Sarunas Jasikevicius (born March 5, 1976 in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, USSR) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. He is currently playing for Panathinaikos and he is a player of the Lithuanian national basketball team. He plays the point guard position.

Biography

Jasikevicius moved to the United States at a young age, playing high school basketball at Solanco High School in Quarryville, Pennsylvania and college basketball at the University of Maryland. Although he was moderately successful on that level, he was not selected in the 1998 NBA Draft and returned to Lithuania to play for Lietuvos Rytas for one season (1998-99). He spent 1999-2000 in Slovenia with Olimpija Ljubljana.Jasikevicius won a bronze medal for Lithuania in the 2000 Summer Olympics, when his team lost to the United States by just two points in the semifinals. The margin was the closest at the time since the U.S. started to use professionals, as Jasikevicius' last-second desperation three-pointer that could have won the game for Lithuania missed. Sarunas Jasikevicius moved to Spain and FC Barcelona, playing there from 2000 to 2003. He blossomed into one of the best players in Europe, winning the 2003 Euroleague. That same year, he led Lithuania to the European Basketball Championship, being named MVP in the process. Jasikevicius then moved to Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv, and promptly won the 2004 and 2005 Euroleague championship with them.In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Jasikevicius had an amazing performance against the United States, hitting seven three-pointers and scoring 28 points, leading Lithuania to a terrific win. Lithuania couldn't repeat its triumph, losing to the U.S. in the bronze medal game.After having great success in Europe, Jasikevicius finally decided to try his luck in the NBA, signing a three-year deal worth $12 million with the Indiana Pacers in July 2005. He became the latest of several natives to play in the NBA, among them Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis, Arvydas Macijauskas, and current players Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Martynas Andriuskevicius and Linas Kleiza.Jasikevicius also has a younger brother, Vytenis, who is currently playing for the Zalgiris Kaunas junior team and is a candidate of the Lithuania national basketball team. In 2006, Jasikevicius married Linor Abargil, Israeli winner of the 1998 Miss World beauty pageant, in Manlleu, near Barcelona. On January 17, 2007, he was acquired by the Golden State Warriors along with teammates Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and Josh Powell for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod. On September 20, 2007, the Golden State Warriors reached a contractual buyout agreement with Jasikevicius and placed him on waivers. On September 25, 2007,Panathinaikos announced the 2-year agreement with Jasikevicius.His contract (7 million US dollars for 2 years) and the total cost of the transfer made Jasikevicius move to Panathinaikos the most expensive athlete transfer in Greek sport history.

Honours and awards 

Club 

FC Barcelona
2 Spanish King's Cups championships: (2001, 2003)
2 Spanish ACB League championships: (2001, 2003)
1 Euroleague championship: (Euroleague 2002-03)
1 Triple Crown in Basketball championship: (2003)
Maccabi Tel Aviv
2 Israeli State Cup championships: (2004, 2005)
2 Israeli Premier League championships: (2004, 2005)
2 Euroleague championships: (Euroleague 2003-04, Euroleague 2004-05)
2 Triple Crown in Basketball championships: (2004, 2005)
Panathinaikos
1 Greek Cup championship: (2008)
1 Greek A1 League championship: (2008)

Country
2000 Olympic Basketball Tournament: bronze medal
2003 European Championship: gold medal
2007 European Championship: bronze medal

Individual
Spanish ACB League Finals MVP 2003
2003 European Championship MVP
Euroleague 2004-05 Final Four MVP
35 Greatest Euroleague Players 2008

Medal record
Competitor for Lithuania
Men's Basketball

Olympic Games
Bronze 2000--Sydney--->Lithuania

European Championships
Gold 2003--Sweden--->Lithuania
Bronze 2007--Spain--->Lithuania