TWIN TOWERS
At over 6ft 10in tall, Darjus and Ksystof Lavrinovic are the biggest thing to ever hit British basketball ENGLISH OPEN JUDD HAS PASSION FOR NEW SNOOKER FASHION
THE Lavrinovic twins are the biggest things ever to hit British basketball.
And if they have their way, the 6ft10.5in Lithuanian superstars will soon have the Guinness Book of World Records prove it for them.
Ksystof and Darjus are two legendary players from the hoopsmad former Soviet state who are currently playing in the BBL for the London City Royals.
The 39-year-old brothers are even embroiled in a social media spat with the NBA’s Lopez brothers over who are the tallest twins on the planet.
And it all adds up to fun and entertainment for British fans who are seeing two of the greats of the European game wind down their careers in London.
Darjus said: “We love London, but we come from a village of 6,000 people. It just took us three hours to get from one side of London to the other. But we have travelled a lot in our careers, so it is not a problem.”
Darjus’s career has included spells with Euro giants, like CSKA, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce, while Ksystof has starred for mighty Lithuanian side Zalgiris and Italian greats Siena, among many others.
They have played in numerous Euro Championships, World Cups and Olympics for the Lithuanian national team (celebrating victory over Germany, above).
But back home, Ksystof is also well known for his celebrity marriage to former Miss Russia, supermodel Tatyana Sidorchuk. Ksystof joked: “My wife is more famous than me and my brother – and better looking! She was Miss Russia in 2004 and was in Miss World.
“But, more than anything, we love to play basketball so, when the Royals called, we didn’t have to think a lot about it.”
The Lavrinovics’s massive following means Lithuanian basketball nuts have flown in to watch them play in London, while Royals games are streamed back to their homeland.
And the Royals have certainly benefitted from their presence, winning all four early-season BBL Cup games ahead of Saturday’s trip to the Surrey Scorchers.
And while silverware with their new club remains high on their list of priorities, they have another title in their sights.
The passing of 7ft 3in American Mike Lanier last year means the title of the world’s tallest twins is up for grabs.
The Lavrinovics have staked a claim for that distinction, although NBA aces Brook and Robin Lopez are twins and listed as standing at 7ft. But the Milwaukee Bucks stars have so far refused to agree to a measure-off.
Darjus added: “We want to go to the US and measure ourselves against them. So, for now, we say we are the tallest twins in the world and, if they want to argue, we will even take the tape measure to them!” JUDD TRUMP said he would happily play in flipflops as snooker trialled a new casual dress code at the English Open.
The Juddernaut (left) is the reigning world champion after a first Crucible success. And the fashion-conscious 30-year-old gave a cautious thumbs-up to designer shirts and trousers.
Traditional waistcoats and dickie bows have been ditched for long-sleeved black shirts and dark trousers, to the horror of traditionalists like veteran Jimmy White (right).
Trump, who beat former world champion Peter Ebdon 4-0 at the K2 Centre in Crawley, said: “I’m fine about the clothes, it is nice to have a change in some events. I like a more relaxed dress code. I’d play in flipflops. But I like the idea of polo shirts as well.
“Sometimes dickie bows and other ties can get in the way of my cueing. You don’t want any impediment.”
Trump said world
vchampion status has enhanced his game.
“It’s easier for me to relax and play now since winning my first world title, “he said. You might only win one so you’ve got to really enjoy it while you can.
“And it is nice to be back in the UK after a long trip to China. The conditions tend to be better here.”