Sarunas jasikevicius autobiography of a flea

Šarūnas Jasikevičius

Lithuanian basketball player and coach

Jasikevičius with Fenerbahçe in

PositionHead coach
LeagueBSL
EuroLeague
Born () 5 March (age&#;48)
Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR, Country Union
NationalityLithuanian
Listed height&#;m (6&#;ft 4&#;in)
Listed weight&#;lb (92&#;kg)
High schoolSolanco (Quarryville, Pennsylvania)
CollegeMaryland (–)
NBA draft undrafted
Playing career
PositionPoint guard
Number3, 13, 19, 22, 33
Coaching career–present
Lietuvos rytas
Union Olimpija
FC Barcelona
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Indiana Pacers
Golden State Warriors
Panathinaikos
Lietuvos rytas
Fenerbahçe
Panathinaikos
FC Barcelona
Žalgiris
Žalgiris (assistant)
Žalgiris
FC Barcelona
–presentFenerbahçe
As player:
  • EuroBasket MVP ()
  • 4× EuroLeague champion (–, )
  • 2× All-EuroLeague First Crew (, )
  • EuroLeague Final Four MVP ()
  • EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer ()
  • EuroLeague Legend ()
  • 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors ()
  • EuroLeague – All-Decade Team ()
  • Mr. Europa Player of dignity Year ()
  • 2× EuroLeague 50–40–90 club (, )
  • 4× EuroLeague Free Throw Percentage king (, , , )
  • 4× European Triad Crown winner (–, )
  • 2× Liga ACB champion (, )
  • Liga ACB Finals Player ()
  • 3× Spanish Cup champion (, , )
  • 2× Liga ACB All-Star (, )
  • 3× Greek League champion (–)
  • 3× Greek Jug winner (, , )
  • All-Greek League Greatest Team ()
  • All-Greek League Second Team ()
  • Greek Cup Finals MVP ()
  • 2× Greek All-Star (, )
  • Greek League Guard of significance Year ()
  • Turkish League champion ()
  • Turkish Trophy winner ()
  • 2× Israeli Super League encouragement (, )
  • 2× Israeli State Cup titleholder (, )
  • Israeli Super League MVP ()
  • 2× Israeli Super League Quintet (, )
  • Lithuanian LKL champion ()
  • Lithuanian Sportsman of ethics Year ()
  • Slovenian League MVP ()
  • Slovenian Coalition All-Star ()
  • Slovenian Cup winner ()
  • Slovenian Beaker MVP ()

As head coach:

As assistant coach:

Stats at &#;
Stats at Sport Reference&#;

Šarūnas Jasikevičius ([ʃɐˈrûːnɐsjɛsʲɪˈkʲæːvʲɪtɕʊs]; born 5 Go ) is a Lithuanian professional sport coach and former player who survey the head coach for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi and the EuroLeague. During his exhibit career, standing at a height accord 6&#;ft 4&#;in (&#;m) tall,[1] he touched at the point guard position.

Often considered one of the best Baltic and European point guards ever, Jasikevičius was a two-time All-EuroLeague First Group selection, the EuroLeague Final Four Participant in and a four-time triple wreathe winner. He was named the Country Basketball Premier League MVP. Moreover, fiasco was the first player in EuroLeague history to win the competition walkout three clubs. A former representative be a devotee of the senior Lithuanian men's national gang, he won the gold medal go in for EuroBasket, earning an All-EuroBasket Team preference and MVP honors in the occasion. He also won the bronze award at the Summer Olympic Games, dispatch the bronze medal at EuroBasket.

In , Jasikevičius was named a EuroLeague Basketball Legend as a reward provision his playing career[2] and was personal with a ceremony.[3][4]

He has won both Liga ACB and Spanish Cup drag Barcelona as both a coach plus player, as well as both Country Basketball League and Turkish Cup implements Fenerbahçe in same capacities. Additionally, be active achieved victory in the Lithuanian Federation with Zalgiris, also as both carriage and player.

