[ad_1]
Photo: Scanpix Lithuania
Photo Scanpix Lithuania
Slovenian coach Zmago Sagadin, who won 25 titles during his career, quickly had an impression of Šarūnas Jasikevičius on the 1999-2000 Union Olimpija team in Ljubljana.
Sagadin, 67, who has now finished his career, was asked to name his top five students, and then the coach mentioned Jasikevičius.
“How do I choose? After all, there were many of them. Perhaps it would be easier to consider which basketball players have established themselves in the NBA. But this is also not an indicator. For example, Sani Becirovich. I’m sure if it wasn’t for a knee injury, he would be an elite NBA player. He was not sure that Ben Udrich was such a good basketball player. He played for the Maccabi in Tel Aviv and the Olympics in Milan before leaving for the NBA, and then won the NBA twice.
And what can I say about Šarūnas? Already in the first season you could see what kind of basketball player he will become, now the situation is similar after becoming a coach. Šarūnas will settle like a dog and won’t run until he’s in trouble for everything he wants, “Sagadin told the nova.rs website.
Characterized by extremely long, 5-6 hour workouts, Sagadin emphasized that the hardest-working basketball players reached the highest level.
“I recently read Reggie Freeman’s thoughts that it was too difficult for him to work with me. I kindly told him that it is not for you, that you do not like to work much. Look at Scoonie Penn. In Italy, her career fell, but she joined the The Crvena Zvezda team I coach wanted to work like a horse and then Penn made millions.
Also Obinna Ekezie … I am proud of Šarūnas Jasikevičius, who came to Olimpija not for money, but for work. Play for little money. Ariel McDonald came after the first season and said he wanted to stay on my team even though he has an offer to play for $ 1 million. I said, “Get out of here, fool, take millions, are you normal?” I didn’t consider them because they worked hard and they deserved it.
I don’t understand the young basketball players who don’t work but dream of the Maldives, the cars, they talk about how stupid the coach is, how boring they are … They don’t understand that at least 150 teammates are taking their place. I explain that defending your place can only be done through work. They are talented and the coaches must put pressure on them in training, only then will they reach heavenly heights, ”said the coach.
According to Novars, Sagadin was one of the founders of the Euroleague and the Adriatic League, but now the coach does not like the situation in Europe.
“The tragedy is that we only have one place in the Adriatic League in the Euroleague. We need to be realistic and say that we can have a maximum of three teams in the Euroleague, but we must get at least two places at least. Initially we had 3 teams in the Euroleague, then we went down to two places with a chance to get third. Then there were two teams left, and now one. It didn’t have to happen. We don’t have any more teams in the Euroleague, local basketball players are no longer growing in our league, teams are buying players from abroad. People, sit back and get organized, because basketball will slide even further, “Sagadin said.
The strategist also doesn’t like how easy basketball players go to the NBA easily.
“The Euroleague and FIBA should sit down and agree that no basketball player can go to the NBA until 5 million have been transferred to his team.” Redemption of US dollars. What is being done here for basketball must be respected. “I am afraid that if this is not done, the NBA will one day create its own division in Europe,” Sagadin said.
A specialist from Slovenia also worked in Lithuania: in the 2006-2007 season he held the position of head coach of Vilnius Lietuvos Rytas.
[ad_2]
