Stepas Butautas


Stepas Butautas was a Lithuanian professional basketball player and coach. He trained at the VSS Žalgiris, in Kaunas. He played with the senior men's Soviet Union national basketball team at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal. During the tournament, he played in all eight games.
He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991.

Playing career

Club playing career

Butautas started his career with Dinamo Kaunas in 1944. He then played with ASK Kaunas in 1945, before returning to Dinamo Kaunas in 1946. He then played with Žalgiris Kaunas, from 1947 to 1956.
With Zalgiris, he won the Soviet Union Premier League championship in 1947 and 1951. He also won 6 Lithuanian SSR championships.

National team playing career

Butautas was a member of the senior Soviet Union national basketball team, from 1947 to 1954. With the Soviet Union, he won gold medals at the 1947 EuroBasket, the 1951 EuroBasket, and the 1953 EuroBasket. He also won a silver medal at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games.

Coaching career

Clubs

After he retired from playing basketball, Butautas began a career working as a basketball coach. On the club level, he was the head coach of Politechnika Kaunas women's team, from 1960 to 1966. He was then the head coach of Žalgiris Kaunas, from 1975 to 1979.

Soviet Union women's national team

Butautas was the head coach of the senior Soviet Union women's national basketball team, from 1958 to 1964. He led them to gold medals at the 1959 FIBA World Championship for Women, and the 1964 FIBA World Championship for Women. He also won gold medals at the EuroBasket Women 1960, the EuroBasket Women 1962, and the EuroBasket Women 1964. He also won the silver medal at the EuroBasket Women 1958.

Cuban national team

Butautas was also the head coach of the senior Cuban national basketball team, from 1967 to 1968, and in 1970. He coached Cuba at the 1967 CentroBasket, the 1968 Summer Olympic Games, and at the 1970 FIBA World Championship.

Managerial career

Butautas was the department head of the Lithuanian State Institute of Physical Education, from 1978 to 1985. He was the President of the Lithuanian SSR Basketball Federation, from 1959 to 1961. He was also the Chairman of the Lithuanian SSR Basketball Coaches Commission, from 1980 to 1989.

Personal life

His son, Ramūnas Butautas, was the head coach of the senior men's Lithuanian national team.