Latvian national team point guard Leimanis returns to Spain from Iceland
Latvian basketball national team player Toms Leimanis has signed with Spanish LEB Oro club Ourense, returning to the league after a season in Iceland.
Toms Leimanis, a member of the Latvian national basketball team, will continue his career in Spain after joining Ourense, a club in the LEB Oro (Spanish second division). Leimanis is no stranger to this league, having previously played three seasons for Estudiantes, Obradoiro, and Valladolid.
The past season saw Leimanis start in Mexico, briefly play for VEF Rīga, and then move to Iceland in the second half. There, together with KR and fellow Latvians Linards Jaunzems and Rinalds Mālmanis, he won the Icelandic Cup. The team finished sixth in the regular season but lost in the quarterfinals. In 15 Icelandic league games, Leimanis averaged 16.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per game.
Ourense head coach Moncho López praised Leimanis's versatility: "He is a player who has demonstrated great adaptability throughout his career. Depending on the need, he has been both a scorer and a playmaker. His versatility is among the qualities we highly value." The coach also highlighted Leimanis's experience in the Spanish second division playoffs.
Leimanis has also played in Greece, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Mexico. For the Latvian national team this season, he appeared in two of four qualifying games, averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 assists in 23.2 minutes with zero turnovers. This summer, Leimanis is again in the national team candidate pool.
Ourense has not played in the top Spanish league since 2001, and was in the third division four years ago. Since returning to the second division, the club has not finished in the top ten for four consecutive seasons.
