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2014 June 6. Sixth match in the final series of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). Kaunas “Žalgiris” 90:70 crushes Klaipeda’s “Neptune” and wins the title. Together with the team, the cup rises and Šarūnas Jasikevičius.
For him as a player, this is the first trophy in Lithuania. And last. That day ended the glorious multi-title career of basketball player Golden Boy.
But at the end of a phase, a new one began. And it can become even more impressive and titled.
2014 In the fall of 2006, Š.Jasikevičius, at the age of 38, traveled to the Žalgiris gym not to listen to Gintaras Krapikas’s instructions, but to be his right hand man. Since the same summer, there have been rumors about what kind of European grandmother Share might be training. Still, he chose his first love – “Žalgiris”.
“I know the character of Šarūnas well, at least I will know how to react if I’m overwhelmed,” Darius Songaila joked after adding “Žalgiris”.
Shar’s character and fighting nature were well known from the start. Although G. Krapikas was by his side, Shar shared advice and demons no less, and during the match, the gaze turned to his emotions, although generally the assistants remain in the background. But not only Š.Jasikevičius. During the match, he constantly relayed his observations to G. Krapik and received “yes, yes” from the “Žalgiris” head coach.
“I have an ideal assistant,” G. Krapikas has praised his colleague in public.
In the LKL championship, “Žalgiris” won that season easily, while in the Euroleague he reached the “Top 16” stage, but did not overcome his barrier with 9 losses in 14 matches.
After the summer holidays, the Žalgiris coaches headquarters returned to work with the same composition. Š.Jasikevičius continues in the role of the assistant. But things changed in a few months. The people of Žalgiris were crushed by the Euroleague clubs, Kiniadainiai “Nevėžis” also managed to lose, so the tension increased and the changes matured a bit. They finally matured on January 8, when “Žalgiris” landed at Bamberg’s “Brose Bamberg” at 63:96 and “Krapik” was said “thank you”.
The next day, Šaras walked to the Žalgiris gym like a man. A coach who has started the green-white sleep stage that has lasted more than 4 years.
“There were 2,000 ideas, and there was no time and experience to put them together,” after the victorious debut. In the coaching position in front of the Prienai club, Shar shared his thoughts and then had time to turn his ideas into reality.
“Žalgiris” fought honorably with Real Madrid, giving him only 86:92. As for the then “Žalgiris”, it was a solid achievement. Meanwhile, Shar won his first Euroleague victory against one of his fiercest opponents while still playing: the Piraeus Olympiacos (75:55). Admittedly, there were 10 more games remaining in the Top 16 stage and only one victory was achieved: a rematch against Brose Bamberg (75:73). Not only that, Žalgiris also lost the Copa Rey Mindaugas (KMT) in 2016, and Shar created no more miracles this season. Still.
In the summer of 2016, news portals already started to explode with the news that Barcelona is intensely attracting Š. Jasikevičius and who can leave Žalgiris. Still, it turned out that it took 4 years. Shar’s experience as a coach, which did not coincide with the rules of the Spanish league, and most importantly, his own desire, also left his foot on him, so he stayed close to his first love.
“There was a serious conversation with them and then I realized that it was better for me to stay here,” Jasikevičius admitted.
Kavaliauskas, Jasikevičius
“Last season, Jasikevičius lacked artists, but now he has brought together the players who will implement his ideas,” Artūras Milaknis said when he returned to Žalgiris, as if looking into the future.
2016-2017 The season in the Euroleague had already changed: the 16 teams had to fight not in groups, but with all of them. Although this may have scared Žalgiris, as the number of serious rivals only increased, the face of the Greens and Whites began to change.
We are on the path of exploration, we have to grow and become men, we have to suffer, I demand the details of the players, we have to follow the game plan, phrases that Š. Jasikevičius repeated as a sentence. In addition, he repeatedly fired fire on the judges, pointing the finger at Žalgiris’ disrespect. In this way, Shar showed how much he really cared about “Žalgiris”.
The Euroleague season was opened by the Žalgiris people in Athens and, although they lost after a good 76:84 fight, Sharo, who tried to instill the mentality of the winners in the team, was not satisfied. “In order for me to spit on predictions and speeches, we have a very good team. We will not go to fight Fenerbahche and CSKA, we will travel to win, ”Shar emotionally told the students in the locker room.
The mentioned victories were not achieved in the first round, but he won a great one in Milan and in the second round, also against CSKA. Then when Darius Maskoliūnas stayed to finish the match after Shar, and the boss. the coach met his colleague with hugs already in the locker room. It was a sensational victory for “Žalgiris”. This was followed by two more in a row, against Daruschafaka and Barcelona from Istanbul, followed by Brose Bamberg, Panathinaikos, Unics from Kazan, Maccabi from Tel Aviv and Baskonia from Vitoria.
Yes “Žalgiris” finished the season in the Euroleague with 8 wins in 12 matches and 2 wins in the Euroleague quarterfinals. “Fans can be proud of this team,” Shar said after the season ended.
