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In the Lithuanian Basketball League (Betsafe-LKL), fans meet not only young talents who will make the Lithuanian name famous in the future, but also well-known older people who are pursuing an impressive career. One of the most experienced in this 2020-2021 basketball players of the season – competing in Alytus’s “Dzūkija” Simas Jasaitis.
The 38-year-old basketball player has managed to touch on a variety of experiences during his career.
Born and raised in Vilnius, S.Jasaitis took his first steps in men’s basketball with the “Sakalai” team, then wore the then “Lietuvos Rytas” jersey. Soon he went abroad, also became a long-term member of the Lithuanian national team, won a bronze medal at the European and world championships and landed in Alytus in the summer of 2020.
Many basketball players of this age have been playing the last games of their careers for a long time, the other part is already at the end of their careers, but this is far from the scene of S. Jasaitis.
This season, S.Jasaitis competes for the Alytus team for an average of 27 minutes, also registering an average of 12.1 points and 11.7 utility points.
Neither about the least amount of minutes, nor about the end of the race, nor about the minor role in the team, the basketball player, as he says, is not considering yet. And every day to get up for another workout is motivated by a simple, sometimes even eternal process: endless love for this sport.
“As long as that love is alive, as long as my health allows it, I will play. As far as I can, I will give myself to this sport, ”S. Jasaitis told LKL.lt.
– Simai, first of all, how are your days during this quarantine?
– Now, who can practice sports individually? Many people are still subject to self-isolation on our team. Every day passes in a similar way. Of course, it is a bit sad that the game is still going on, we have to train longer again, then some surprises. Hit the crayfish a bit, but we are basketball players, that process continues without interruption, we adjust when necessary.
– You spend 27 minutes this season on the grass. What does this show about its current form?
– As long as my health allows it, I don’t think for a minute. Of course, there are harder moments, there are lighter moments … There is everything in basketball, but that’s why we train a lot, we need to know our condition. I feel great, if not, we would decide what to do.
– Perhaps the experience gained allows you to make the most of that time on the site?
– In an age like this, you really know where to protect yourself, where to cut an angle, where to act smarter, where to save energy. From experience, he knows how to act sometimes, both through team action and injury prevention. When your body stops working so suddenly, turn your head naturally; you must always have your head working.
– If we look at the numbers for this season, then the most difficult match for you was against Kaunas “Žalgiris”. Do you feel really difficult to play against the champions?
– I unequivocally agree with the speeches that “Žalgiris” is already on a completely different level. The remaining nine teams appear to be competing with each other, and the Kaunas players are already playing slightly different basketball.
– And S.Jasaitis, 38, still feels additional motivation or excitement before the match with “Žalgiris”, or is there still something to get out of this duel?
– When I was young, when I played in “Sakalas” or “Lietuvos Ryte”, it is known that there was an impressive feeling when playing against stronger teams. Waiting for that match. And now he is still preparing for each game separately: he only knows what is ahead, he is going to win, he does what he can. But the emotions don’t really change from an opponent, I don’t try to prove anything to anyone anymore, I want to win against all teams. Emotions jumped in my youth, now that’s not the case.
– Let’s go back to the statistics. Before Kėdainiai “Nevėžis-Optibet” accumulated 32 utility points and hit six 3-pointers. Was it a hot afternoon?
– I’m not the one who would think about pitches or points. Definitely the biggest concern is about the team – you do everything you can to improve the team. And if we had to talk about this match, one of the six triples would have hit during the long break. But it goes exactly, don’t pay attention to it, you go out to play concentrated and you try to keep fighting. I was free in the third and fourth quarters, so I hit five 3-pointers in a row. That’s right, all kinds of westerns.
– Before the start of the season, many basketball experts predicted a place for the Alytus team at the bottom of the tournament table. How many of these languages get you out of cancer and, perhaps on the contrary, motivate you?
