Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius has joined the EuroLeague's One Team program and, in collaboration with the Lithuanian Deaf Sports Committee, aims to increase interest in basketball among the deaf community, promote an active lifestyle, and enhance social inclusion and integration into society through basketball and esports.
This season's project, designed for youth aged 10–21 with hearing impairments, will occur in the basketball gym and a computer classroom.
"One Team is one of the EuroLeague's programs to engage specific social groups. This season, we will work with the Deaf Union to get to know them, understand them as individuals, involve them in the life of our basketball club, invite them to games, and jointly develop various projects not only related to basketball but also to esports," said Titas Servutas, project manager at Wolves Twinsbet.
Brothers Darjušas and Kšištofas Lavrinovič and "Wolves Twinsbet" guard Kristupas Žemaitis have agreed to serve as project ambassadors. They will regularly participate in basketball training sessions, share their experiences, and help the young participants improve their basketball skills. Other team players will also join the sessions from time to time.
Meanwhile, Edgaras Abromavičius, esports curator at Vytautas Magnus University, will discuss the importance of focus, discipline, and teamwork not only in esports or on the basketball court but in all areas of life during lectures held while playing one of the world's most popular game NBA2K25.
"Any project that benefits the deaf community, especially in sports, is highly valuable. These initiatives are truly important—they promote inclusion, inspire children to participate in sports, and motivate them. Kids gain so much from working with well-known basketball players. It lifts their spirits, energizes them, and encourages them to strive for greater heights," said Edvinas Kriūnas, President of the Lithuanian Deaf Sports Committee, highlighting the significance of the project.
During the first training session, the young participants had the opportunity to meet the Lavrinovič brothers, engage in various games designed to develop basketball skills, speed, and reaction, and then compete on the basketball court.
"It was an incredible experience. We didn’t expect that even though the kids are deaf, they understand basketball so well, which clearly reflects the coaches’ hard work. Honestly, we learned more from the kids than we managed to teach them. We wanted to feel and see firsthand what this project is about. Our goal is not for this to be a one-off event—we want to dedicate effort, heart, love, lessons, and our own experiences to these kids. When we played a 5-on-5 game during the session, you could see how united they are, celebrating not just their own success but each other's too. The 'One Team' project isn’t new to us, as it aligns with our own mindset and values—to unite, work together, and share the best of what we have," shared project ambassadors Darjušas and Kšištofas Lavrinovič after the first session.
The "One Team" program is designed to ensure that every child, regardless of ability or disability, feels included and valued. Through team games and collaborative exercises, the children learn to work together, trust each other, and form friendships. This helps reduce the social exclusion they may experience due to their disability.
This program is a social responsibility initiative launched by the EuroLeague in 2012. Its goal is to support communities and address social issues through basketball. The program is unique in that it unites all EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, which develop and implement local projects aimed at solving community challenges.
(Photo by Elvis Žaldaris)