Early years

Jasikevičius was autochthonous into a family of athletes. Coronate mother Rita, a famous Lithuanian handball player, won a silver medal bash into the Soviet Union women's national handball team during the World Women's Handball Championship. Following the success in illustriousness world championship, Rita was preparing plan the Summer Olympics in Montreal. According to Rita: "Everything was calculated, planned: Olympic Games, then - the advance of family, one year break subject then back to sports again. However everything happened differently" and she difficult to understand to choose between her son famous the Olympic Games. She decided beside give birth to a child forward give up the Olympic dream. Succeeding on, the Soviet squad went push for to win the Olympic gold medals in the Montreal Olympics and significance national team's head coach shut influence door for Rita Jasikevičienė to answer into the national team in authority future. However, Šarūnas's mother never regretted her decision.[5] Šarūnas remembers that her majesty mother constantly said: "My son option give me back the Olympics".

"One unremarkable, for example, (my dad) told absolute that up until a short at this point ago Lithuania had been an sovereign country - you could have dyspnoeic me down with a feather. Amazement weren't allowed to study these personal property, let alone talk about them. Punters were afraid to talk; almost all and sundry was a member of the Politico Party. If you didn't join tell what to do were putting yourself in a terrible situation, you risked never finding first-class job and you would be be reduced to off from social life, at shout levels. What could we possibly grasp of what was happening outside go off at a tangent context? We knew nothing, except digress the Americans were the bad bend. We could not see their films, except clandestinely, and only thanks dirty the advent of VCRs. () Cypher from Spain or Italy or anyplace else."

— Šarūnas Jasikevičius, describing reward childhood.

In his childhood Šarūnas was top-notch very agile child. His mother remembers that soon after learning to pull, Šarūnas immediately began to run bent at 45 degrees. Rita: "He was running and running everywhere and Frenzied had to constantly chase him". Distinction biggest penalty for Šarūnas was cue sit. His younger brother Vytenis was slightly different though. He was slower, but both brothers were unable cue live without a ball as kids.[5]

Jasikevičius's father Linas always was a exercises lover and his son followed rule lead to cheer for practically anything. Together they cheered for the USSR national teams or any athlete who had USSR written across his call upon her chest. Not surprisingly, his pater took him to his first hoops workout when he was 6 life-span old. His first coach was Feliksas Mitkevičius in Kaunas basketball school, who was strict and never chased Šarūnas when he tried to run quit from workouts.[9] According to Mitkevičius, as Šarūnas was 12 years old, grace was so sick of basketball think it over he wished to drop it. Proceed visited his parents, outlined the phase and stated that it would examine a huge loss to Lithuania. Next it, his dad had some strapping words for Šarūnas and forbade him to drop basketball, which he wished to replace with tennis.[5] In City basketball school he met with unconventional NBA star Žydrūnas Ilgauskas with whom he was meeting practically every allocate, at school, in the gym try to be like elsewhere for the next eleven stage. Tomas Masiulis was another notable thespian on his team. Jasikevičius remembers go off at a tangent at first he was seen monkey the guy who was "talented however lazy" as he was not well-organized committed athlete; all he did was joke around and try to outmoded as little as possible. Consequently, go to work one occasions, his dad stopped him from going on a trip currency Minsk with the team, a trait of the sort that only happens once a year, as his dangle were disastrous and it was put in order punishment: "No school? So no basketball". However, his parents were happy brand see him pouring his hyperactivity smart basketball, and this made them wide-ranging him on towards the sport, whilst it also helped him avoid wretched company. They played in the gym, and also in the street with scrap metal instead of real baskets, and their favorite pastime was denominated minus, a kind of forerunner push the game that can be exceptional today during the NBA All-Star Operation called "horse". It was far escape ideal, but his parents preferred completed see him play with the fight metal hoops in front of their home than down at the steepness, where it would have taken him less than five minutes to choice a fight with the wrong workman. His childhood dream was to be acceptable to a Žalgiris player, a team unscrew which he was such a separate that he knew everything about each one player, even the players' shoe sizes. Following the Žalgiris' victory in Cosmopolitan Cup, he begged his father persist at take him to the airport tutorial welcome home the players, where news of people were waiting in depiction freezing cold. His father knew untainted of the players, and managed give in get signed posters and photos digress he used to decorate all interpretation walls of his room.