– Those languages always are and always will be. Some think the same, others think different … We try to do our job, the one we do better. We prepare for each game, we will fight, we will win. It is difficult to say how it will be. The season is very interesting, specific, without spectators, without games and more. We don’t really set ourselves a serious goal, we want to play until the end of the season and then we’ll see what we get. The most important thing is to get into the playoffs, and there is already a separate story, we will see how we do it.
– You have mixed a set of different commands. And what is the atmosphere inside your team right now?
– Everything on the team is really cool. No anger, conflict, barns. Some players can have smaller roles in other teams, and with us they get bigger roles, they have to show that better result. Surely you advise your younger colleagues something, you call them. But we all agree very well, we work with determination, without divisions.
– You tried to get into the NBA 15 years ago. What was that story, or was it a real possibility?
– There was access to the NBA. It wasn’t a long time, but I remember very well that it was an interest of the San Antonio Spurs team. The coach wanted to see me live, we had flown there, to his training base. We train, introduce ourselves and stay for a few days. But just as he was flying to the United States, he was already signing a contract with Maccabi in Tel Aviv. In San Antonio, I became more aware, I saw that culture, I spoke of Robert Javtok, because it belonged to them at that time. In general, at that time, everything seemed to me as in space, the next level, if we were talking about basketball and the culture itself.
– And what factors led you to start your legionary career in Tel Aviv?
– I went to Tel Aviv partly for a reason: there were definitely offers from other clubs, but Maccabi was coached by Neven Spahija. He also trained me at Lietuvos Rytas, so I thought starting a legionnaire’s career with a family trainer should be a bit easier. Of course, there were all kinds of thoughts, I really didn’t know how I was going to be successful. But Šarūnas Jasikevičius was already playing there, which was also kind of a factor. I came, I got used to it, we started training, Shar was always somewhere in the whirlwind of the team, I drove and everything was in order. The team accepted well, the organization at the highest level.
– Have you already met Shara there as a local favorite?
– Everyone knew him. They all repeated: “Shar, Shar!” He really was a god there. The Lithuanian Šarūnas were a very serious figure to them there. Of course, the fans had many of those goddesses, but they must be understood; after all, Maccabi brought them the Euroleague trophies. The fans respected and loved those players.
– Simai, it’s no secret that women called you “dream boyfriend”. What do those languages mean to you?
– I really don’t know who invented it. The saying is, but I never paid attention to it. I had my goal, I always pursued it, and whether it was a dream or some other boyfriend, it didn’t really matter. You are a star for other people, not for yourself. I was just aiming for my goal, I always knew I wanted to play basketball and everything else is just environmental factors.
– Maybe you could point to a year when you felt it was the peak of your career?
– It’s very difficult to say. It is impossible to assess the peak of a career: some years are better, others more difficult, because injuries also occur. The most important thing is that now I feel good and I enjoy it, I have a lot of fun playing.
– And you never thought of throwing everything away?
– Everything happens, really. One day he wants, another day he does not want. A change of mood occurs, all kinds of thoughts occur. It seems that everything will be enough, I don’t want to play anymore. But you just have to understand that here is love, there is passion. In the end, you will always hesitate to decide if you are really going to continue playing. I have heard from so many teammates who have finished their careers that they need to play for as long as their health allows. Everyone says that if you finish your degree too early, you will definitely regret it. That’s as long as that love is alive, as long as my health allows it, and I play. As far as I can, I will dedicate myself to this sport.
– You have won trophies in both club and national basketball. Which prize is the most precious to you today?
– All trophies are equally expensive: they are very healthy and they are themselves. But perhaps the most memorable were those first trophies of his career. When we won the LKL and then the European Cup with Lietuvos Rytas. Those first touches to high-ranking trophies will probably be remembered for a lifetime, because the feeling was really very good.
– And how long do you expect to continue your career?
– I wish – to get on with basketball. As long as there are no injuries, as long as health allows, I will play. Step by step and we move.
– Maybe you already have a plan of where your life will turn after playing the last game?
– It will not be the case that I will finish my degree and sit on my shoulder. I will definitely do something. Maybe it is related to basketball, you would like to be closer to basketball. But we will see what it will be like here in the future.
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