Jonas Valanciunas surpasses Marc Gasol, cracks EuroBasket’s Top 4 rebounders

Aug 27, 2025 5:05 PM

Lithuania Jonas Valanciunas — Photo: FIBA

Lithuania’s Jonas Valanciunas has written another chapter in his illustrious career, climbing to fourth on the all-time FIBA EuroBasket rebounding charts on the opening day of the 2025 edition.

The 33-year-old center came into the tournament just eight rebounds shy of overtaking Spain’s Marc Gasol, who sat in fourth place with 307 boards. The player wasted no time, collecting nine rebounds in Lithuania’s 94-70 victory over Great Britain in Riga.

Alongside his work on the glass, the Lithuanian captain also scored a team-high 18 points, reminding fans of his all-around dominance.

After the game, Valanciunas was quick to downplay the personal achievement.

“If we don’t get the win, the individual records mean nothing,” he said. “But it’s nice to overtake Marc and hopefully I can keep climbing.”

Since making his EuroBasket debut in 2011, Valanciunas has been a consistent force inside, averaging 7.7 rebounds and 12 points per game before the start of this summer’s edition.

With Wednesday’s performance, his career tally now stands at 309 rebounds – just five behind France’s Boris Diaw, who sits third on the all-time list.

The leaderboard remains a testament to European basketball royalty: Pau Gasol leads with 475 rebounds, followed by Dirk Nowitzki at 364, Diaw at 314, and now Valanciunas at 309.

Marc Gasol (307), Andrei Kirilenko (284), Ioannis Bourousis (257), Felipe Reyes (252), Mirsad Türkcan (247), and Florent Piétrus (232) round out the top ten.

For Lithuania, the victory over Great Britain was more than a backdrop for Valanciunas’ milestone. The team looked sharp on both ends, using their size and experience to control the paint while forcing turnovers that led to easy transition points.

With Group B also featuring Germany, Montenegro, Sweden, and co-hosts Finland, the Lithuanians know they will need every ounce of Valanciunas’ leadership to push toward another deep run.

One thing is clear: with his rebounding record and commanding presence, Jonas Valanciunas has already secured his place among the greats of EuroBasket history – and he’s not finished climbing yet.