MIES (Switzerland) – Hands moving swiftly during a timeout, Nauris Miezis doesn\u2019t just call out plays. He signs them. The Latvian 3×3 star is an Olympic champion and a mainstay in both the FIBA 3×3 World Tour and his country’s national team. Miezis grew up with sign language as his first language, and what began as a childhood challenge has become a source of strength. It shaped a career that has inspired fans both inside and beyond basketball.<\/p>\n
Roots in Silence<\/p>\n
Miezis was born into a family where silence was never empty. His parents are deaf, and his sister is a swimmer who also grew up in a signing household. <\/p>\n
“The first language was sign language, the second one was my national language, Latvian,” he recalls. <\/p>\n
Learning to speak took extra effort, with the help of a speech therapist who guided him through words he had heard but never fully understood.<\/p>\n
That said, childhood wasn\u2019t always kind. <\/p>\n
“The biggest challenge was in school. I was bullied because my parents are deaf,” he says. “Sometimes I was ashamed to call them to school events, because I worried I\u2019d be bullied again. But it was only a small period of time. Later, I understood that it\u2019s normal. They\u2019re my parents, and I love them.”<\/p>\n
Finding His Game<\/p>\n
Sports were always in his blood. His mother played basketball, his father excelled in volleyball and track and field, and his sister took to the pool. <\/p>\n
“Everybody in my family was into sport, so it was just a matter of time for me,” he says. <\/p>\n
As a child, Miezis dabbled in football and five-on-five basketball before discovering 3×3 in Riga\u2019s Ghetto Games about 12 years ago.<\/p>\n
“I just joined with my friends in the summer tournaments, and then it grew. I got into the national team, and now I\u2019m professional,” he explains.<\/p>\n
Olympic Dream Realized<\/p>\n
For Miezis, basketball was always about love of the game. Then came the Olympics. <\/p>\n
“Before, I just played because I loved it,” he says. “When 3×3 became an Olympic sport, it was my dream to compete. To achieve that, and also to become an Olympic champion. It’s a big honor and a big achievement. I\u2019m proud of myself.”<\/p>\n
A Hero Beyond the Court<\/p>\n
To many, Miezis is more than just a gold medalist. He is a symbol for CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults) and the wider deaf community. However, he\u2019s quick to downplay the label. <\/p>\n
“I don\u2019t feel like a hero,” he explains. “I just live my life, care about my family, and play basketball. I\u2019m not the type to go public and say, \u2018Look at me.\u2019 That\u2019s not who I am.”<\/p>\n
Even so, his presence is undeniable. Yes, he hasn\u2019t met many deaf professional athletes, especially in a small country like Latvia. Still, his journey shows that barriers can be broken and that silence doesn\u2019t mean limitation.<\/p>\n
Still Elite<\/p>\n
In 2025, Miezis helped Latvia finish second at the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup. <\/p>\n
“Second place is a good result, but of course we always want to be champions,” he says. “Latvia is one of the top 3×3 teams in the world, and we\u2019re always competing at the highest level. Thanks to our coaches, federation and players, we\u2019re on the right path.”<\/p>\n
At the same time, he\u2019s thriving with Chongming in the World Tour. <\/p>\n
“This is my second year with Chongming, and I like everything about it — the place, the team, how they work, how they think,” he says. “Our goal is always the same: to be champions, no matter the competition.”<\/p>\n
Driving Force<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s one thing that defines Miezis, it\u2019s his deep desire to win. <\/p>\n
“Winning is what motivates me,” he says plainly. “Basketball gives me joy. I just hate to lose, and that\u2019s why winning is so important for me.”<\/p>\n
As for the future, Miezis isn\u2019t thinking too far ahead. <\/p>\n
“Now, my goal is just to play basketball. When I finish my career, then I\u2019ll think about what comes next,” he shares. “For now, the focus is only on the game.”<\/p>\n
From playground taunts to Olympic glory, Nauris Miezis\u2019s story is one of turning adversity into triumph. His hands were once a source of difference. Now, they are a symbol of power, communication, and pride. <\/p>\n
“Sport is cruel,” he reflects, “but at the same time, it can be beautiful.”<\/p>\n
And for Miezis, that beauty is in every win, every sign, and every step that inspires the next generation to believe that even in silence, one’s resilience can roar.<\/p>\n
FIBA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MIES (Switzerland) – Hands moving swiftly during a timeout, Nauris Miezis doesn\u2019t just call out plays. He signs…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":163698,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-163697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}