Lee Eckert wasn\u2019t sure if he should click on the link at first. He thought it might be a phishing email.<\/p>\n
Elizabethtown\u2019s boys basketball coach was being told about a tall kid from Latvia who wanted to move into the school district. Attached, allegedly, was his highlight tape.<\/p>\n
After realizing the player was legitimate, Eckert took a look. That\u2019s how he discovered Kristaps Eglitis.<\/p>\n
Eglitis played for E-town\u2019s varsity right away. The 6-4 junior started a few games, but mostly contributed as a role player off the bench.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a pleasure to have around,\u201d Eckert said. \u201cHe competes every day. He\u2019s the first one who listens. When we put in a bunch of new stuff, he picked it up like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eglitis had never been to the United States before he moved to E-town in August. His family has roots in the area and his aunt still lives there.<\/p>\n
What makes a 17-year-old leave everything he knows behind and move to the other side of the world? For Eglitis, it was the chance to be anything he wanted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s because of the opportunities in America,\u201d he said. \u201cNot just for school, but also in life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eglitis wants to attend college in the U.S. and hopes to become an entrepreneur or work in cinematography. Is there any better place to start a business or make movies?<\/p>\n
The move was scary at first. Eglitis left behind two younger brothers, whom he hasn\u2019t seen in person since the summer, and he was immersed in a world he had only experienced through a screen.<\/p>\n
Eglitis speaks English fluently, like many Latvians, which helped his adjustment. The junior also shares a name with NBA star Kristaps Porzingis and that served as a good ice breaker with his fellow teenagers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say the people are friendlier here,\u201d Eglitis said. \u201cThere were kids who asked me questions. I wasn\u2019t a familiar face, so they asked who I was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Basketball was another vehicle that helped Eglitis fit in with his classmates. It\u2019s the second-most popular sport in Latvia, behind ice hockey.<\/p>\n
Eglitis started to play when he was in elementary school. He was given what he described as a \u201ccheapie rubber ball\u201d for a Christmas present one year. The family didn\u2019t have a hoop yet, so he and his brothers dribbled around the house.<\/p>\n
Soon, Eglitis joined an organized team in his hometown of Liepaja, which he also shares with Porzingis.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur club is one of the biggest in the country,\u201d Eglitis said. \u201cUsually, at the club games there are a lot of people coming to watch the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Basketball helped Eglitis meet one of his best friends: Nick Johnson. The teammates drove to Spooky Nook during the offseason and ran drills together. It\u2019s usually just the two of them.<\/p>\n
Along the way, they realized they had other interests in common, such as rhythm and blues music. They learned about each other through those memorable 20-minute trips.<\/p>\n
Johnson was impressed with Eglitis\u2019 willingness to chase his dreams no matter where they take him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how he does it,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cStaying away from his family and all that is kinda crazy. I could never picture myself doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
How hoops are played in the U.S. was another culture shock for Eglitis. The game is different here. It\u2019s more physical. It\u2019s less patient.<\/p>\n
Eglitis was surprised when one of the players quickly fired up a shot during tryouts. Back home, there are always three or four passes before launching one toward the rim.<\/p>\n
\u201cWoah,\u201d he thought to himself, \u201cyou can do that here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Eglitis has spent the past six months trying to polish his game, from practices at Daubert Gym to those workouts at the Nook.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s easily the hardest worker on the team,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThere\u2019s no one close.\u201d<\/p>\n
E-town finished 11-11 and stayed in the race for a playoff spot out of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two until the next-to-last game.<\/p>\n
Eckert believes his team can contend again next season with much of this year\u2019s rotation returning. Eglitis will be here to help the cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a two-year journey,\u201d Eckert said. \u201cHe\u2019s contributed. He rebounds, he screens well, he probably cuts the best of anybody on our team. Everything else will come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eglitis, who will turn 18 in May, is happy he took a leap of faith and tried life in the U.S. He has seen first-hand a country he only imagined through his favorite movies.<\/p>\n
Basketball has been fun. Lasting friendships have been made.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m being the best version of myself I can be,\u201d Eglitis said. \u201cMoving here was a hard decision. That toughness has made me mature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eglitis heard this was the land of opportunity. He decided to find out for himself.<\/p>\n
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