BC Juventus (), also known as Uniclub Casino Juventus for sponsorship reasons, is a Lithuanian professional basketball club based in Utena, Lithuania. Founded in 1999, the club currently plays in the Lithuanian Basketball League.
History
2000–2007: foundation and participation in RKL
Juventus basketball club was founded in 1999 and debuted in Naujametinis Utenos rajono Mero taurės turnyras (Utena's new year's mayor's cup tournament) and took third place. First team roster consisted of other sports players: football players and one handball player. First team captain, which also founded Juventus basketball team was football player Nerijus Kuzmickas (played in Kauno Inkaras team), now Šiauliai football academy, child and teenage coach. In the debut Juventus season also played: Egidijus Varnas (FK Ekranas), Tomas Keraitis, Tomas Karvelis and others.
In 2003–2004 season, Juventus basketball team was coached by Rimvydas Vaitkus. Juventus debuted in Lithuania basketball B league and in their debut season, BC Juventus took sixth place.
After year, in 2004–2005 season, Juventus basketball team was coached by Mindaugas Kildišius. Juventus basketball team first time in the club history won LKBL championship (same like RKL) and won right to participate in the LKAL championship (same like NKL). But because of various bureaucracy barriers, Juventus basketball team wasn't permitted to debut in the second-tier Lithuania basketball league.
During 2005–2006 season, BC Juventus took third place in RKL tournament. One season later, Juventus won RKL championship once again and in transition match to the NKL championship, BC Juventus won against Kauno LKKA-Atletas basketball team. But this wasn't the end for Juventus in the 2006–2007 season as BC Juventus went until third Lithuania basketball federation (LKF) stage and only there, after two unremitting matches lost to Klaipėdos Neptūnas. Same year, team coach Mindaugas Kildišius, was named the best RKL championship coach.
2007–2009: NKL
In 2007–2008 season Utena's basketball team debuted in the NKL championship and won regular season (25 wins and 7 losses), however in the final standings BC Juventus took only fourth place. In the end of 2007, Juventus guard Raimondas Ambrulaitis was named "Lithuania basketball discovery of the year", team coach Mindaugas Kildišius was named the best 2007–2008 NKL season coach.
One year later, Juventus basketball team won NKL regular season once again and participated in NKL championship semi-finals. In 2009, Juventus wasn't able to participate in the NKL finals, because of that team coach Mindaugas Kildišius retired from his position. Also because of that, Mindaugas Kildišius assistant Rolandas Urkis coached Juventus basketball team until the end of the season. On 15 June 2009 LKF decided to let Juventus basketball team participate in the Lithuania super basketball league LKL because of the commercial principles. For the permission to participate in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), Juventus basketball team had to pay 350 thousand LTL.
2009–present: LKL
On 20 August 2009 Gintaras Kručkauskas became main Juventus basketball team coach. The 2009–2010 Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) season was the most successful in the club history as Juventus basketball team took fourth place in the LKL championship.
On 7 July 2010 Robertas Giedraitis became main BC Juventus coach.
During 2010–2011 season, BC Juventus first time in the club history became Baltic Basketball League Challenge Cup champions. Also BC "Juventus" made a huge surprise as they eliminated 7-time LKL Bronze streaker Šiauliai in the first round of LKL playoffs (first game: 105:94, second game: 91:81). After eliminating Šiauliai in quarter-final, BC Juventus reached LKL semi finals and met Lithuania basketball powerhouse Žalgiris. On 27 April 2011 BC Juventus lost first game at Kaunas Sports Hall against Žalgiris with result 63–95, the second match took place on 29 April 2011 in Utena. Juventus lost the second game too and had to fight for LKL Bronze against Rūdupis. Juventus lost first Bronze game at Prienai with result 65–79, the second game was unsuccessful for Juventus too as they lost it in their home arena in Utena with result 73–98. The third game took place in Prienai, which Juventus team lost with result 83–84, because of that they lost Bronze series 0–3 against Rūdupis and took fourth place in the LKL championship that season.