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Last week, the skies over Betsafe-LKL were almost rocked by a great sensation: the Prietai CBet team, led by Mantas Šernius, survived the victory over league favorite Kaunas “Žalgiris”, winning 103: 100 after the extension.
Only after the final siren sounded did the 19-year-old defender lead the opponents in this match. Tomas Digbeu.
The legionnaire of the French Provisional Capital team caused a big headache on defense: he scored 27 points (4/10 trit.), He caught 11 balls under the baskets and gave 2 assists, thus ensuring the utility of 35 points and ensuring MVP title of the week.
It was the Kaunas team, hoping T. Digbeu would carry on, and loaned it to the people of Prieniai for the second year in a row. Speaking to LKL.lt, T. Digbeu admitted that he feels additional motivation when competing against the club to which he belongs.
“It just came to our notice then. When you play with a team that competes in the Euroleague or the Champions League, you feel more excited,” said the 199cm tall defender.
This season for young talents is his first in the Betsafe-LKL Championship, so the numbers he shows as a rookie are solid. In just over 19 minutes, he passed over the floor on average, scoring 8.5 points, bouncing 2.4 balls and making 1.2 assists.
After all, there was a Frenchman in Lithuania last year, but this time the season was not successful from the start. His knee injury in the fall left him out of place for a long time, and life in a small Lithuanian town far from home was not the most fascinating thought.
“It just came to our notice then. I wasn’t at home, I wasn’t playing basketball and I had nothing here. I was just training in the gym and I wasn’t feeling comfortable,” Digbeu recalled the difficult period last year.
“Tom is a talented basketball player, only he has to understand that he cannot train like he did before coming to Prienai. If he continues to work like this, I think he will be an interesting basketball player, maybe he will return to” Žalgiris “next time. season. M.Šernius expressed his expectations for his student after the game.
However, this year the basketball player from Prietai CBet seems much more optimistic, the difficult stage has helped to establish priorities and return to the path of hard work. According to the Frenchman, only by sweating a lot can he hope to achieve his dream: the NBA.
T. Digbeu’s thoughts on the match with “Žalgiris”, the start of the season in Prienai, the M.Šernius fight and what else can be improved, in a detailed conversation with LKL.lt
– You made very important throws during the game, and in the last one you were able to start the second extra time. What thoughts revolve around the decisive minutes of a match?
– The coach trusted me, I played more than 30 minutes, so he automatically drew combinations for me too. I love moments like this. I want to have the ball at that point and shoot shots. In the last attack, we did not understand each other, we were able to create a better launch and start another extension.
– How many greetings with a great personal performance did you receive after the game?
– Much. It was also written by people I know and many other unknown people. It’s always fun getting messages like this for a good game. Still, we didn’t win, so I wasn’t completely happy.
– So far you are playing a good start to the season in Prienai, where you have your role and get a lot of minutes. How important is it to you to feel involved in the team game and to be responsible for its results?
– We try to play every game as a team. I don’t think we played like that at first. We get to know each other better in every match, so I’m sure we’ll soon improve our game even more. We have the talent to be good in this league.
– This is the second year in Lithuania for you, how would you describe your experience here?
– I was traumatized last year, so I couldn’t play and get to know the league. This year I can try my luck here and I have already realized that Betsafe-LKL is a very good league for young players. Basketball is the most popular sport among you, so it is a lot of fun to play here in Lithuania.
– In your first year, there were several languages here that you may not be satisfied with with your stay in Prienai. What can you say about that period? Maybe your attitude has changed since then?
– Last year was difficult, but after experiencing a trauma and spending a lot of time in reflection, this year I already feel more mature. I realized that CBet would give me the opportunity to play for the team. I appreciated it and started working hard.
– What were the main reasons for your stay in Lithuania?
– No minutes were promised. I spent the first week of this season with “Žalgiris”, and then I went to a week-long test in Prienai, after which I had to find out if I would stay there. I went well, so I stayed.
– Your father was also a great player. How much does it involve you in your decision making?
– I include it a lot. If I have questions, I don’t know where to play or what to do in difficult situations, I will ask them. He is very experienced and can give helpful advice.
– You had a lot of time to improve before the start of the season. How did you miss this unusually long offseason?
– I was in quarantine in Spain for two months. During that time, he only trained with weights because he still couldn’t run. In the summer, I worked in the gym with a basketball coach, I spent all that time training. I concentrated on improving my throw because my knee hadn’t fully healed yet. I threw a lot, and when I recovered 100%, I tried to include legs in the improvement of the launch.
– How much do you communicate with the Žalgiris representatives during the season? Do you get attention from them while playing in Prienai?
– It’s more the work of my agents. They tell you if something is wrong or if there is something to talk about. I myself do not communicate with them directly.
– The team is led by a young coach M.Šernius. How would you describe your relationship with this professional? How much does it push you forward and help you improve?
– He helps me a lot, sometimes he tells me more comments than others, it shows that I care about him. It’s hard sometimes, but it’s basketball, I take the information and try to work even harder.
– You have already managed to get into the team of the week, and your position in the match with Klaipeda “Neptune” became the most beautiful episode of October. He seems to be very confident in his strength in the square. Where does it come from?
– Self-confidence comes from myself, it’s just my game, I try to do everything I can, to show what I can. I don’t think it comes from anywhere else.
– What other aspects of the game would you like to improve to make you feel more confident on the court?
– I want to improve the pitch even more, it would help me to become a better player.
– In Europe, he is considered a high-level talent. What is your long-term goal? NBA, Euroleague, achievements with the French team?
– My goal is the NBA. I am trying to achieve this goal. The coach gives me the opportunity to play here and I am grateful to him for that. So far I don’t think about Žalgiris, everything will depend on me, if I will be good enough and ready for it. There are many great coaches at Žalgiris who can help me; this is also an opportunity for me.
I don’t think about the national team, I like to go to many different places in the summers, train with different coaches and players. If such an opportunity arises, maybe, but now I just want to train.
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