Modestas Kancleris from Kaunis, Lithuania, brings a powerful sense of self-discovery off the basketball court. Playing forward, with a height of 6’9 for the Cal State University, Bakersfield’s basketball team, Kancleris aims to end the season with determination. 

“I hope to finish the season strong and to go big in the Big West Tournament,” Kancleris said. 

Kancleris’s hobbies outside the court include, playing FIFA, table tennis, and listening to a variety of music like rap and pop from Lithuania as well as America. 

His passion to play ball developed during his upbringing in Lithuania; a passion that came from childhood experiences that assisted him in his pursuit of love for the game. 

“Lithuania is a big basketball country and from day one, I started to play outside with friends. My big brother used to play basketball, who set everything up for me. From the beginning, I had love and passion for it,” he said. 

When it comes to mentors, there is a high level of influence that can transfer from player to player. However, the late legendary Kobe Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers rises from Kancleris’s inspiration.  

“Kobe Bryant was the first one I looked up to and he was a big reason why I fell in love with basketball. At ten years old, I would wake up late at night to watch some of his games in Europe,” he said. 

The mindset of thriving under pressure like Kobe Bryant is a skill set that Kancleris hopes to develop in his career as a basketball player. 

With the season almost at an end, Kancleris prioritizes his time for family, teammates, and the National team. While determined to leave behind his own legacy for the next generation of players, his own philosophy of treating others transcends beyond the court. 

“In Lithuania we have a saying, ‘how you going to scream, that’s how they are going to answer,’ which means how you talk to people, that’s how they are going to answer,” he said. 

Concurrently, he wishes to pursue a career in professional basketball by utilizing his strengths such as athleticism and emotion for the game that can ultimately lead him to a sense of self-discovery.  

Kancleris says, “this season changed a lot, like in figuring out myself and it’s a process.” 

He brings forth an in-depth look towards his goals and mindset that will help the CSUB Roadrunners become more dominant in future games.