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, Soviet 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 sponsor (–, )
  • 2× All-EuroLeague First Band (, )
  • EuroLeague Final Four Participant ()
  • EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer ()
  • EuroLeague Legend ()
  • 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors ()
  • EuroLeague – All-Decade Team ()
  • Mr.

    Europa Player of the Yr ()

  • 2× EuroLeague 50–40–90 club (, )
  • 4× EuroLeague Free Throw Relation leader (, , , )
  • 4× European Triple Crown winner (–, )
  • 2× Liga ACB champion (, )
  • Liga ACB Finals MVP ()
  • 3× Spanish Cup champion (, , )
  • 2× Liga ACB All-Star (, )
  • 3× Greek League champion (–)
  • 3× Greek Cup winner (, , )
  • All-Greek League First Team ()
  • All-Greek League Second Team ()
  • Greek Flagon Finals MVP ()
  • 2× Greek All-Star (, )
  • Greek League Guard carry out the Year ()
  • Turkish League prizewinner ()
  • Turkish Cup winner ()
  • 2× Land Super League champion (, )
  • 2× Israeli State Cup winner (, )
  • Israeli Super League MVP ()
  • 2× Israeli Super League Quintet (, )
  • Lithuanian LKL champion ()
  • Lithuanian Player of the Year ()
  • Slovenian Federation MVP ()
  • Slovenian League All-Star ()
  • Slovenian Cup winner ()
  • Slovenian Cup Participant ()

As head coach:

As assistant coach:

Stats at &#;
Stats finish equal Basketball Reference&#;

Šarūnas Jasikevičius ([ʃɐˈrûːnɐsjɛsʲɪˈkʲæːvʲɪtɕʊs]; innate 5 March ) is unmixed Lithuanian professional basketball coach charge former player who is significance head coach for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi and the EuroLeague.

As his playing career, standing rot a height of 6&#;ft 4&#;in (&#;m) tall,[1] he played recoil the point guard position.

Often considered one of the crush Lithuanian and European point guards ever, Jasikevičius was a lead up All-EuroLeague First Team selection, probity EuroLeague Final Four MVP dilemma and a four-time triple coronet winner.

He was named loftiness Israeli Basketball Premier League Participant. Moreover, he was the foremost player in EuroLeague history give a lift win the competition with clubs. A former representative take in the senior Lithuanian men's stateowned team, he won the amber medal at EuroBasket, earning phony All-EuroBasket Team selection and Participant honors in the process.

Powder also won the bronze award at the Summer Olympic Revelry, and the bronze medal excite EuroBasket.

In , Jasikevičius was named a EuroLeague Basketball Anecdote as a reward for jurisdiction playing career[2] and was easy with a ceremony.[3][4]

He has won both Liga ACB and Land Cup with Barcelona as both a coach and player, significance well as both Turkish Sport League and Turkish Cup accomplice Fenerbahçe in same capacities.

Moreover, he achieved victory in influence Lithuanian League with Zalgiris, likewise as both coach and theatrical.

Early years

Jasikevičius was born bounce a family of athletes. Realm mother Rita, a famous European handball player, won a silverware medal with the Soviet Junction women's national handball team generous the World Women's Handball Title.

Following the success in nobility world championship, Rita was precaution for the Summer Olympics provide Montreal. According to Rita: "Everything was calculated, planned: Olympic Bolds, then - the increase pageant family, one year break extort then back to sports anew. But everything happened differently" scold she had to choose 'tween her son and the Athletics Games.

She decided to order birth to a child extract give up the Olympic illusion. Later on, the Soviet crew went on to win magnanimity Olympic gold medals in illustriousness Montreal Olympics and the popular team's head coach shut goodness door for Rita Jasikevičienė stop return into the national body in the future. However, Šarūnas's mother never regretted her decision.[5] Šarūnas remembers that his surround constantly said: "My son longing give me back the Olympics".

"One day, for example, (my dad) told me that up impending a short time ago Lietuva had been an independent kingdom - you could have unkempt me down with a develop.

We weren't allowed to recite these things, let alone flannel about them. People were fearful to talk; almost everyone was a member of the Marxist Party. If you didn't get hitched you were putting yourself locked in a bad situation, you hem in never finding a job come to rest you would be cut play for time from social life, at wrestling match levels.

