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,BC Prienai - BK Ventspils : 69:91 (Match report) ScoresPro.com and losing the second, by a score of just 70:73,BK Ventspils - BC Prienai : 70:73 (Match report) ScoresPro.com 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 (14): 1998, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026 Bronze (6): 1996, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2020, 2024 Latvian Cup Runners-up (3): 2022, 2025, 2026 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 SeasonLeagueBaltic LeaguePos.European competitions1993–94 LBL7th1994–95 LBL6th1995–96 LBL3rd1996–97 LBL4th1997–98 LBL2nd 3 Korać Cup 1998–99 LBL2nd 2 Saporta Cup 1999–00 LBL1st 2 Saporta Cup 2000–01 LBL1st 4 North European Basketball League 2001–02 LBL1st 4 North European Basketball League 3rd2002–03 LBL1st 3 FIBA Champions' Cup 3rd2003–04 LBL1st 2 ULEB Cup 2004–05 LBL1st Elite Division4th 2 ULEB Cup QF2005–06 LBL1st Elite Division5th 2 ULEB Cup 2006–07 LBL2nd Elite Division3rd 2 ULEB Cup 2007–08 LBL3rd Elite Division6th 2 ULEB Cup 2008–09 LBL1st Elite Division7th 3 EuroChallenge 2009–10LBL3rdElite Division4th 1 Euroleague 2 Eurocup 2010–11 LBL2nd Elite Division4th 3 EuroChallenge QF2011–12LBL2ndElite Division6th 2 Eurocup 3 EuroChallenge QF2012–13 LBL2ndChampion 3 EuroChallenge 2013–14 LBL1stQuarterfinalist 3 EuroChallenge 2014–15 LBL2ndRunner-up 2 Eurocup 2015–16 LBL3rd 3 FIBA Europe Cup 2016–17 LBL2nd 3 Champions League 2017–18 LBL1st 3 Champions League 4 FIBA Europe Cup 2018–19 LBL2ndLat-Est BL1st 3 Champions League 4 FIBA Europe Cup 2019–20 LBL3rdLat-Est BL 3 Champions League 4 FIBA Europe Cup 2020–21 LBL2nd Lat-Est BL6th
Season League Regional Europe Latvian Cup Head coach 2024-25Latvian LeagueRunner-upLatvian–Estonian LeagueQuarterfinalsdo not participateLatvian CupRunner-upGints Fogels2025-26Latvian LeagueRunner-upLatvian–Estonian LeagueQuarterfinalsdo not participateLatvian CupRunner-upGints Fogels
Roster
Depth chart
Squad changes for the 2026–27 season
In
Out
* Left/joined the team during the season
Historical rosters 2025-26 season roster Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 C #24 Bryant Thomas #30 Ronalds Zaķis PF #31 Edvards Mežulis #52 Nikolajs Atanasovs SF #32 Amandas Urkis #10 Roberts Bērze #12 Kārlis Šķiliņš SG #2 Artūrs Ausējs (C) #0 Aaron Jonhson-Cash #44 Jānis Censonis PG #3 Cameron Shelton #7 Renārs Birkāns #23 Rihards Teirumnieks
2024-25 season roster Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2 Reserves C #30 Rolands Zaķis #31 Edvards Mežulis PF #11 Zachary Watson #13 Rūdis Donis SF #8 Tomas Lekūnas #10 Roberts Bērze #35 Mihail Miseailo #51 Kārlis Šķiliņš SG #5 Michael Randolph Jr. #2 Artūrs Ausējs (C) #15 Valters Vēveris #69 Roberts Prūsis PG #3 Perttu Blomgren #44 Jānis Censonis #7 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 Perttu Blomgren 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
Notable coaches
Armands Krauliņš Kārlis Muižnieks Agris Galvanovskis Guntis Endzels
Gundars Vētra Gašper Okorn Silvano Poropat Algirdas Brazys
Roberts Štelmahers Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis
References
External links Official Website Eurocup Team Page FIBA Europe Team Page Baltic League Team Page Latvian League Team Page Eurobasket.com Team Page