Can a professional athlete join a club while concealing a past injury, be unable to compete at full capacity, and still demand the full salary stipulated in the contract? The Basketball Arbitral Tribunal (BAT), based in Switzerland, provided a precedent-setting answer to this question. On July 21, 2026, the international basketball arbitration tribunal completely dismissed a claim of more than 50,000 against the Jonava basketball club, which plays in the LKL , recognizing that the club had lawfully terminated the contract after it became clear that the player had concealed a knee injury he had sustained prior to his arrival.
What’s more, the arbitration panel ordered the player himself to cover not only all arbitration costs but also to reimburse the club for its legal expenses. This ruling may be significant in resolving similar professional sports disputes in the future. The Jonava Sports Club was represented in this dispute by attorneys Eimantas Čepas and Egidijus Langys of the law firm AVOCAD.
The injury became apparent after arriving in Lithuania
The dispute arose after the Jonava club signed a one-season contract with the American basketball player in the summer of 2025. Shortly after arriving in Lithuania, the player began complaining of knee pain. An MRI scan conducted at the club’s initiative revealed that the injury was not new—chronic knee damage dating back several months was detected.
An independent forensic medical expert’s report, commissioned by the club, confirmed that the injury had been sustained well before the contract was signed and before the player arrived in Lithuania. The expert also stated that, given the nature of the injury, the athlete could not have failed to feel pain, swelling, and knee instability, and therefore must have been aware of his condition. This conclusion became one of the most important pieces of evidence in the case.
Nevertheless, the player demanded that the club pay him the full salary stipulated in the contract for the season—45,000 U.S. dollars plus interest—claiming that the contract had been terminated without just cause.
The arbitration tribunal dismissed all claims
After several months of proceedings, the BAT issued a ruling that was entirely in the club’s favor—it rejected all of the player’s claims. Furthermore, the arbitration panel ruled that the claimant must bear all costs of the arbitration proceedings. He was also ordered to reimburse the Jonava club for the legal expenses it incurred.
Eimantas Čepas, an attorney at AVOCAD who led the club’s defense in arbitration, says that this case is significant not only because of its financial value. “In international sports law, clubs often find themselves in a weaker position when disputes arise over professional athletes’ contracts. In this case, we were able to prove a fundamental principle—a professional athlete must also act in good faith and may not conceal circumstances that are of decisive importance to the conclusion of the contract. “A professional athlete’s dishonest conduct may result in the athlete losing the right to rely solely on the formal provisions of the contract in the event of a dispute. This is an important message for the entire professional sports sector,” the attorney notes.
According to Egidijus Langis, managing partner at AVOCAD and attorney-at-law, this case is significant for the broader practice of sports law. “This victory demonstrates that meticulously gathered medical evidence, a professionally formulated legal position, and consistent procedural work make it possible to successfully defend the interests of Lithuanian clubs even in the highest-level international arbitration. It is likely that this case will be cited in the future as one of the most important precedents in assessing players’ obligation to disclose information about their health status,” he emphasizes.
Karolis Vaškevičius, head of the Jonava basketball club, which plays inthe LKL, emphasizes that this decision has far greater significance for the club than just the financial outcome. “We are sincerely grateful to the team of attorneys for their exceptional professionalism and principled defense of our interests. We believe this is a historic victory not only for the Jonava club but also for professional sports in Lithuania as a whole. The international arbitration tribunal has clearly confirmed that clubs have the right to expect honesty from professional athletes, and that concealing material facts is not permitted.”
This decision strengthens the legal protection of Lithuanian sports clubs in international disputes and sends a clear message to the professional sports community: fairness in contract negotiations is not a mere formality, but one of the most important rules of professional sports.