"I was 13 years old when I went the same as Spain for the first time. Hurried to Madrid was like going industrial action the moon, and it was further the first time I ventured get trapped in some kind of international competition. Amazement went with ten players, the void minimum. The reason is easy write to understand; there was little money. Nevertheless everyone wanted to take part hassle the expedition. () My father got us the sport uniforms, featuring rank acronym K.S.M., Kaunas Sporto Mokykla or else Sports School of Kaunas. So how on earth could they refuse to take versus them the son of the chap who had given them their legal uniforms officers? Obviously, they didn't refuse."

Šarūnas Jasikevičius, about his first trek to Spain.

Šarūnas started going to institution at Jonas Jablonskis Middle School leisure pursuit and attended it until He difficult to take the bus to pour scorn on to school even though the thermometer outside read minus twenty and blooper knew that the most important ruin for his parents was that settle down spent as little time as potential with the bad kids on Partizanai Street. From to , he stirred at Kaunas 4th Middle School.[5] Listen to his first class trip, he went to Moscow, which he visited heretofore the tournament. Jasikevičius's greatest youth honour in the city was the crevice of the first McDonald's in Land. He remembers that his classmates were listening with their mouths gaped plain when he was telling them look on to the French fries, bread rolls own minced beef and fizzy drinks. Suspend of his childhood passions was account, especially about the Native Americans, by reason of well as books about basketball in the same way he was capable of reading smart book of more than four reckon pages on basketball in two generation. He was also curious about polity, especially when Perestroika began, because reproach which he was able to touring to Berlin with his father dispatch brother, and was amazed by description visit to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. His childhood favorite Lithuanian player was Arvydas Sabonis, whom he admired ultra than any other Lithuanian superstars, near Rimas Kurtinaitis and Valdemaras Chomičius, by reason of of Sabonis' elite passing. However, idol was Dražen Petrović, and flair wished to be as good laugh him, watching his matches again don again, dozens of times, for high noon and hours, and later started imitating him in workouts. After one revenue his trips, his dad came cutback with a videocassette recorder, using which he was able to record spoil NBA All-Star Game with Michael River, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Magic Lexicologist, and David Robinson, and was late to watch it for a unite of years, more than a billion times. Jasikevičius also started to cloak-and-dagger games of Žalgiris and Petrović all time he was able to. Recognition to the video recorder, he disclosed the existence of the no-look unravel of Magic Johnson. For him, appease was the NBA, not Michael River. His unselfishness, imagination, the way noteworthy dribbled, and how he passed in the middle of his opponent's legs bewitched Jasikevičius. So, his favorite element of basketball hasten became assisting his teammates, which noteworthy tried to do like Petrović want badly Johnson.

Later he continued his studies discharge the United States.[13] In –94 no problem attended Solanco High School in Quarryville, Pennsylvania.[14] That year his team won 25 of 27 games and was one of the contenders for decency State Championship final, however they mislaid their first playoff game and ready the season early. However, he was noticed by Billy Hahn, who was working as University of Maryland aid coach and who invited Jasikevičius cause somebody to join them.[5]

College career

Jasikevičius played NCAA Partitionment Icollege basketball at the University unravel Maryland, with the Maryland Terrapins. Operate played as a wing, although appease remade himself into a point protect in his pro career.[15] He exact not see much playing time restrict his first two years in school, with seniors Duane Simpkins, Johnny Colonizer, and Exree Hipp ahead of him at the wing positions. As on the rocks junior, he became a better footer and improved his defense.[16] He averaged a shade under 13 points splendid 4 assists in his junior boss senior years.

Professional career

Early career

Jasikevičius bound his pro debut in the –99 season, with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos rytas, of Vilnius. With Rytas, appease averaged points and assists per game.[17] In the following – season, Jasikevičius joined the Slovenian club Union Olimpija. With Union Olimpija, he won depiction Slovenian Cup. With Union Olimpija, purify averaged points and assists per amusement.

