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After 15.5 points from the first six games, five of which ended with Žalgiris victories, 26-year-old Marius Grigonis joined Arvydas Macijauskas, Ramūnas Šiškauskas and Paulius Jankūnas, who have received such recognition in the past. .
“A great sensation. This is the first prize of its kind in his career. It’s a cliché, but the most important thing is that we win,” M. Grigonis told the official Euroleague website.
The green-white victory began in Piraeus, winning 21: 9 in the decisive quarter against Olimpia.
“The best thing is to start the season victorious, especially playing in Piraeus”, recalled M. Grigonis at the beginning of the season. – It was the first match, so we liked playing the first match against Olympiakos. It’s funny that at the end of the duel, we turned the situation around and got the victory. Such victories throughout the season are very helpful. It gives confidence, everyone is happy ”.
Žalgiris, led by Martin Schiller, started the 2020-2021 season with four wins in a row. The last one was at home before last season’s favorite Anadolu Efes in Istanbul.
Žalgiris played the first match at home with just over 5,000 fans, and the victory was celebrated 89:73.
“It was special that so many fans came together to support us. These days, having fans behind you is a luxury. It doesn’t matter that a year has passed since my injury. I just enjoyed the crowded arena. There were five thousand of them, and it felt like a full arena. It’s amazing, “shared M. Grigonis.
The leader of “Žalgiris” connects the powerful start of the Euroleague with the core maintained and the freedom and confidence that the new coach gives him.
“There are a lot of men left in the team from last season. This is Thomas Walkup’s third season in Kaunas. We know each other perfectly. We played with Shar for several seasons. He helps us a lot now. The new coach gives a lot of freedom and confidence. The first one The victory laid the foundation for greater self-confidence. It’s good that we win, “said M. Grigonis.
basquetmanresa.com nuotr./Marius Grigonis
Marius left Lithuania and began his career as a legionary at the age of nineteen, when he crossed hands with the “Peñas” team from Huesca that competes in the second Spanish league.
This was followed by two years at La Bruixa d’Or in Manresa, followed by a season at the Iberostar de Tenerife. M. Grigonis was one of the leaders in the Canary Islands-based team, helping to win the FIBA Champions League title and becoming the most useful player in the last four.
“Now it is easy to say that the decision was the correct one,” Grigonis said. – I like Spain and the people I met in Huesca, Manresa or Tenerife. It wasn’t an easy decision at the time, but it was the right one. I had to do it. He had no place in “Žalgiris”, but he wanted to play. This is how I decided to leave. “
Although four years later in Lithuania the Lithuanian moved to the German capital Berlin, the style of play remained Spanish.
Grigonis was summoned by the legendary Spanish coach Aito García Renaissance, and the defender’s season at ALBA was great.
In the European Cup, the sniper scored 11.6 points (41.7 percent double, 47.5 percent trit, 89.7 percent penalty), bounced 3.1 balls, made 2.6 assists, traded 13.5 utility points.
“Every season you want to take a step forward,” Grigonis said. – ALBA played the European Cup and Aito wanted to see me in the team. ALBA fit me perfectly. There I met great guys. When making a career decision, I always think about the coach, the coaching staff and everything in between. I found everything in Berlin. I needed this step to go back to Žalgiris and play in the Euroleague. “
Imago sport nuotr./Marius Grigonis
The Žalgiris leader is one of the best penalty shooters in the entire Euroleague.
This season, the Kaunas player scored all 21 shots from the penalty line, and in total during his Euroleague career he hit 129 of 139 fines (92.8%).
“I don’t want to talk,” Grigonis said, smiling about the ideal series for this season. – When someone talks about not losing it, I lose it in the next game. I hope that doesn’t happen now. When attacking from a penalty line, the most important thing is to always shoot evenly. Have your routine and just quit. That’s it. This is not a great science, just a free kick. Shooting from close range, daily practice and shooting are dropping. “
Although M. Grigonis and “Žalgiris” are doing well at the beginning of the season, he does not intend to go far and set big goals.
As Šarūnas Jasikevičius used to say in Kaunas, all attention is always focused on the closest match.
“This is the third season in a row in Kaunas. I never thought more than about an upcoming match. It’s always about the next match, and then we’ll see what comes out of it. We don’t feel pressured to win the title. But we always want to fight and win. We cannot think that we are going to beat everyone now. We have to remain modest and pursue the goal a bit, “said Žalgiris, 26.
Next Friday at 8 pm Real Madrid, which remains stagnant at the start of the season, will visit the Žalgiris Arena. In the first six matches, the royal club triumphed only twice.
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