Kaunas, Lithuania was home for 11 years before his mother brought the Irish international to Drogheda and then on to Tralee.

A winner of the Super League at 17 with Tralee, he then moved Stateside for university, returning for two seasons with the Warriors before being signed by Star in the summer of 2025.

The Belfast side have chalked up three impressive victories and, in the last two in particular, Buivydas has made his presence felt.

It led head coach Adrian Fulton to state: “Rap is a winner. He has helped give us a fresh look as well as being a high-level talent who can impact games in multiple ways.”

The 23-year-old’s velvet touch is undercoated by titanium, and he points back to his childhood in Kaunas when, he readily admits, basketball consumed him.

“Basketball is the national sport in Lithuania, so there’s a hoop on every corner, it’s huge, so I would say I was born into basketball,” said Buivydas.

“I was given my first mini-hoop when I was four and caused havoc with the neighbours in the apartments below us. They were always giving off!” he added ahead of Star’s double-header on the road against Killorglin and Tralee on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

“I was living and breathing basketball. Even when there was ice covering the court in the nearby park, I was out there with my friends.

“You had to be careful when you looked to pivot, you picked your moments when you saw a dry spot. The temperatures were like minus three, and I suppose that hardened you.

“You played hard against your friends, it made you tougher and gave you that mentality that whatever the circumstances, you could give your best.

Rapolas Buivydas says playing on an icy court in Lithuania has made him battle-hardened

“I loved my basketball, it was non-stop. It was funny when I came here because in the underage games, they seemed to have this had this rule that the first quarter would have five and the second quarter would have the other five guys, and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ because I wasn’t in the first five, but then I got on and I don’t think I was ever on the bench gain.”

While his basketball easily took off with the St Brendan’s club in Tralee, Buivydas admits it was harder on a personal level when viewed as the outsider at school.

Buivydas said: “The hardest part for me was the language barrier. I didn’t speak English and I was just thrown in at the deep end, there was no real support, so I did suffer some bullying.

“It wasn’t a pleasant experience. I just had no idea what people were saying, there was just a very negative vibe.

There was a sense of community and that was huge for me, and we had a very good team from Under-14s through to Under-18s.

“I just had to live with it and I only got to learn the language through watching YouTube videos and I suppose just picking things up. Thankfully, I picked up English quite quickly.

“The guys at St Brendan’s were a great help and basketball helped me make friends. Fergal O’Sullivan and Darren O’Sullivan were the coaches and they were mentors for me as well.

“There was a sense of community and that was huge for me, and we had a very good team from Under-14s through to Under-18s. I was able to feel accepted because they pointed me in the right direction.”

Belfast Star’s Rapolas Buivydas dribbles the ball forward for Ireland during a clash with Norway

Having represented Ireland at the Under-16 European Championships, Buivydas continues to don the green shirt and now the blue of Star, which he believes was the right move at the right time.

“The main factor for me coming to Star was Adrian Fulton. When I heard he was coming back to coach Star, it was a no-brainer to join,” he said.

“I knew I was leaving Tralee because I felt that I needed a new challenge, and I knew Adrian from his time as one of the Ireland coaches. He’s probably the best coach in the country.

“Training has been very, very intense and insightful. It’s very detailed and your focus needs to be locked in 24-7.”

As for his return to Tralee on Sunday, he added: “I think it’s going to be interesting to see the reception I get


“I’m excited about this season, I feel we have the ability to beat anybody. It’s all down to us.”