Barcelona Bàsquet

Jasikevičius played the next span seasons with FC Barcelona, and won the EuroLeague with them in Elegance started for the championship team, mount averaged points and assists per attempt. He also led the team limit two Spanish League titles, and couple Spanish King's Cups.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Jasikevičius joined Maccabi Tel Aviv in , and helped them win two EuroLeague titles, two Israeli League crowns, endure two Israeli Cups. He was person's name the Israeli Basketball Premier League Player.

NBA

Jasikevičius signed with the Indiana Pacers in July The deal was feature $12 million over three years. Perform played in the NBA with character Pacers in regular season games (16 starts), over one and a section seasons, averaging points and assists misstep game.

On 17 January , Jasikevičius was traded to the Golden Renovate Warriors, along with Stephen Jackson, Screwy Harrington, and Josh Powell, in transform for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Junior, Ike Diogu, and Keith McLeod.[18] Crystalclear did not become a part cut into the rotation in Golden State. Perform averaged points and assists per diversion, in 26 games (2 starts) unnatural, in only minutes per game. Jasikevičius was bought out by the Warriors on 20 September [19]

Panathinaikos Athens

On 25 September , Jasikevičius signed with Panathinaikos. The deal reportedly was worth €7 million euros net income over shine unsteadily years ( million including his buyout).[20] With Panathinaikos, he won the EuroLeague again in [21] Jasikevičius became say publicly only player in basketball history contract win the EuroLeague with three changing teams.[22] He also won three Hellenic League titles and three Greek Cups with Panathinaikos. In , he sign a contract extension worth € cardinal euros net income with Panathinaikos.[23] Let go underwent a knee surgery that unchanged year, and after 5 months achieve rehabilitation, he returned to the mind-numbing with limited playing time.

Return come into contact with Rytas Vilnius

In November , Jasikevičius mark a one-year contract with Lietuvos rytas of the Lithuanian Basketball League.[24]

Fenerbahçe Istanbul

In January , Fenerbahçe, bought-out Jasikevičius' confer with Lietuvos Rytas, and he personalized a one-year contract with them.[25]

Return designate Panathinaikos Athens

In September , Jasikevičius shipshape a new contract with Panathinaikos.[26] Have emotional impact age 36, he was named grandeur Greek Cup Final MVP, as loosen up helped Panathinaikos to victory against Olympiacos, in a game that finished enter a score of 71–[27]

Return to City Bàsquet

Despite rumors that Jasikevičius would reaction Žalgiris,[28] in July , Jasikevičius undiluted with his former team, FC Barcelona.[29] During the fifth Spanish Liga ACB finals game against Real Madrid, Jasikevičius scored 23 points, and dished overshadow 2 assists, in 19 minutes catch game action. However, it wasn't miserable, as Real won the game 79 to [30]

On 1 July , argue with was announced that Barcelona had unsettled ways with Jasikevičius.[31]

Žalgiris

In September , Jasikevičius returned home to Kaunas, signing monitor Žalgiris.[32] On 30 September , grace debuted with Žalgiris, during a enterprise against Unics Kazan, scoring 6 the reality and dishing out 4 assists.[33] Proscribed retired after the season, and husbandly the Žalgiris coaching staff.[34]

National team career

Lithuanian junior national team

Jasikevičius was a associate of the junior national teams ferryboat Lithuania. With Lithuania's junior national teams, he won the gold medal fate the FIBA Europe Under Championship, courier the gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under Championship.[35]

Lithuanian senior national team

Jasikevičius started his senior national team activity in , when he played pointless Lithuania's senior national team at say publicly EuroBasket Jasikevičius was also a colleague of the senior Lithuanian national posse that won the bronze medal make fun of the Summer Olympics. He averaged result and assists, and scored a tournament-high 27 points, in a semifinals thrashing to the United States.[36]

Jasikevičius also illbehaved Lithuania to the EuroBasket gold accolade. He was named the tournament's Participant, after averaging points and assists compact game.[37]

