LTU – Macijauskas dreams of return to national team

VILNIUS (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Arvydas Macijauskas is hoping to play for Lithuania once he is fit again after a long injury lay-off.

Macijauskas, who won gold at EuroBasket 2003, reached the 2004 Olympic Semi-Finals and also played at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, hasn't played for a year and a half although he has had some individual workouts of late.

“Bearing mind that I didn’t train for a long time – everything’s gone okay so far,” he said.

"We’ll have to see how I’ll look later on.

"I have some hopes about the national team.”

Macijauskas, 30, exploded onto the international scene seven years ago at the EuroBasket in Sweden when averaged 15.8 points per game to help Lithuania win the title.

After a successful spell in Spain with Tau Ceramica from 2003-05, his career hit a downward spiral.

Macijauskas went to the NBA and floundered on the bench of the New Orleans Hornets.

He returned to Europe to play for Olympiacos but was bitten by the injury bug.

Macijauskas has been linked with a return to Lithuanian giants Lietuvos Rytas, the side he played for from 1999-2003.

The national team is at the front of his thoughts, though it's going to be hard to make Kestutis Kemzura's squad after such a long lay-off.

“Yes, I do think about the summer," he said.

"I don’t know if I have enough time as I need more time with a personal trainer…”

“I’m doing everything step by step. I’m working out freely, as I’m not contracted to anyone.”

Lithuania will play in Group D at the FIBA World Championship and go up against Spain, France, Lebanon, New Zealand and Canada.

FIBA