kaunas and NECA Kaunas joined the LKA and we're accepted to play in the LKL, the number of teams grew to 10 for the first season. The establishment of the LKL was celebrated at the Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, on September 26, 1993 with an All-Star game between Team Kaunas and Team Lithuania. . On October 1, 1993, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Atletas Kaunas hosted Neptūnas Klaipėda at the State Institute of Physical Education sports hall, ina game that was the first played in LKL history. During the early years clear favorites to win were Žalgiris, they won the first edition of the league against another Kaunas team Atletas.

Since the foundation, the league was dominated by Žalgiris that won the first six seasons. T

Following the 19 In 1999 Žalgiris, led by Tyus Edney became the first Lithuanian team to win the top European basketball competition, the Euroleague title.

Lietuvos rytas enters the game
In the 1999-2000 season Lietuvos rytas shocked defending Euroleague champions Žalgiris by ending their dominant run. That sparked most likely the biggest rivalry in Lithuanian sports, the competitiveness has brought over to politics and society between the two biggest cities in Lithuania.

In 2000–01 season the Greens got their revenge by beating Vilnius in the finals. In 2001–2002, Lietuvos rytas, led by Ramūnas Šiškauskas and Arvydas Macijauskas, once again defeated Žalgiris. However, during the next three seasons Žalgiris took control of the league and outplayed Lietuvos rytas (2003, 2004, 2005).

In 2006, Lietuvos rytas joined Žalgiris in the strongest European basketball competition, the Euroleague. That season the Reds, led by Robertas Javtokas, Simas Jasaitis and Fred House, beat Žalgiris 4–0. But from then on Žalgiris started winning once again – two titles in a row (2007, 2008). In 2008–2009 Lietuvos rytas won the league, beating Žalgiris 4–1. The winners were led by Chuck Eidson, Artūras Jomantas and Marijonas Petravičius. In 2009–10 season Vilnius claimed first back to back title, beating Žalgiris 4–3.

Modern era
2010–11 saw Kaunas reclaim the tile, beating Vilnius 4–1. 2011–12 season: Žalgiris was the winner again, which sweeping Rytas by 3–0. In the 2012-2013 season, a much more powerful Žalgiris easily dominated the league and Lietuvos Rytas, winning the series 4-0.

In the 2013-2014 season, Žalgiris, despite having reached the Euroleague Top 16 phase, struggled in the national league, finishing 4th in the regular season, while Lietuvos rytas finished 1st. That eventually lead to a semifinal between the two teams that played in the last 17 finals of the competition. After winning a dramatic series 2-1 in Vilnius, Žalgiris continued their run of having appeared in all of the finals since the league's foundation. Neptūnas would beat Tonybet in the second semifinal and appeared in their first LKL finals of club history. Even though Žalgiris saw their three-peat after winning the series 4-2, Neptūnas became the 3rd Lithuanian team to compete in the Euroleague next season. However that was the last time a B licence entry was given to a Lithuania club, as Euroleague officials decided that an A licence for Žalgiris would be enough.

The 2014-2015 season saw the introduction of the 'four wheel system', where all the teams have to play 40 games with no exceptions for teams competing in international competition like the past. This year Žalgiris was able to finished 1st, but not before a dramatic win against Lietuvos rytas in the last game of the season 82-81. "...there's no better advertisement for Lithuanian basketball than this match. The season is long, forty games, but everything is settled not only in the last game of the season, but in the last seconds of that game." Žalgiris continued to dominate in the playoffs sweeping rivals Lietuvos rytas once again in the final. Despite a familiar ending, the season was marked by the growing competitiveness of the league, Neptūnas joined Žalgiris and Lietuvos rytas as a powerhouse and this edition saw a couple of upsets and close games from teams such as Pieno žvaigždės and Juventus Utena.

Six 2015–16 LKL season teams will participate in the European tournaments: Žalgiris (Euroleague), Lietuvos rytas and Neptūnas (ULEB Eurocup), Juventus, Pieno žvaigždės, Šiauliai (FIBA Europe Cup). Lietkabelis, Vytautas and Nevėžis will compete in the Baltic Basketball League. Dzūkija is the only LKL club not participating in any European or regional tournaments.