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For the first time, Rokas Jokubaitis, who was directly immersed in the NBA rookie event, waited in the circle of relatives, in what direction his career could turn in the future. The TV screen experience took longer than I personally expected, but excitement flared at the event at Barclays Center Arena as the second round of screaming began.
After announcing the first selections of the teams, the messages of the Lithuanian talent began to flash.
“The 34th convocation. Congratulations, great, ”Jokubaitis quoted the agent’s message when communicating with the BasketNews website.
Immediately afterwards, there were reports from the former “Žalgiris” Americans: KC Rivers, Deon Thompson and Augustine Rubit began to salute the Mažeikiai, although there were still 32 and 33 options on the television screen in front of their eyes.
Jokubaitis and the company understood that the echo of the Lithuanian surname was approaching at the event of the 34 most talented young people in the world.
However, the commercials suddenly appeared on the broadcast, at the end of which episodes of the game by Jokubaitis and NBA critics Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson appeared in the studio, who jokingly tried to introduce the Lithuanian guest to the New York. Knicks for the 34th call.
“There were 33 screams on the screen, I realized there would be 34, all ready to film and bam some kind of publicity, Jokubaitis recalled. – We sat down without even understanding what was happening, because there was no delivery, and everyone is already saying hello. At first it was difficult to understand how everyone present was invited by 34 summons. I really wouldn’t have said that. My friends and I made the guesses and 34 screams were definitely not among the guesses; started with 39 screams. As true Lithuanians, we did not raise the bar too high. But the cry of 34 was very happy, it was a fun night ”.
Together with the company, Jokubaitis welcomed the biggest event of his life by creating entertainment for himself: everyone made personal guesses, with a shout that the defender will fall into the hands of some club.
The rise of talent in Kaunas “Žalgiris” revealed that he had guessed that the 44th would be chosen.
“I assumed so because of ESPN’s prediction and because of some contact with the Nets, he invited me to reviews,” said the 20-year-old basketball player. – But we found out with the agent that this would not have changed their self-determination, since they also had 49 and 59 citations. As a result, we decided to stay in Lithuania, prepare for the season and wait for the exchange. There was a connection to Brooklyn, and so I was convinced that the 44th convocation seemed the most realistic. “
The Lithuanians were also very interested in the Memphis Grizzlies, conversations with representatives of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets, as well as most of the clubs gathered information from last year’s remote sessions. According to Jokubaitis, there were 4-5 conversations this year, but the Knicks team was not on them.
– Did you get to talk to the Knicks manager or coach before going to bed?
– Not before I went to bed, but now I recently corresponded with one of the Knicks coaches, asked him about vaccinations, etc. We’ll see how it gets here.
– What’s the next plan now?
– I’m waiting for news from the agent, like for the summer league. Of course, it also depends on the club (from Barcelona). It will be a very fun period. If I were to go to America now, I would have to fly directly from there to Barcelona, then to loved ones, as I will no longer see, such an interesting feeling. I’d really like to try it out in the summer league, in an organization like the Knicks. It depends on how the team will draw up plans, what to invite and what not to invite. Barcelona’s pre-season camp starts in mid-August, so there is no news, I play sports and prepare for the season. Now only the summer league can adjust the plans.
– The summer league will start on August 8, and considering that you may have to isolate yourself, isn’t it possible that you will have to pack your bags and leave Lithuania tomorrow?
– This option is also possible. Everything has to be resolved in the next few days. If I need to fly, I agree with that: I told family and friends that there is a possibility of flying to the summer league, and I will pack things. Of course, the game was not planned, but there was a situation like this: I will be able to meet up with friends and I have to participate in the summer league and see American cuisine myself. It’s interesting and now it’s hard to imagine how things are going there.
– The information itself is still very recent, but how do you personally assess the chances of being invited to New York this year?
– I have been informed for a long time that if I am invited to the stock market, I will stay in Europe for another year. The most realistic option is. After a good season, you can invite me back to summer league or training camp, and then hook me up anyway. The best thing would be to have a choice, either with America or with Barça. But that scenario is very complicated.
– What greeting message is stuck?
– I have received many messages and have not yet been able to read them all. You will have to sit down and write it all down, I am one of those people. Memorable message before the stock exchange, when Mantas Kalnietis wrote: “Rock, good luck, we will keep our fists.”
– Going back to the decision to move to Barcelona, what did you doubt the most about that process?
– The biggest doubts were that he would return to a stricter regime in Barcelona than in Žalgiris now. Clearly, it will be more difficult to win in minutes. In Žalgiris, the role would have been more important, but like I said, I changed my mind 35 times, I wanted a challenge, to get out of the comfort zone, everything was very convenient in Kaunas. I don’t break up with Shar, I like that pressure and concentration before training, before games, those things impress me.
– How surprised was the last offer from “Žalgiris” to keep you in the team?
– The contract offered by Žalgiris was a big surprise. At first they offered one, then I went up a lot and at first I didn’t understand, then we waited for Barça’s terms. In fact, there were doubts about how to do it all the time: “Žalgiris” really wanted me and that only made the decision difficult. It is even difficult to comment on that situation.
– What else did you want to refine in your conversations with Shar, when you already know him very well?
– We spoke a couple of times, we discussed the vision of the future. The average Barça player is around 30 and no more young people are needed. Shar said everything in direct light: “You know me. Come on, we will beat you and we will love you, everything will be as in “Žalgiris”. You will not see anything new ”. That opening for me… He told me what it would be like for the ACB League. He says: “Rokeli, once again we are comparing LKL with ACB. The team average is over 30 years old. You play a lot, I can’t promise you anything in the Euroleague. “
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