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Andrej Lemanis

Andrej Lemanis (Latvian: Andrejs Lēmanis, born 18 March 1969)[1] is a Latvian-Australian professional basketball coach and former player.[2] Lemanis served as the head coach of Australia national team from 2013 to 2019. Lemanis coached the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League from 2005 to 2013, taking them to three consecutive championship titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He was awarded the NBL Coach of the Year award in 2012 and 2013.[2] Lemanis was the head coach of the Brisbane Bullets of the NBL from 2016 to 2021.

Andrej Lemanis
Lemanis in 2014
Altiri Chiba
PositionHead coach
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born1969
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian / Latvian
Listed height196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Career information
Playing career1985–1993
PositionGuard
Coaching career1996–present
Career history
As player:
1985;
1991		St. Kilda Saints / Southern Melbourne Saints
1992–1993South East Melbourne Magic
As coach:
1996Geelong Supercats (assistant)
1998–2005Townsville Crocodiles (assistant)
2005–2013New Zealand Breakers
2016–2021Brisbane Bullets
2021–presentAltiri Chiba
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As head coach:

Playing career

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Lemanis played for several Victorian clubs in the National Basketball League (NBL). He played for the St. Kilda Saints in 1985 and returned to the team as the renamed Southern Melbourne Saints in 1991.[3] He played for the South East Melbourne Magic in 1992 and 1993,[3] winning an NBL championship with the Magic in 1992.[4][5]

Coaching career

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Lemanis started his coaching career as an assistant with the Geelong Supercats in 1996.[6] After the team folded, he served as general manager of Basketball Victoria for one year.[6] Lemanis was an assistant coach with the Townsville Crocodiles from 1998 to 2005.[7] In 2000, he coached the Townsville Heat to the Queensland Basketball League championship.[8] On 7 March 2005, Lemanis was announced as head coach of the New Zealand Breakers.[9]

On 28 February 2013, Lemanis coached his 250th NBL game.[10][11] On 12 April 2013, the Breakers recorded their third NBL championship, sweeping the Perth Wildcats 2–0 in the grand final series, thus winning his third title.

Prior to his appointment as the head coach of the Australian men's national basketball team, Lemanis served as an assistant coach of the Australian men's national basketball team.[12]

On 20 October 2015, Lemanis signed with Brisbane Bullets.[13] On 5 May 2021, Lemanis announced that he would be leaving the Bullets at the end of the 2020–21 season.[14]

Australia national team

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On 24 April 2013, he was announced as the new head coach of the Australia national team.[15][16][17]

By virtue of winning the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship, Australia qualified for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. Australia was drawn into Group D, alongside Lithuania, Slovenia, Angola, Mexico and South Korea. After suffering an opening round 90–80 loss to Slovenia, Australia bounced back, stringing together three consecutive wins over South Korea, Lithuania and Mexico, the first time in 16 years that Australia had won 3 consecutive matches at the FIBA World Cup.[18][19] However, in their next match Australia suffered a shock 91–83 loss to Angola, which came despite leading by 15 points in the middle of the third quarter. This result, combined with Lithuania's 67–64 win over Slovenia meant that Australia finished third in their group, qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament. Australia met Turkey in the knockout stage of the tournament, and lost 65–64 to Turkey, ending their World Cup campaign.

Lemanis led the Boomers to gold in the 2015 Oceania Championships, qualifying the team for Rio 2016.

In Rio, the Boomers, under Coach Lemanis went 4 and 1 in the pool games (losing only to Team USA), finishing second in their group. They played Lithuania in the quarter-final, beating them 80-64 leading Australia in to the medal rounds for the first time since 2000. Australia went on to lose the semi-final game to Serbia and then fell to Spain in the bronze medal game by a single point. This equalled Australia's highest ever finish at an Olympics for Men's Basketball.

In 2017, Lemanis was re-appointed as head coach of Australia, this time on a part time basis as he also coached the Brisbane Bullets in the Australian National Basketball League.