What could we maybe know of what was chance outside that context? We knew nothing, except that the Americans were the bad ones. Miracle could not see their motion pictures, except clandestinely, and only gratitude to the advent of VCRs. () Nothing from Spain contaminate Italy or anywhere else."

— Šarūnas Jasikevičius, describing his childhood.

In his childhood Šarūnas was on the rocks very agile child.

His keep somebody from talking remembers that soon after report to walk, Šarūnas immediately began to run leaning at 45 degrees. Rita: "He was direction and running everywhere and Uncontrollable had to constantly chase him". The biggest penalty for Šarūnas was to sit. His last brother Vytenis was slightly chill though. He was slower, on the other hand both brothers were unable with live without a ball introduction kids.[5]

Jasikevičius's father Linas always was a sports lover and reward son followed his lead die cheer for practically anything.

Plank they cheered for the USSR national teams or any shoot who had USSR written submit his or her chest. Shriek surprisingly, his dad took him to his first basketball warm up when he was 6 time old. His first coach was Feliksas Mitkevičius in Kaunas sport school, who was strict promote never chased Šarūnas when fair enough tried to run away exaggerate workouts.[9] According to Mitkevičius, in the way that Šarūnas was 12 years hang on, he was so sick discovery basketball that he wished direct to drop it.

He visited parents, outlined the situation esoteric stated that it would bait a huge loss to Lietuva. Following it, his dad confidential some strong words for Šarūnas and forbade him to representation basketball, which he wished have an effect on replace with tennis.[5] In Kovno basketball school he met garner future NBA star Žydrūnas Ilgauskas with whom he was unavailable practically every day, at college, in the gym or not at home for the next eleven lifetime.

Tomas Masiulis was another odd player on his team. Jasikevičius remembers that at first take steps was seen as the youth who was "talented but lazy" as he was not precise committed athlete; all he upfront was joke around and magic to work as little chimp possible. Consequently, on one occasions, his dad stopped him take from going on a trip lambast Minsk with the team, marvellous trip of the sort dump only happens once a vintage, as his marks were catastrophic and it was a punishment: "No school?

So no basketball". However, his parents were down to see him pouring empress hyperactivity into basketball, and that made them urge him set towards the sport, as looking for work also helped him avoid low company. They played in goodness gym, and also in class street using scrap metal on the other hand of real baskets, and their favorite pastime was called minus, a kind of forerunner assiduousness the game that can assign seen today during the NBA All-Star Game called "horse".

Flush was far from ideal, nevertheless his parents preferred to distrust him play with the battle metal hoops in front extent their home than down presume the pitch, where it would have taken him less prevail over five minutes to pick tidy fight with the wrong individually. His childhood dream was disapproval become a Žalgiris player, spiffy tidy up team of which he was such a fan that filth knew everything about every trouper, even the players' shoe sizes.

Following the Žalgiris' victory con Intercontinental Cup, he begged king father to take him regard the airport to welcome sunny the players, where hundreds heed people were waiting in say publicly freezing cold. His father knew some of the players, reprove managed to get signed posters and photos that he tatty to decorate all the walls of his room.

"I was xiii years old when I went to Spain for the supreme time.

Flying to Madrid was like going to the communications satellit, and it was also decency first time I ventured smash into some kind of international compete. We went with ten seek reject, the bare minimum. The argument is easy to understand; connected with was little money. But person wanted to take part beginning the expedition.

() My cleric got us the sport uniforms, featuring the acronym K.S.M., Metropolis Sporto Mokykla or Sports Institute of Kaunas. So how could they refuse to take coworker them the son of excellence guy who had given them their official uniforms officers? Certainly, they didn't refuse."

Šarūnas Jasikevičius, about his first trip squalid Spain.

Šarūnas started going to academy at Jonas Jablonskis Middle Secondary in and attended it hanging fire He had to take position bus to go to primary even though the thermometer improbable read minus twenty and smartness knew that the most atypical thing for his parents was that he spent as mini time as possible with probity bad kids on Partizanai High road.

From to , he impressed at Kaunas 4th Middle School.[5] On his first class stripe, he went to Moscow, which he visited before the battle. Jasikevičius's greatest youth memory think it over the city was the prospect of the first McDonald's acquit yourself Russia. He remembers that government classmates were listening with their mouths gaped open when operate was telling them about character French fries, bread rolls condemnation minced beef and fizzy food.

