One of the toughest questions before the competition was the venue to host the games of the Third European Basketball Championship. The First European Championship was held in a converted exhibitions hall, while the second one in converted former factory premises. It was first suggested to organize the competition in an open-court with a hanging tarpaulin roof, which would provide shelter against the rain, in the then State Court (currently Darius and Girėnas Stadium). Although, nor the Lithuanian officials, nor the FIBA had found such solution suitable. Therefore, it was decided to build a completely new sports hall to host the basketball games. Anatolijus Rozenbliumas designed the new basketball hall with capacity of 11.000 people (3.500 seats). The construction works cost around 400.000 LTL. The Kaunas Sports Hall was built on time. Many laypeople helped with the construction. One of them, Donatas Banionis, remembers: "I remember the 1939 European Championship in Kaunas. The Kaunas Sports Hall was built that year. On the eve of the tournament I learned from friends that they need help to number the benches. People were promised that they could attend the games for free. This, for us – boys, was a staggering thing. The cheapest ticket to attend all games cost 10 LTL, so I accurately numbered the benches with dye".[1]
Opening and closing ceremonies
EuroBasket 1939 opening ceremony, Lithuanian President Antanas Smetona is standing and holding papers in a tribune
The opening ceremony of the EuroBasket 1939 took place on 21 May 1939. Independent Lithuania sports historian, Jonas Narbutas, wrote: "The interest in the competition, of course, was huge. But still it was hardly imaginable that an event that big could attract such masses. It seemed that the whole Kaunas flooded the National Stadium. Tides of people attended the Vytautas hill: by foot, by driving. Generations of times swam into the hall: near the gray-headed there was his aging son with his children, small and big swam, of all ages and castes. The hall possibly sheltered 10.000 of people. It is doubtful that more could fit there. It was possible to sell 20.000 tickets to the opening and the closing ceremonies".[2] The opening ceremony was started by the Lithuanian president Antanas Smetona speech.
At first, after sending the invitations, 17 countries wished to compete. Even the basketball newcomers Great Britain, Turkey, and Germany planned to participate in it. Because of this, one of the issued postage stamp had flags of 17 countries.[3] Though, when Kaunas was waiting for the guests from all the European countries, World War II phantom was already wandering in Europe. That changed things, with some of the 17 planned countries no longer interested in participating in the tournament.
Eight teams arrived. Despite that, all the strongest teams of the EuroBasket 1937 participated (Lithuania, Italy, France). The championship prestige was also raised with the very capable Baltic teams participation (Latvia, Estonia). Most of the teams arrived at Kaunas firmly strengthened: Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Italy national teams had emigrants, who finished studies in the United States of America.
Everyone was thrilled with the question: will tall (unlimited) height players participation be allowed? At that time FIBA had a rule which distributed players into two groups: lower than 190cm (6ft 3in) and taller than 190cm. Though, this rule never was used practically. Two teams had players taller than190 cm: Estonia (Ralf Viksten; 198cm, 6ft6in) and Lithuania (Pranas Lubinas; 200or201cm, 6ft7in). Just one day before the competition, FIBA Technical Committee reached a decision allowing players of all heights to compete.[4]
Lithuania men's national basketball team during the closing ceremony of the EuroBasket 1939
Lithuania's President Antanas Smetona presidential gift to the champions (a chest)
Results
The 1939 competition was in a very simple format. Each team played each of the other teams once. A win was worth 2 standings points, a loss worth 1. The rankings were based on those standing points. Ties were broken by head-to-head results. The winning team was Lithuania. In retrospect, the most important match was Lithuania vs Latvia in the first round. Lithuania won by 1 point, and this was the eventual winning margin of the championship. Relations between the two nations soured to such an extent that it led to the cancellation of the subsequent 1939 Baltic Cup football tournament.
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Lithuania (2nd title)
Latvia 
Poland 
France 
Heino Veskila 