FIBA introduced a new World Cup Qualification system, meaning Australia would now need to qualify through the Asia/Oceania region. In 2017, the Boomers, under Lemanis, played in their first ever Asia Cup tournament. The team went undefeated through the tournament, beating Iran in the final, 79–56, taking home the gold medal for Australia.

Lemanis then led the team through the FIBA qualification system. Australia went 10–2 during the qualification phase, finishing first in their group and taking the number one ranking in to the 2019 FIBA World Cup draw.

In 2019, Lemanis again lead the Boomers at the World Cup in China. The team won all 3 games in the opening round and both games of the second round, meaning they qualified as the number one team from their section. Australia then went on to beat the Czech Republic 82–70 meaning that for the first time in their history Australia had won 6 straight games at a World Cup or Olympics tournament. The team lost in double overtime to eventual champions Spain in the semi-final and lost to France in the bronze medal game, meaning they finished fourth. Once again, equalling Australia's best ever finish at a Men's World Cup.

On 27 November 2019, Brett Brown replaced Lemanis as head coach of Australia national team.[20][21]

Lemanis is currently the winningest coach in Australian Men's Basketball history, going 35–9 (79.5%) in his tenure as head Coach of the Boomers. In major tournaments (Olympics and World Cup), Lemanis' record is 14–8 (64%).

When Lemanis was appointed as the Australian national coach in 2013, Australia had a FIBA ranking of 11. When he departed in November 2019, he had taken the country to a FIBA World ranking of 3 - its highest ever.

Lemanis was the first coach in the history of Australian basketball to have recorded a victory against the USA at senior level. The Boomers beat USA in a World Cup lead up game in Melbourne on August 25, 2019. The game was played at Marvel Stadium in front of 52,000 fans. The Boomers won the game, 98–94.

Personal life

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Lemanis was born in Melbourne to Latvian parents who had immigrated to Australia after the Soviet invasion of Latvia during World War II.[6] He was taught basketball by his father and started playing at the age of six.[6]

Lemanis graduated from the University of Melbourne with a commerce degree in 1990.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Find a certificated FIBA Coach". FIBA.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b Zālītis, Kristaps (9 October 2008). "Latviešu treneris - pie Austrālijas basketbola līgas līderu stūres". sportacentrs.com (in Latvian). Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Andrej Lemanis". Aussie Hoopla. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  4. ^ http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/australian-boomers-coach-andrej-lemanis-reveals-ambition-to-bring-back-rio-gold/news-story/df4556c7ba2dd674ce98a5fc20af6954 Andrej Lemanis Courier Mail Interview
  5. ^ "Andrej Lemanis: lines of communication". Sport New Zealand. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Coach with Latvian roots gives Breakers winning touch". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Helloworld Boomers coach announced for road to Tokyo". Basketball Australia. 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  8. ^ Heat Secure Future With Rodney Anderson Until 2020
  9. ^ "Basketball: Lemanis new coach of Breakers". NZ Herald. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  10. ^ Lemanis reaches 250 NBL games coaching milestone Archived 3 April 2013 at archive.today
  11. ^ R21 Report: Breakers swat 36ers in fast-paced clash Archived 1 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Aussie coach with NBA side, not Boomers". The Roar. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  13. ^ "NBL announces Andrej Lemanis as Brisbane Bullets head coach". NBL.com.au. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  14. ^ "Lemanis to Leave Bullets at Season's End". NBL.com.au. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  15. ^ Lemanis Leaves Skycity Breakers With Mixed Emotions Archived 25 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Andrej Lemanis confirmed as Boomers coach". Stuff. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  17. ^ Andrej Lemanis appointed new Australian Boomers Coach Archived 30 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Boomers dispatch Mexico at World Cup". Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Australia claim third straight win at Basketball World Cup against Mexico". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 3 September 2014. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  20. ^ "Australian Boomers Announce New Coach Ahead of Tokyo Olympics". australia.basketball. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  21. ^ Uluc, Olgun (27 November 2019). "Brett Brown confirmed as Australian Boomers head coach for Tokyo 2020, replacing Andrej Lemanis". Fox Sports. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
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