As a player, he was a member of the senior Soviet and Lithuanian national basketball teams and won a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

He is the only non-NBA player to ever participate at the NBA All-Star Weekend's Three-Point Contest, doing so in 1989, where he scored 9 points.

Kurtinaitis' former club teams as a player, include Žalgiris Kaunas, CSKA Moscow, and Real Madrid.

In December 2007, he became the head coach of the Polish League men's basketball team, Śląsk Wrocław.

After winning the championship at the Final-Eight tournament, in Turin (Torino), Italy, in a game against Khimki Moscow Region (final score 80–74).

[7][8] Kurtinaitis agreed to return to Lietuvos rytas on 10 February 2017, following the resignation of Tomas Pačėsas, from the club's head coaching position.