# BK Ventspils

BK Ventspils is a professional basketball club that is located in Ventspils, Latvia. The club competes in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League.

## History

BK Ventspils was founded in 1994. In first years Ventspils proved themselves as relevant part of Latvian basketball, but major step came in 1997 when Ventspils Olympic Center was built. At that time Ventspils started to play in international competitions playing in 1997–98 edition of FIBA Korać Cup, which was followed by playing in FIBA Saporta Cup. Meanwhile, in the Latvian League Ventspils reached finals in both 1998 and 1999, but in 2000 they won their first domestic title and then went on to win seven consecutive from 2000 to 2006. The team won its eight Latvian League championship in 2009.
During that championship run Ventspils also had great performances in European competitions. In the 2002–03 season Ventspils reached FIBA Champions Cup Final Four, where they finished third. In the 2003–04 season Ventspils debuted in the ULEB Cup competition, making eighthfinals. In the 2004–05 ULEB Cup season, Ventspils reached new heights and missed semifinals after, losing by one point in two game series against Hemofarm. Before the 2009–10 season, Ventspils participated in the EuroLeague Qualifying round, becoming the first Latvian team to do so.
Ventspils has been a team for many players to establish themselves on the European stage, such as Mire Chatman, Marijonas Petravičius, Jānis Blūms, Brent Wright, and others, who later had successful careers at the EuroLeague level.
In 2013, BK Ventspils became the first Latvian club to have won the Baltic Basketball League, after winning the first leg by a score of 69:91, and losing the second, by a score of just 70:73, in the finals against Prienai, from Lithuania. In the following season, BK Ventspils won their first Latvian League title since 2009, becoming the champions of the 2014 Latvian Basketball League campaign.

## Honours
### League

* Latvian-Estonian League
       Winners (1): 2019
* Latvian League:
       Winners (10): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2014, 2018
          Runners-up (12): 1998, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
             Bronze (6): 1996, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2020, 2024
* Latvian Cup
          Runners-up (1): 2022
* Baltic League
       Winners (1): 2013
          Runners-up (1): 2015
             Bronze (2): 2007, 2010
* North European Basketball League
             Bronze (1): 2002
* FIBA Europe Champions Cup
             Bronze (1): 2003

## Season by season

| Season | League | Pos. | Baltic League | Pos. | European competitions | European competitions |
| 1993–94 | LBL | 7th | | | | |
| 1994–95 | LBL | 6th | | | | |
| 1995–96 | LBL | 3rd | | | | |
| 1996–97 | LBL | 4th | | | | |
| 1997–98 | LBL | 2nd | | | 3 Korać Cup | R16 |
| 1998–99 | LBL | 2nd | | | 2 Saporta Cup | R16 |
| 1999–00 | LBL | 1st | | | 2 Saporta Cup | R32 |
| 2000–01 | LBL | 1st | | | | |
| 2001–02 | LBL | 1st | | | | |
| 2002–03 | LBL | 1st | | | 3 FIBA Champions' Cup | 3rd |
| 2003–04 | LBL | 1st | | | 2 ULEB Cup | T16 |
| 2004–05 | LBL | 1st | Elite Division | 4th | 2 ULEB Cup | QF |
| 2005–06 | LBL | 1st | Elite Division | 5th | 2 ULEB Cup | T16 |
| 2006–07 | LBL | 2nd | Elite Division | 3rd | 2 ULEB Cup | T16 |
| 2007–08 | LBL | 3rd | Elite Division | 6th | 2 ULEB Cup | T32 |
| 2008–09 | LBL | 1st | Elite Division | 7th | 3 EuroChallenge | RS |
| 2009–10 | LBL | 3rd | Elite Division | 4th | 1 Euroleague | QR1 |
| 2009–10 | LBL | 3rd | Elite Division | 4th | 2 Eurocup | RS |
| 2010–11 | LBL | 2nd | Elite Division | 4th | 3 EuroChallenge | QF |
| 2011–12 | LBL | 2nd | Elite Division | 6th | 2 Eurocup | QR |
| 2011–12 | LBL | 2nd | Elite Division | 6th | 3 EuroChallenge | QF |
| 2012–13 | LBL | 2nd | Champion | Champion | 3 EuroChallenge | L16 |
| 2013–14 | LBL | 1st | Quarterfinalist | Quarterfinalist | 3 EuroChallenge | L16 |
| 2014–15 | LBL | 2nd | Runner-up | Runner-up | 2 Eurocup | RS |
| 2015–16 | LBL | 3rd | | | 3 FIBA Europe Cup | R16 |
| 2016–17 | LBL | 2nd | | | 3 Champions League | POQ |
| 2017–18 | LBL | 1st | | | 3 Champions League | RS |
| 2017–18 | LBL | 1st | | | 4 FIBA Europe Cup | R16 |
| 2018–19 | LBL | 2nd | Lat-Est BL | 1st | 3 Champions League | RS |
| 2018–19 | LBL | 2nd | Lat-Est BL | 1st | 4 FIBA Europe Cup | R16 |
| 2019–20 | LBL | 3rd | Lat-Est BL | | 3 Champions League | QR2 |
| 2019–20 | LBL | 3rd | Lat-Est BL | | 4 FIBA Europe Cup | RS |
| 2020–21 | LBL | 2nd | Lat-Est BL | 6th |

## Roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

### Depth chart

| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 |
| C | Ronalds Zaķis | Edvards Mežulis | |
| PF | Zac Watson | Rūdis Donis | |
| SF | Roberts Bērze | Mihail Miseailo | |
| SG | Artūrs Ausējs | Valters Vēveris | |
| PG | Michael Randolph Jr | Jānis Censonis | Renārs Birkāns |

## Notable players

* Rihards Lomažs
* Artis Ate
* Ainars Bagatskis
* Dairis Bertāns
* Artūrs Bērziņš
* Jānis Blūms
* Sandis Buškevics
* Kaspars Cipruss
* Raitis Grafs
* Māris Gulbis
* Uvis Helmanis
* Kristaps Janičenoks
* Mareks Jurevičus
* Ernests Kalve
* Rihards Kuksiks
* Toms Leimanis
* Mārtiņš Meiers
* Kārlis Muižnieks
* Ivars Timermanis
* Jānis Timma
* Mārtiņš Skirmants
* Artūrs Strēlnieks
* Jānis Strēlnieks
* Andrejs Šeļakovs
* Aigars Šķēle
* Armands Šķēle
* Žanis Peiners
* Juris Umbraško
* Raimonds Vaikulis
* Arnis Vecvagars
* Sandis Valters
* Ronalds Zaķis
* Uģis Viļums
* Aigars Vītols
* Akselis Vairogs
* Marijonas Petravičius
* Kęstutis Šeštokas
* Simas Buterlevičius
* Edgaras Želionis
* Vladimir Štimac
* Bojan Bakić
* Georgios Tsiakos
* Dušan Jelić
* Nikos Gkikas
* Akin Akingbala
* Weyinmi Efejuku
* Emmanuel Ubilla
* Mike Lenzly
* Rashad Anderson
* Jimmy Baxter
* Tyrone Brazelton
* Rasheed Brokenborough
* Dominez Burnett
* Folarin Campbell
* Tweety Carter
* Warren Carter
* Mire Chatman
* Willie Deane
* Daeshon Francis
* John Gilchrist
* Jerai Grant
* Steven Gray
* Blake Hamilton
* Brandon Hunter
* Ted Jeffries
* Michael-Hakim Jordan
* Justin Love
* Bernard King
* Willie Kemp
* Chester Mason
* Dan McClintock
* Gerry McNamara
* Eddie Shannon
* Casey Shaw
* Jamaal Tatum
* Terrance Thomas
* Lorenzo Williams
* Brent Wright
* Jahmar Young