VILNIUS (Lithuania) - They came, they saw, they conquered, and they returned home: Rytas Vilnius' 2025-26 season in the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, has already entered the history books.
The team coached by Giedrius Zibenas not only managed to lift the trophy for the first time in Badalona, but they have also become the first team from Lithuania to succeed at a BCL Final Four.
The way they won the BCL was absolutely crazy, so they thought they had to celebrate accordingly. Their Championship parade, throughout the streets of the Lithuanian capital, was outstanding.
Thousands of black, white, and red fans gathered to honor the winners, already acclaimed by more than 2,000 fans on the stands of Badalona's Palau Municipal d'Esports.
If that wasn't enough, a huge flag was put on top of the Vilnius TV Tower, one of the city's most iconic spots.
Those three colors were already all over the place along Badalona's streets, as the club's fans organized their walk towards the arena before the Semi-Final clash with La Laguna Tenerife.
They wouldn't have been completely satisfied if the same show hadn't been repeated back home, in Vilnius.
Party on the streets and on social media
The party for Rytas didn't spread only on the streets of Vilnius, but on several social media platforms too.
Congratulations came from all over Europe, with teams participating in Season X sending their flowers. Opponents like ALBA BERLIN, Unicaja, Pallacanestro Trieste, and many others celebrated Rytas' success.
Boca Juniors, who beat Sesi Franca to stand on top in the 2025-26 Basketball Champions League Americas, wished their congratulations and said "see you soon," eyeing the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2026.
At the same time, several players who have represented the black-white-and-red colors, such as Justin Gorham, Javin DeLaurier, and Steven Enoch, showed love for Rytas following their triumph in Badalona.
RJ Cole, now with Venezia, showed up wearing a Rytas jersey before their LBA game against Derthona Basket.
Other iconic BCL figures praised the Lithuanian team's victory. It was the case of the 2016-17 BCL MVP Jordan Theodore, who has also played with AEK in the past.
Jordan McRae, who faced the BCL Champions in the Round of 16 with Hapoel Netanel Holon, scoring 19 points in one of the two clashes with Rytas, also showed his excitement.
Wow, what a comeback! Resilience was shown today.
After all, this was indeed a crazy comeback, with Rytas erasing a 20-point deficit to take down AEK.
It was the cherry on top of the cake at the end of an historic Season X in the BCL, which is now ready to come down from the main stage and open the curtains ahead of the 11th season in the competition.
For the first time since joining the league, Rytas will have to defend their crown with a whole city behind.