A comic substitute for gudaitis: he slept with the Italians, woke up with the Russians

On Friday afternoon, the Milan Olimpia Club announced that it had terminated its contract with a 27-year-old Lithuanian by mutual agreement. Without waiting for anything, Zenit of Saint Petersburg announced that A. Gudaitis will defend the honor of the Russian team from next season.

This transition was discussed throughout the week, but the 208 cm tall basketball player had to receive official news.

The Italians pronounced a Klaipeda resident “grazie” after joining Kyle Hines, a former student of Olympia coach and president of basketball operations Ettore Messina on the Moscow CSKA team.

At the same time, the club extended Kalebo Tarczewski’s contract, and soon Zachu LeDay, who leaves Kaunas “Žalgiris”, should be added.

A. Gudaitis had no place to intervene in the crowded position of the center forward.

“I knew Messina was very trusting and loved Hines. I don’t see anything wrong with Olimpia signing a contract with him. But I realized that it is better to leave the club if I want to play a lot,” the player solved the dilemma.

According to him, E. Messina played open cards during the offseason, and A. Gudaitis reacted to the divorce in a completely different way than, for example, Mike James, who left Milan last year with punches and curses.

Although the race also led to Russia.

“I know the language, perhaps it is more difficult for the family to adapt. But they are everywhere with me, without reservations. Their support is very gratifying, and a person does not need anything else”, – A. Gudaitis does not regret that sequence of events.

You could express resentment at the disaster that happened last February: a tall man’s thorns were broken and the most successful season of his career ended on the operating table.

And that not only cost past world championships, but also the introduction of last season.

After the coronavirus pandemic was further reduced this season, A. Gudaitis was no longer able to regain his former sports form.

But he seems to have drunk this cup of bitterness to the bottom.

“The trauma confused me a lot. But it is part of the sport. I don’t feel sorry for myself, I want to show myself and everyone once again that I am a good player, “said the center.

The Lithuanian, to whom the Clavland Cavaliers belong in the NBA league, has signed a one-year contract with Zenit, which provides for the possibility of extending cooperation during the same period.

The basketball player, who quickly found common ground with Spanish strategist Xavi Pascualis, who made his Euroleague debut last season, spoke about the behind-the-scenes ending of his Italian campaign, his role in the new club and discussed the Lithuanian Euroleague problems.

Did the club manager and manager Olimpia communicate with you directly when you reorganized the team’s front line? – Delphi asked A. Gudaitis

– Yes, we have spoken more than once. The club’s leaders have now changed, mainly Ettore. He said what the situation is like, I have no space left. This is professional behavior. I don’t see anything wrong when you say clear light.

– Don’t you have the stone in your mouth for Mr. Messina’s elections?

– I understand that here, a professional sport for which we receive money, that employers take care of their affairs. I played in Milan with all my heart, and now I have no anger.

– Still wanted to stay on the team where you spent three seasons?

– If one door closes, then another opens somewhere, where you really love me. You need to take advantage of that opportunity.

– Did you have a chance?

– There were all kinds of speculation, but the only real possibility seemed to me to be just one: with a good coach, with a brilliant role.

– And what about Real Madrid, with which you were previously associated?

– I think he really was on the candidate list, only probably not in the first place.

– What impresses you about X. Pascualis, how does he exploit tall people?

– In my opinion, he is one of the three or four best professionals in the Euroleague. But we’ll see how I’m exhausted. I think each of his seasons is a different story: the systems used still depend on the available composition. They told me it would be one of the main axes of the game. I really enjoyed it. Like other players Zenit is buying now.

I think compared to last season this team will definitely take a step forward. In the Euroleague, on the other hand, there are 18 teams, and not all on foot. It is difficult to talk about specific goals.

– Zenit does not and probably will not have a spare bench while Olympia. Is your foot ready to bear the increasing burden of playing longer on the court?

– God forbid. And God forbid that playing time really increases. As for the backup, I think Xavi and the club management will create a competitive formation. I can’t bet everything on two or three players these days.

– Why do you think the ambitious lineup with Messina in the lead did not bring the expected fruit back to Milan?

– I wonder how we would have ended the season if it hadn’t stopped. And what was missing until then? Perhaps our average age was too high. We had a lot of players who saw a lot, but playing on a tight schedule was running out of steam. As a result, we were particularly caught up in the Italian championship. Also, the first year with a new coach is never easy. I hope they do better next season. Although you may not know it, all those three years in Milan that I played with super basketball players, and whoever does it is not always successful.

– What could you learn from Olimpia’s oldest veteran, Luis Scola, 40?

– He’s a super professional. He is probably the first player I have seen working this way at this age. After each workout, he stayed in the gym and approached her on days off. A truly exceptional example, also outside the plaza, for example, when choosing a portion of food.

– Mindaugas Kuzminskas has said that Olympia lacks the core of local players. Would you agree with that?

– I used to have a lot of questions about why basketball players like Nicolo Melli or Luigi Datome don’t play in Milan. After all, Olympia’s abilities are similar to Istanbul’s Fenerbahche. I would start building the strong Italian club, and why Milan didn’t do it, I don’t know.

Simone Pianigiani, who trained M. Kuzminskas, for some reason did not trust the Italians. E. Messina’s mentality is already a little different, it gave Riccardo Moraschini, Andrea Cinciarini opportunities. In a word, he understands that without the Italian challenge, especially in the local championship. Finally, they now also attracted L. Datome.

– Zenit will probably be more similar to Pianigiani than Olympia of Messina in this regard.

– There are several Russians who can also play in the Euroleague. It’s hard to say that it hasn’t been there yet. But there are rules in the VTB United League that force you to trust the Russians.

– You always burned the need to enter the NBA, but the ligament injury severely disrupted plans. Such intentions still remain?

– I can’t say much mandrothat would interest you Last season was hopeful, but that trauma ended … Now we have to prove it again. I know 38 can come anyway, so you will only prove to yourself that you can still get out of bed (laughs – Delphi) You plan and someone laughs.

After the injury, Cavaliers visited me two or three times, the connection is still there. But the situation on the other side of the Atlantic is such that they can only start concluding new agreements in October. Waiting for October? I decided it was better not to stretch and take the bull by the horns.

– However, in the new contract, did you negotiate the possibility of moving to the NBA?

– yeah But first you must show that you are worthy.

– The most relevant summer theme in Lithuanian basketball is the departure of Šarūnas Jasikevičius from Kaunas “Žalgiris”. How do you evaluate your transfer to the Barcelona club?

– I think you couldn’t miss that opportunity. Well, I would have had opportunities in the future without any questions. But when a Barcelona with that line-up calls, how do you refuse? All that remains is to say hello. I also welcome the fact that he has assistants with him. As for Žalgiris, I don’t think it really breaks, because he has a strong spine. It is the fans, the arena and the name that always attract players. We have several examples when basketball players who performed well in Kaunas reached the top of Europe.

– Barcelona is becoming a kind of Golden State Warriors equivalent in the Euroleague, the busiest club and therefore the most hated. Are you upset about expensive Catalan purchases?

– I think that both CSKA in Moscow and Anadolu Efes in Istanbul can be included in the same ranges. Those teams also have incredible lineups. Or Olympia, sometimes he seems to be the only one who buys newcomers one after another. Clearly, the leaders of other clubs should be angry to see this and understand that the club does not earn the money. But it is already the case that some are richer than others, and there is nothing to be angry about here.