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Rīgas Zeļļi
Rīgas Zeļļi is Latvian professional basketball team that is based in Riga, Latvia. It was founded in the summer of 2023.[1] HistoryNews of the planned team began appearing in April 2023 with Kristaps Janičenoks voicing support for their inclusion in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League.[2] The team was intended as a privately financed club with key sponsors including Riga Technical University, Betsafe, Sportland, Dienas Bizness, Sporta Avīze, and Cēsu pilsētas sporta skola identified.[2] On July 13, 2023, it was announced that a new team named Rīgas Zeļļi will take part in Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, Latvian Basketball League and Latvian Basketball Cup. Its president is sports manager Edgars Buļs and former player Artūrs Šēnhofs is taking the role of a general manager. Previously, both worked together as hosts of a basketball show "Ūdenszeļļi" on television. Club offers everyone to become its member by donating money, in return having a word in teams' decisions. It has also created a mobile app for a team to communicate with teams' management. It presents itself as the most innovative sports organizations in Latvia.[3] On July 14, 2023, it was announced that the head coach of the team will be Juris Umbraško.[4] On September 19, Andris Biedriņš, the first Latvian basketball player ever drafted in the NBA, joined the club as its ambassador.[5] On September 30, 2023, Zeļļi played the first official game in a team's history beating Keila Coolbet in Arena Riga.[6] The first foreign player signed by Zeļļi was Georgian forward George Natsvlishvili.[7] After the start of debut season Rīgas Zeļļi signed an American point guard Nigel Johnson.[8] Later he was replaced by Canadian shooting guard Isiah Osborne.[9] On January 20, 2024, Rīgas Zeļļi announced that the team was joined by Aleksandrs Samoilovs, a two-time European silver medalist in Beach volleyball.[10] It was meant to be a marketing campaign and he actually played in only one game, scoring two points against KK Viimsi.[11] On February 29, 2024, Rīgas Zeļļi signed a long-standing center of the Latvian national team Mārtiņš Meiers until the end of the season.[12] 10 days later team also signed Australian center Jordan Hunter.[13] PlayersCurrent roster
Depth chart
Honours
Season by season
References
External links
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