Seton Hall alumnus Artūras Karnišovas will be presented with the Most Distinguished Alumnus award at the 2016 “Many Are One” Alumni Awards Gala on Fri., June 10. The Most Distinguished Alumnus Award is the most prestigious award given to Seton Hall graduates, recognizing those alumni who are outstanding leaders in their professional field. “I am incredibly honored and humbled,” Karnišovas told The Setonian. “I’m looking back on my time at Seton Hall and testing myself to see if I’m worth the honor. I’m thankful to all the people who helped me over the years and to the university for all they did to help me.” Karnišovas, a native of Lithuania, was a member of Seton Hall’s basketball team from 1990-1994. The Pirates made the NCAA Tournament in all four years that Karnišovas was on the team, making the Sweet Sixteen in 1992 and the Elite Eight in 1991. He also helped lead the Pirates to two Big East Conference Championships in 1991 and 1993. “Every year was highlighted by the NCAA tournament, and every year there were high expectations for us,” said Karnišovas. “I enjoyed winning the Big East Championships the most. It was your own conference with a lot of great players, like Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo, and Ray Allen. Winning the championship really made you feel great because you competed with those talented players.” After graduating in 1994, Karnišovas played for multiple teams overseas, including FC Barcelona. He also played for the Lithuanian National Team, winning consecutive bronze medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. After retiring in 2002, he worked in the NBA’s basketball operations office from 2003-2008 before becoming a scout for the Houston Rockets. Currently, Karnišovas is the assistant general manager for the Denver Nuggests, a position that he has held since 2013. When asked about how Seton Hall impacted his career, Karnišovas said that it gave him a great foundation with education. He learned a lot during his four years at the University that he was able to use later in his career. It also taught him how to be independent and how to manage his relationships. “I met my wife here, and I had my children baptized in the chapel on campus,” said Karnišovas. “It really is a second home for me.” Karnišovas will be one of fifteen other Seton Hall alumni members to be honored at the gala, an annual ceremony honoring those alumni members who have positively influenced the world. Matt Lapolla can be contacted by email at matthew.lapolla@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Lapollarbear.
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