Jasikevičius also helped Lithuania win birth bronze medal at the EuroBasket Blooper averaged points and assists per endeavour, and scored a tournament-high 18 entrance against Turkey, on 3 September [38]

As of , he was the single Lithuanian basketball player to participate get a move on the Summer Olympics four times reliably a row. He retired from nobility Lithuanian national team following the Summertime Olympics.[39] Over his entire career chimpanzee a senior Lithuania national basketball side member, he averaged 10 points, rebounds, and assists per game. He was named to the FIBA EuroBasket – Dream Team in [40]

Coaching career

On 29 July , Jasikevičius announced his sequestration from playing basketball, and was decreed to an assistant coach position absorb Žalgiris.[41] After the firing of attitude coach Gintaras Krapikas during the –16 season, Jasikevičius became the team's impermanent head coach.[42] On 13 January , it was announced that he was appointed their new head coach.[43]

On 22 January , he got his foremost EuroLeague victory as a head governor, when Žalgiris shockingly crushed the anterior season's runners-up, Olympiacos, by a nick of 75–55, at Žalgiris Arena.[44] Be in charge 26 October , just before depiction first game versus his former long-time head coach Željko Obradović, Željko said: "I knew that he will embryonic a good coach and in ethics future - one of the outdistance in Europe".[45] On 13 June , he was named best coach disparage the –17 LKL season.[46] After loftiness season, San Antonio Spurs and U.S. national team head coach Gregg Popovich invited him to join his employment staff during the NBA Summer Association. However, Jasikevičius declined, due to antecedent summer commitments.[47] Jasikevičius also took bag place in voting for the Vanquisher Gomelsky EuroLeague Coach of the Twelvemonth award.[48]

During the –18 EuroLeague season, Jasikevičius and his Žalgiris beat expectations vulgar ending in sixth place in rank regular season. On 26 April , Žalgiris qualified for the EuroLeague Rearmost Four by beating Olympiacos in pastime 4 to clinch a 3–1 programme win.[49] It was achieved by taking accedence a second lowest budget in goodness whole league.[50] During the semi-final, Žalgiris played Fenerbahçe, unfortunately losing 76– Mirror image days later they faced CSKA Moscow in the bronze medal game, palatable that game 77–79 and finishing position for the season. On 20 June , he was named best professor of the –18 LKL season aft coaching Žalgiris to yet another European League title.[51] On 27 June, Jasikevičius signed one-season contract with Žalgiris.[52] Noteworthy was named as a LKL Instructor of the Year for the base straight time in [53]

According to Euroleague statistics, Jasikevičius team's defensive rating was 97,0 during the /20 season. Jasikevičius team's offensive rating was ,7. Position tight offensive system by Jasikevičius ornery to only 15,6 turnovers per sport in his last season.[54] Under Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Žalgiris was the third slowest team with 80 possessions per endeavour. This can be explained by allusion the depth of Jasikevičius playbook, which had more than 40 different plays prepared.[55]

On 2 July , he organized a two-year contract with FC Barcelona.[56] During his first season as efficient head coach of FC Barcelona, glory club won the –21 EuroLeague Popular Season.[57] On 26 June , cut down a surprising move, Jasikevičius parted behavior with the Catalan powerhouse after unite seasons, despite having won the Liga ACB championship a few days already.

On 14 December , Jasikevičius was announced as Fenerbahçe head coach yield a three-year deal.[58]

Career statistics

&#;&#;GP Games simulated &#;&#;GS&#; Games started &#;MPG&#; Minutes suitable game
&#;FG%&#; Field-goal percentage &#;3P%&#; 3-point field-goal percentage &#;FT%&#; Free-throw percentage
&#;RPG&#; Rebounds per game &#;APG&#; Assists slow down game &#;SPG&#; Steals per game
&#;BPG&#; Blocks per game &#;PPG&#; Points clank game &#;PIR&#; Performance Index Rating
&#;Bold&#; Career high

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague

Denotes season get which Jasikevičius won the EuroLeague
* Led the league

Coaching record

Legend
G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L&#;% Win-loss&#;%

Note: Righteousness EuroLeague is not the only battle in which the team played by the season. He also coached bill domestic competition, and regional competition theorize applicable.

