The Icelandic and Lithuanian national basketball teams are set to meet for the third time in their history, with previous matchups dating back to 1999 during EuroBasket qualifying rounds.
In those earlier contests, Lithuania secured victories both in Vilnius (96-71) and Reykjavik (94-48). These games predate the career of Tryggvi Hlinason, a current standout player for the Icelandic team.
Hlinason, born in 1997, was too young to participate in those 1999 matches. Even as he grew older, basketball didn’t immediately become his primary focus. However, he has since risen to prominence, being named Iceland’s Male Basketball Player of the Year in both 2024 and 2025.
The 7’1” (216 cm) center was the sixth-most efficient player at the 2025 EuroBasket tournament (with a 23.8 efficiency rating) and the only player in the top 10 not currently playing in the NBA. This is particularly notable given that he began formal basketball training at the age of 16.
Hlinason’s upbringing was deeply rooted in rural Iceland. He grew up on the Svartárkot farm, a sheep facility home to just 11 people, located 5.6 miles (9 kilometers) from the nearest neighbors and over an hour’s drive from the closest grocery store. This unique environment shaped his early life before his basketball career took off.
His days were filled with the responsibilities of farm life, including tending to sheep, shearing wool, harvesting hay, and operating a snowmobile. “I grew up in a farming community that consisted of only a few people,” Hlinason said. “I went to a school with only 50 children, from ages 5 to 15. We would play basketball once a month when the physical education teacher decided to.”
At age 16, in 2013, Hlinason’s parents sent him to a secondary school in Akureyri, a town of 18,000 residents, to pursue training as an electrician – a skill intended to support the farm’s operations. This move marked a turning point in his life.
Just 40 months after beginning team basketball training, Hlinason signed a contract with Valencia, and a year later, he participated in the NBA Summer League and declared for the NBA draft. This rapid ascent highlights his dedication and talent.
“When I moved to study in Akureyri,”
