Meet Matas Buzelis’ Parents Aidas and Kristina – a Lithuanian Sporting Couple Who’ve Given Birth to 2024 NBA Draft Prospect

An NBA prospect coming out of the G-League Ignite Matas Buzelis surely knows how to turn some heads. The 6-foot-10 baller rose to national recognition when his participation in the Rising Stars games at Indianapolis at the NBA All-Star Weekend gave a glimpse of the immense potential he possesses. This has made many wonder what are the secrets behind his smooth and creative capabilities of handling the ball. Well, one of them is not hard to fetch given the fact that his DNA contains a wholesome amount of athleticism. As it turns out, both his father as well as his mother have had their fair share of time spent on the hardwood.

The basketball chronicle that revolves around Aidas Buzelis

Matas Buzelis’ father Aidas Buzelis is an eminent figure among the Lithuanian Basketball fraternity. Born in Kaunas on October 14, 1971, he too had a sports background while growing up just like his son. Seemingly, Aidas’ father Petras Buzelis established himself as a radio and TV sports commentator and editor. Whereas, his mother Elena Buzelienė was an eminent handball player.

He developed an interest in the sport and subsequently utilized his abilities by participating in the Lithuanian Professional Basketball League. His 6 year career spanning from 1993 to 1999 was spent in no less than 3 clubs. In the 1993-94 season, he chose to wear a Kaunas LSU-Atletas jersey. Then he decided to provide his services to Kauno Neco where Buzelis made quite a reputation for himself courtesy of the exceptional physical qualities he possessed.

The 192 cm tall athlete’s skill set which included excellent jumps and powerful shots made him a popular entity among his teammates. On top of that, despite the strong physical man he was, his composed attitude was instrumental in getting the team through crucial moments. Aidas then capped off his career in 1999 after spending his final two seasons with the Vilniaus Sakalai.

Before moving to the United States, Aidas was called upon to be a part of the Lithuanian national team as a massage therapist. After spending more than 10 years in this profession, the 53-year-old continued to be a renowned massage and manual therapist in the suburbs of Chicago.

Anyhow, Matas’ basketball traits show a little reflection from his mother as well.

The close connection of Matas Buzelis’ mother with basketball

Kristina Jankauskaitė made herself a fierce offensive player when she chose to pick up the basketball in her hands. As a child, she started off playing for the girls’ and youth national teams. After showing some promise over here, she quickly enrolled herself in the Institute of Physical Education for a year where she was also a member of their women’s basketball team.

Standing at 180 cm tall, Kristina soon became popular because she had an excellent throwing arm which compelled her coach to keep her more on the field than on the bench. Be that as it may, Matas Buzelis’s parents are not the only people who made a significant name for themselves in the sporting world.

What else does the biological family tree of Matas Buzelis have to offer?

There is a long trail of connections that Buzelis’ ancestors had with sports. One of his grandfathers Arvydas Jankauskas coached children at Biržai Sports School after spending his playing days at the Algirdas Linkevičius. Similarly, before becoming a commentator, Aidas’ father Petras was a 6x Lithuanian champion. In addition to this, he joined the Kaunas “Žalgiris” team at just 19 years of age and also captained USSR to 2 bronze medals.

In the meantime, his wife Elena Buzelienė came to be known as among the best Lithuanian handball players of all time. She went on to become a European Champions Cup champion on two occasions. Further, her brute strength and combative nature made her a worthy inclusion in the symbolic team of Lithuanian handball. Also, she won multiple times the Lithuanian champion and also represented the USSR on an international level.

Surely, the family history serves as a reminder of what a great lineage Matas Buzelis. Not only his parents but the generation that came before that can be termed as a great source of inspiration for him. Also, he is only one of a selected few athletes who have such a rich, grand, and illustrious sporting history. It will be worth a watch what kind of impression he leaves in the world of professional basketball. After all, fans would love to see what Matas Buzelis brings to the table in probably the toughest league in the world.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.