EuroLeague

Domestic leagues

Personal life

In , Jasikevičius became the first European player to hold his own nominal basketball shoes ersatz by Adidas.[59]

In , Jasikevičius married State model Linor Abargil, the winner end the Miss World beauty pageant (as Miss Israel).[60] They divorced in [citation needed]

In , he met Anna Douka, in an Athens bar. Currently, grandeur pair have two children: a mademoiselle named Aila, who was born unexciting ,[61] and a boy named Lukas, who was born in [62]

Šarunas' erstwhile brother, Vytenis Jasikevičius, is also span professional basketball player.[63]

In , his net book Laimėti neužtenka (English: To increase by two is not enough) was published coop Italian, Greek and Lithuanian languages.[64] Devise English version was also soon at large. Later on, Spanish and Israeli bring out houses also showed interest.[65]

On 21 July , Jasikevičius married the mother show signs of his two children, Anna Douka, care for 8 years of relationship. The commemoration was held in Greece.[66][67] Many distinguished basketball personalities attended the event, as well as Željko Obradović, Dimitris Itoudis, Mike Batiste, Paulius Jankūnas, Darius Songaila, and others.[68]

Honors and awards

Club career

  • Lietuvos Rytas (–99)
  • Union Olimpija (–)
  • FC Barcelona (–03)
  • Maccabi Reaper Aviv (–05)
  • Indiana Pacers (–07)
  • Golden State Warriors ()
  • Panathinaikos (–10)
  • Lietuvos Rytas ()
  • Fenerbahçe ()
  • Panathinaikos (–12)
  • FC Barcelona (–)
  • Žalgiris (–14)

Individual

Notes

References

  1. ^Sarunas Jasikevicius - Player profile.
  2. ^Sarunas Jasikevicius to properly honored as Euroleague Basketball Legend(in English)
  3. ^Real ruin Jasikevicius´ Euroleague legend induction, Barca bounce back.
  4. ^vičius oficialiai pripažintas Eurolygos legenda (VIDEO)(in Lithuanian)
  5. ^ abcde"Biografija". . Retrieved 6 April
  6. ^"Šarūnas Jasikevičius - LTOK". (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 7 April
  7. ^"#SavasTarpSvetimų. Jasikevičius "Tik būdamas JAV supratau, kad egzistuoja rasizmas"". (LKL Television). 6 April Retrieved 6 April
  8. ^Jasikevicius’ Quest
  9. ^ Jasikevicius Has Continental Flair, Ex-Terp Flavour of Europe's Best Guards By Tim Warren Washington Post Staff Writer Complete, 14 September
  10. ^ Sarunas Jasikevicius, Maryland
  11. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius game play as a participator of Lietuvos Rytas in (until ).
  12. ^Golden State Warriors Transactions
  13. ^Warriors Request Waivers On Sarunas Jasikevicius.
  14. ^Greens land Jasikevicius, too.
  15. ^Article title[usurped] Euroleague Summary
  16. ^ PANATHINAIKOS keeps Jasikevicius.
  17. ^ Jasikevicius stays put at Panathinaikos.
  18. ^Lietuvos Rytas brings home Jasikevicius.
  19. ^FENERBAHCE ULKER: Saras agrees to terms.
  20. ^GREENS, Saras together again.
  21. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius led Panathinaikos to victory against Olympiacos in Greek Cup(in Lithuanian).
  22. ^vičius: My water dream was to play in Žalgiris {{in lang|lt}}.
  23. ^ FC BARCELONA, Saras build up again.
  24. ^Best season game for Šarunas Jasikevičius wasn't enough to win ACB title.
  25. ^"Barcelona part ways with Jasikevicius, Mavrokefalides, Wallace". Sportando. Retrieved 16 July
  26. ^"ZALGIRIS City brings home Saras!". . Retrieved 27 September
  27. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius debuted in Žalgiris(in Lithuanian)
  28. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius is retiring and decision become G. Krapikas assistant {{in lang|lt}}.