LIMASSOL (Cyprus) - Rimas Kurtinaitis, Alex Mumbru and Vasileios Spanoulis have a chance to join a rare club at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
By leading their respective country to the title in Riga on September 14, they would become just the fourth individual to win FIBA Europe's flagship event as both a player and head coach - and first since 1987.
Kurtinaitis claimed the EuroBasket crown in 1985 and now is hoping to guide Lithuania to the title this summer. Mumbru helped Spain to the top in 2009 and now is coaching Germany. And Spanoulis was one of the heroes of Greece's 2005 glorious run and currently is aiming to get his country another trophy.
The first person to achieve the player and coach EuroBasket double was Feliksas Kriauciunas of Lithuania. In 1937, he was the player-coach for the title-winning team and then Kriauciunas was a player on the 1939 Lithuanian side to take the crown.
Panagiotis Giannakis became the first modern day individual to win separate EuroBaskets as both a player and coach, claiming the title with Greece in 1987 on the court before being in charge of the team in 2005.
Pranas Lubinas, aka Frank Lubin, also technically won a EuroBasket as coach and player, though he guided Lithuania to the 1939 championship as player-coach - with Kriauciunas on his team.
In total, there are six head coaches at EuroBasket 2025 who have appeared at the event as a player. The others are France's Frederic Fauthoux, Bosnia and Herzegovina playcaller Aziz Bekir and Gianmarco Pozzecco of Italy.
Rimas Kurtinaitis - Lithuania
Games played at EuroBasket: 20 EuroBasket scoring average: 11.3 PPG EuroBasket single-game high: 22 points
Kurtinaitis appeared in three EuroBaskets: winning the 1985 title and taking third in 1989 with Soviet Union and finishing second with Lithuania in 1995.
Alex Mumbru - Germany
Games played at EuroBasket: 27 EuroBasket scoring average: 4.0 PPG EuroBasket single-game high: 12 points
Mumbru also reached the EuroBasket podium three times with Spain: taking the top step in 2009, finishing second in 2007 and grabbing third place in 2013.
Vasileios Spanoulis - Greece
Games played at EuroBasket: 38 EuroBasket scoring average: 11.3 PPG EuroBasket single-game high: 24 points
Spanoulis helped Greece reach five EuroBaskets and achieved the ultimate honor in 2005. The star guard also took home a third place medal in 2009.
Frederic Fauthoux - France
Games played at EuroBasket: 16 EuroBasket scoring average: 5.8 PPG EuroBasket single-game high: 21 points
Fauthoux competed in two EuroBaskets and was part of the France side that finished third in 2005.
Aziz Bekir - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Games played at EuroBasket: 8 EuroBasket scoring average: 5.6 PPG EuroBasket single-game high: 9 points
Bekir, also known as Adis Beciragic, was a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina team at two EuroBaskets in 1997 and 1999, taking 15th place both times.
Gianmarco Pozzecco - Italy
Games played ta EuroBasket: 3 EuroBasket scoring average: 10.0 PPG EuroBasket single-game high: 14 points
Pozzecco's only EuroBasket apperance came in 2005 when Italy took ninth place. Though he did help Italy grab Olympic silver in 2004.
FIBA