Rīgas Zeļļi

Lore & Background

News of the planned team emerged in April 2023, with Kristaps Janičenoks supporting its inclusion in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. The club was privately financed, with sponsors including Riga Technical University, Betsafe, Sportland, Dienas Bizness, Sporta Avīze, and Cēsu pilsētas sporta skola. On July 13, 2023, the team was officially announced, with Edgars Buļs as president and Artūrs Šēnhofs as general manager, both former hosts of the basketball show 'Ūdenszeļļi'.

The club played its first official game on September 30, 2023, defeating Keila Coolbet at Arena Riga. Its first foreign player was Georgian forward George Natsvlishvili, later joined by American point guard Nigel Johnson and Canadian shooting guard Isiah Osborne. In a marketing campaign, two-time European beach volleyball silver medalist Aleksandrs Samoilovs played one game, scoring two points. The team also signed Latvian national team center Mārtiņš Meiers and Australian center Jordan Hunter.

Reader's Guide

Rīgas Zeļļi represents a modern, fan-engaged approach to professional basketball in Latvia. Founded in 2023, the club quickly established itself in multiple leagues, including the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League and EuroCup. Its innovative model—offering membership through donations and a mobile app for fan communication—set it apart as one of the most innovative sports organizations in Latvia. The team achieved notable success early on, becoming runners-up in the Latvian League and Latvian Cup in 2024, and earning bronze in the Latvian League in 2025 and 2026. The club's ambition to grow on the European stage was underscored by its participation in the European North Basketball League starting in 2025 and the construction of a new 3,000-seat home arena, Komandu Sporta Spēļu Halle. With a budget reaching up to €1 million, the highest in its history, Rīgas Zeļļi continues to develop its roster and front office, as seen when front office member Reinis Lacis joined the Philadelphia 76ers as a scout in October 2025.

Did You Know?

• The club was founded in the summer of 2023 and played its first official game on September 30, 2023, beating Keila Coolbet.
• Andris Biedriņš, the first Latvian NBA draft pick, joined the club as its ambassador on September 19, 2023.
• Two-time European beach volleyball silver medalist Aleksandrs Samoilovs played one game for the team in a marketing campaign, scoring two points.
• The team currently plays home games at Arena Riga and other venues; the Komandu Sporta Spēļu Halle is a planned project not yet built and not confirmed for the 2025–26 season.

A New Name in Riga's Basketball Landscape

In April 2023, whispers of a new basketball venture in Riga began circulating, with Kristaps Janičenoks publicly backing the idea of a new entrant in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League. By July 13, the project crystallized: Rīgas Zeļļi was officially announced as a competitor in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, the domestic Latvian Basketball League, and the Latvian Basketball Cup. The club was structured as a privately financed operation, backed by sponsors including Riga Technical University, Betsafe, Sportland, Dienas Bizness, Sporta Avīze, and Cēsu pilsētas sporta skola. Edgars Buļs, a sports manager, was named president, while Artūrs Šēnhofs, a former player, took the general manager role. Notably, the two had previously co-hosted a basketball television show called Ūdenszeļļi. The club positioned itself as Latvia's most innovative sports organization, offering fans a membership model where financial contributions granted a voice in team decisions, and it launched a dedicated mobile app to facilitate communication between supporters and management.

Forging a Roster in the Debut Campaign

The Zeļļi's first official match came on September 30, 2023, when they defeated Keila Coolbet at Arena Riga. Building the squad was an evolving process. Georgian forward George Natsvlishvili became the first foreign signing, followed by American point guard Nigel Johnson after the season had already begun. Johnson was later replaced by Canadian shooting guard Isiah Osborne. The club also made headlines by signing Andris Biedriņš, the first Latvian basketball player ever drafted into the NBA, as a team ambassador in September 2023. In a lighthearted marketing stunt, two-time European beach volleyball silver medalist Aleksandrs Samoilovs was announced as a player in January 2024; he appeared in just one game, scoring two points against KK Viimsi. As the season progressed, the Zeļļi added Latvian national team center Mārtiņš Meiers on February 29, 2024, and ten days later brought in Australian center Jordan Hunter to bolster their frontcourt.

A Record Built on Consistent Contention

For a franchise that did not exist until mid-2023, the Zeļļi have established themselves as perennial contenders in Latvian basketball. In their debut 2023–24 campaign, the team finished as runners-up in both the Latvian League and the Latvian Basketball Cup, a remarkable showing for a first-year club. The following season saw them capture bronze medals in the domestic league, a result they repeated in the 2025–26 campaign. On the cross-border stage, the Zeļļi reached the final of the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League in 2025, finishing as runners-up. Their coaching lineage reflects both continuity and evolution: Juris Umbraško guided the team from its 2023 inception through 2026, after which Dāvis Čoders briefly took the helm before Rokas Kondratavicius assumed the role for the 2026 season onward. The club's steady climb from a brand-new entity to a consistent medalist underscores the effectiveness of its foundational structure and roster-building strategy.

Looking Toward the European Stage

The Zeļļi's ambitions extend well beyond domestic competition. In August 2025, the club officially confirmed its entry into the European North Basketball League for the upcoming season, a move president Edgars Buļs framed as essential for guaranteeing a consistent schedule that supports player development and fan engagement. The 2025–26 season also marks a physical upgrade: the team will call the newly constructed Komandu Sporta Spēļu Halle, a 3,000-seat venue in Riga, its home. Financially, the club announced a budget that could reach up to one million euros, the largest in its history. The organization's reach has also expanded internationally in unexpected ways: in October 2025, front office member Reinis Lacis was announced as joining the Philadelphia 76ers in a scouting capacity. These developments signal a club that views its early domestic success as a springboard rather than a ceiling, aiming to build a sustainable European presence while deepening its roots in Riga's sports culture.