Ignas Brazdeikis
A fierce, left-handed scorer with a Lithuanian heart, he blazed through college basketball before taking his relentless hustle to the professional stage.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Lithuanian-Canadian basketball player·Birthday: January 8·Generation Z
Biography
Ignas Brazdeikis earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors at Michigan with fearless drives and chest-thumping passion. Born in Lithuania and raised in Canada, he brought European physicality to the American college game. As a freshman, he became an immediate fan favorite. His NBA journey began as a second-round pick who carved out rotation minutes through sheer force of will. Now playing for Žalgiris Kaunas in his parents' homeland, he competes at the highest level of European basketball with the same trademark intensity. National pride and a non-stop motor fuel his game.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Ignas was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ignas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Ignas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2019 after a standout season with the Michigan Wolverines.
- Selected 47th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and has played for multiple NBA teams including the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic.
- Helped lead the Michigan Wolverines to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
- Plays for Žalgiris Kaunas, one of Europe's most storied basketball clubs, in the EuroLeague.
Did You Know?
He is a natural left-handed shooter.
He proudly wears the Lithuanian flag on his sneakers during games.
He moved from Lithuania to Canada with his family when he was a child.
His nickname, "Iggy," is prominently displayed on his custom basketball shoes.
“I play with a chip on my shoulder, for my family and for Lithuania.”
