Rimantas Kaukenas was born on April 11, 1977 in Vilnius, Lithuania. His role on the court is guard.
Although he was born in the Baltics, his basketball training is undeniably linked to the United States. Prattsburg Central High School and Seton Hall College are, in fact, the two fundamental multi-year experiences that built Kaukenas a solid technical-tactical package. He ends his senior year in the spring of 2000 with 13.2ppg.
Impressive, but not enough to get picked in the NBA draft. He’s instead chosen to wear #10 for the USBL’s New Jersey Shorecats. His numbers are, however, impressive enough to attract the attention of several European clubs. Kaukenas signs with Hapoel Galil Elyon for the 2000/2001 season, guaranteeing them 18.0ppg in the Saporta Cup (also participating in the Leumit A Israeli All Star Game) and gaining a ticket back to Vilnius to play for Lietuvos Rytas. During this 2001/2002 season “at home”, Kaukenas not only plays the starring role by winning the Lithuanian title and the NEBL (Northern European Basketball League), but also participates once again in the Saporta Cup (14.9ppg).
The summer of 2002 brings him to Ostend, Belgium to play for a team which he wins the National Supercoppa with, and which also gives him the opportunity to compete in the ULEB Cup. His average of 12.9ppg in the international competition is an appealing business card. It increases to 18.8ppg during the 2003/2004 ULEB Cup where Kaukenas plays for Germany’s Telekom Baskets Bonn and obtains a spot in Budnesliga’s All Star Game.
The 2004/2005 sport season finally leads the player to Italy. Wearing the Vertical Vision Cantù jersey, Rimantas Kaukenas has a strong season both in the championship and the ULEB Cup, and is called to play in the Tim All Star Game. In the summer of 2005, he signs with Montepaschi Siena, wearing its jersey until the end of the season 2008/2009. With the green-and-whites he wins three national titles (2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009), two Italian Supercoppa (2007, 2008) and one Italian Cup (2009). In the 2006/2007 season he earns the MVP title of the championship finals. In 2009/2010, leaves Siena to go to Real Madrid, but his absence lasts only one year because he comes back to wear green-and-white jersey in 2010/2011 season. That season, Montepaschi wins the Supercoppa, the Coppa Italia and National Title, in addition to participating in the 2011 Final Four in Barcelona (third place). The 2011/2012 season starts off with the win of the Italian Supercup
KAUKENAS AND THE NATIONALS – Called by the Lithuanian youth teams in the mid 90’s, Rimantas Kaukenas played in the Under 22 World Championship (1997) and the Under 22 European Championship (1998). He also took part in the 2001 and 2007 European Championships with the Lithuanian A National team (bronze medal) and in the Olympics games in 2008. In 2011, he’s back wearing his country’s (NT)jersey at the Europeans in Lithuania, and endsupthe European competition as one of thebest scorersof his group ,averaging 10.9 ppg.