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Photo: rytasvilnius.lt
Photo rytasvilnius.lt
By inviting Rokas Gusti to the team in the summer of 2019, Šiauliai saw the midfielder’s project in Saulė for at least two years, but for a physically powerful man, the yellow jersey became too tight after just one season.
The successful militant basketball player longed for new challenges, the main one being the desire to test himself in a more competitive organization and in the international arena. Such ambitions were fulfilled immediately after the discontinued 2019-2020. Vilnius Rytas, who paid attention to the season.
The opportunity that arose early hooked the 26-year-old center, who terminated the contract with Šiauliai, which had been valid for another year, for a ransom and moved his career to Vilnius.
“The biggest advantage was taking a step forward in my career,” Gustys commented on the timing of the decision for the BasketNews.lt website. – There was no need to search for other pros or cons. It was considered a step forward in his career and a match of European level. Still no years jaunyn, The senyn. Big age, I think, it was time to move on. “
Resisting in the team led by Antanas Sireika, Gustys in Vilnius will also fulfill Donald Kairis’s philosophy of play based on attack. In the preseason training camp, the center that gets used sees the aspects seen in both Šiauliai and the United States during their studies: effective and fast attacks and many points.
Photo rytasvilnius.lt
Listening to instructions from the new coach, who has an American basketball culture, Gustys returns to the game at the NCAA Championships, where he defended the honor of Hofstra University. Such a methodology of Kairis work and the knowledge displayed make the tall man only admire.
“It was surprising that the coach, being so young, knows a lot, knows a lot and understands European basketball,” Gustys told the 43-year-old specialist on the BasketNews.lt website. – The coach has a lot of ideas, he is ready, he knows a lot about our players, high level of scouts. I think it will be a lot of fun for me and for other players to work. I like that style myself because it uses many terms and aspects of training in general, which is used in American universities or in the NBA itself. “
Gustys, who rarely communicates with the media, gave the only interview to the BasketNews.lt website this summer. The basketball player takes the position that it is possible to speak more widely during the season and there are no events under discussion until it has begun. The outspoken forward added that he is not following the simmering discussions on basketball portals and widespread webcasts.
The move from “Šiauliai” to “Rytas” is rewarding and raises the race curve, but its rewards will be noticeable only when the battles on the field begin.
“It’s not that I distanced myself or was afraid,” Gustys emphasized when asked about the position he had chosen to communicate with journalists. – I’m really not afraid, maybe because there is nothing to talk about. The Kaunas resident moved to “Rytas”. I don’t know if there is much to talk about, but it is a job, a career advancement.
I think this is the most important thing, it is not that I am from Kaunas or Vilnius, or from another city. I don’t want to talk about what hasn’t happened yet, that’s why we’ve chosen a position where we’ll talk about how we’ll do it when it all starts. “
After balancing with the Šiauliai team in the LKL playoffs last season, Gustys, by joining Rytas, harbors greater ambitions associated with the titles. He highlighted a strong core of Lithuanian players as a solid foundation for such victories, which was overlaid with other capable local basketball players and legionnaires of famous names.
It is still too early to evaluate acquiring the latter, as Rytas is still preparing for the season without them.
“I hope the club does well, we will be favorites, we will fight” Žalgiris “and we will go to the final of the LKL,” Gustys taught. “And in Europe, it’s hard to say, because the first year the club will play in the Champions League, I really don’t know what level it is, I can’t say much, but it will be a great experience and a great level of basketball.”
Gustys, who came to Šiauliai in professional basketball last year with only years of experience, suddenly adapted to the LKL championships.
The center-back, who did not leave the indifferent force indifferent in the LKL championships, was furious in the duel with the grandchildren. His statistics with Kaunas “Žalgiris” reached 16.7 points, 7 rebounds and 21.7 utility points, and with “Rytas” – 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.
BNS photo
At the time, the overall seasonal averages were lower and the utility, for example, was even much higher compared to the indicators in the LKL series of meetings with champions. The forward scored an average of 11.3 points, grabbed 6.5 balls and posted 13.4 profit points.
“My confidence in myself was there from the beginning, I kept coming back as a great center, the role was thought of as a key player who just had an opportunity and took advantage of it,” he commented in 2018. Athlete who started his professional career in the Spanish Second League.
Gustys, who started out in southwestern Europe, met Steve Vasturia at the CD Maristas club in Palencia, who moved into the barricade of Eternal’s eternal rivals this season.
Recalling the common time in Spain, the Kaunas resident revealed that even then the mutual talks could not do without the topic of “Žalgiris”.
Now, almost two years later, his teammate was on a team whose heart remained indifferent after impressive performances in the Euroleague.
“He knew about Žalgiris basketball and the level of the Euroleague,” said Gustys, who had not yet had a chance to speak with Vasturiai when he arrived in Lithuania. “I think he is very lucky, he is a high level player and he will show everyone that he can really represent ‘Žalgiris'”.
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