Šarūnas Jasikevičius hug with Darius Maskoliūnas
Still, true pride awaited Žalgiris fans next season. The ambitious “Žalgiris” already believed more in himself, more in believing he could do this awesome thing. The victories against the clubs in Barcelona, Milan, Athens and Moscow were not a sensation. “Žalgiris” finished the first round of the Euroleague with 10 wins and third place in the tournament table. Meanwhile, in February 2018, Sharas became the coach of Žalgiris, who had the most wins in the Euroleague.
The quarterfinals seemed within reach, but Š.Jasikevičius continued to urge the team not to lose heart and realize how difficult it will be to do. “The players have become too big stars to play LKL and our biggest problem here,” he said, sparing no claims even after home games.
Still, LKL “Žalgiris” managed as well as it should at the decisive moment, and entered the quarterfinals in the Euroleague, where the dazzling Olympiacos was waiting. A victory, later defeat, a return trip to Kaunas and two matches here. Mirk – live. 80:60 – OLY was crushed the first time, 101: 91 – same time a second time. Tears in Shar’s eyes: “Žalgiris” entered the Euroleague final for the first time since 1999.
“We all drive in Motiejūnas because he said that if we all stay, we will go to the last four. We look at Paul crookedly. He believed, but at the same time he ordered the hockey championship (Smiles). Paul was the first to say this. I am part of the pyramid and I am cruel. cold. Thanks to the players for wanting to be trained and wanting to be better. Together we have achieved an impressive result, which we will talk about after a long time, ”Š.Jasikevičius said excitedly after the match.
Although Željkas Obradovičius’s soldiers landed in the “Žalgiris” semifinal in Belgrade 67:76, the bronze fight against CSKA was won 79:77 and in Kaunas the people of Žalgiris were welcomed as champion. 19 years old: Žalgiris fans took so long to wait for this moment.
Jasikevičius and Pangos
After a great season, the door opened to the next level for Kevin Pangas, Vasily Micic, Ben Udrich ended his career, but Brandon Davies and Aaron White managed to save.
If Žalgiris started an impressive section last season, this time they were expecting a cold shower. Although a historic victory was initially achieved in Athens, the first of its kind in the history of “Žalgiris”, the barriers of other chains were not so easily overcome and injuries were inevitable. Several sections of 3–4 losses followed and after 22 rounds Žalgiris had only 8 victories.
The team is not balanced and the period is difficult, Shar summed up the situation. But even at this time, he believed in the team: “I know that with our system we are one of the best attack teams in the Euroleague. But not yet. “
If it seemed that Žalgiris’s chances of moving forward were only symbolic and even the players had little faith in it, the coach was unbelievable. There were still possibilities: it means holding on to him and gaining almost all that is left.
Victory over Budučnost of Podgorica, defeat in Baskonia of Vitoria. Still, there is no chance of making a mistake, and you will have to wait for a favorable match for your opponents. He defeated Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, followed by Bayern Munich, Maccabi, Darusshafaka from Istanbul and OLY. The last one left was a decisive battle in Madrid with no chance of making a mistake.
Žalgiris, surprised by the crowd of green and white people, fought until the end, the coaches headquarters verified that Anadolu Efes had won, so after winning, the way to the quarterfinals was open. In the end, Žalgiris broke the Royal Club 93:86, and Žalgiris’s emotions and the songs of the fans began to shake the Madrid arena. While waiting for the team in the locker room, Darius Maskoliūnas kept clarifying the journalists, really? Do we already have a place in the quarterfinals? It was necessary to make sure, but soon the thoughts turned not on a nervous struggle, but on how to dedicate better what has been achieved.
The quarterfinals of the Euroleague are reached again.
“I think it should be understood that such things are only possible when you have players with a great character who keep trying, working, not breaking. The moments were very difficult. What is happening with Žalgiriukas is cruel cold. All of them soldoutai – We cannot lose this as a matter of course. Here’s really fantastic support, “radiated Jasikevičius.
In the quarterfinals, Fenerbahche had an opponent too difficult for Žalgiris: in the first anti-record game, the resistance was 43:76, in the second, the rematch was 82:80, but the season ended at home.
Jasikevičius
“Thank you,” the enthusiastic singers escorted Shar and Žalgiris last summer after the season ended. Fans would love to repeat this thanks again this year, but it was all confused by the coronavirus that made the season unfinished.
“Žalgiris” showed his character again, and went back into the well and out of it. Nine losses in a row, including clubs in Berlin, Belgrade, Valencia, have already fueled rumors that everything, this time, will have to forget the playoffs. “The process of mastering the details is the slowest of my year in” Žalgiris “, – lamented Š.Jasikevičius. But the 9 victories achieved in the remaining 13 meetings have increased hope and faith again, perhaps we will succeed again?
Still, an unfortunate loss for the Zenit club in St. Petersburg ruined Shar’s last note in “Žalgiris”.
After 28 rounds, he could not be in the eighth, and the trip to Barcelona ended prematurely: the plane did not take off. It remains to be seen how “Žalgiris”, who jumped on the wave in time, would have managed to finish the path of this season and if the dream scenario would become a reality again.
However, if for Žalgiris the journey to Barcelona is over, for Š.Jasikevičius is only just beginning.
The glorious was from Š. Jasikevičius in “Žalgiris” is over: it’s time to say goodbye to first love. But such first love, with them, has many problems, but you can not forget them, as Shar says.
Thanks Sharai! “Žalgiris” and his fans will thank you forever.
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