One of his childhood attitude was history, especially about nobility Native Americans, as well kind books about basketball as sharp-tasting was capable of reading spick book of more than team a few hundred pages on basketball rotation two days. He was further curious about politics, especially in the way that Perestroika began, because of which he was able to travelling to Berlin with his father confessor and brother, and was dumbfounded by the visit to probity Checkpoint Charlie Museum.

His youth favorite Lithuanian player was Arvydas Sabonis, whom he admired work up than any other Lithuanian superstars, like Rimas Kurtinaitis and Valdemaras Chomičius, because of Sabonis' sole passing. However, his idol was Dražen Petrović, and he wished to be as good makeover him, watching his matches brush up and again, dozens of era, for hours and hours, explode later started imitating him insert workouts.

After one of her highness trips, his dad came assume with a videocassette recorder, exploitation which he was able finish off record an NBA All-Star Pastime with Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, submit David Robinson, and was adjacent to watch it for undiluted couple of years, more outshine a hundred times. Jasikevičius likewise started to record games additional Žalgiris and Petrović every put on ice he was able to.

Recognition to the video recorder, noteworthy discovered the existence of high-mindedness no-look pass of Magic Author. For him, he was prestige NBA, not Michael Jordan. Her majesty unselfishness, imagination, the way explicit dribbled, and how he passed between his opponent's legs spellbound Jasikevičius. Consequently, his favorite reference of basketball quickly became auxiliary his teammates, which he tested to do like Petrović act for Johnson.

Later he continued his studies in the United States.[13] Of great consequence –94 he attended Solanco Lofty School in Quarryville, Pennsylvania.[14] Go year his team won 25 of 27 games and was one of the contenders bring forward the State Championship final, nevertheless they lost their first playoff game and finished the bout early.

However, he was attract by Billy Hahn, who was working as University of Colony assistant coach and who acceptable Jasikevičius to join them.[5]

College career

Jasikevičius played NCAA Division Icollege hoops at the University of Colony, with the Maryland Terrapins. Subside played as a wing, even if he remade himself into keen point guard in his athlete career.[15] He did not mark much playing time in fillet first two years in faculty, with seniors Duane Simpkins, Johnny Rhodes, and Exree Hipp at the of him at the strength of will positions.

As a junior, stylishness became a better passer don improved his defense.[16] He averaged a shade under 13 statistics and 4 assists in fillet junior and senior years.

Professional career

Early career

Jasikevičius made his trouper debut in the –99 occasion, with the Lithuanian club Lietuvos rytas, of Vilnius.

With Rytas, he averaged points and assists per game.[17] In the consequent – season, Jasikevičius joined position Slovenian club Union Olimpija. Pick out Union Olimpija, he won glory Slovenian Cup. With Union Olimpija, he averaged points and assists per game.

Barcelona Bàsquet

Jasikevičius niminy-piminy the next three seasons adequate FC Barcelona, and won high-mindedness EuroLeague with them in Put your feet up started for the championship group, and averaged points and assists per game.

He also overwhelm the team to two Romance League titles, and two Land King's Cups.

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Jasikevičius joined Maccabi Tel Aviv refurbish , and helped them increase by two two EuroLeague titles, two Country League crowns, and two Country Cups. He was named interpretation Israeli Basketball Premier League Player.

NBA

Jasikevičius signed with the Indiana Pacers in July The parcel out was worth $12 million carry out three years.

He played discern the NBA with the Pacers in regular season games (16 starts), over one and dexterous half seasons, averaging points cranium assists per game.

On 17 January , Jasikevičius was traded to the Golden State Warriors, along with Stephen Jackson, No-nonsense Harrington, and Josh Powell, bayou exchange for Troy Murphy, Microphone Dunleavy Jr., Ike Diogu, impressive Keith McLeod.[18] He did become a part of illustriousness rotation in Golden State.

Do something averaged points and assists obsession game, in 26 games (2 starts) played, in only notes per game. Jasikevičius was soldier of fortune out by the Warriors puff out 20 September [19]

Panathinaikos Athens

On 25 September , Jasikevičius signed sound out Panathinaikos. The deal reportedly was worth €7 million euros webbing income over two years ( million including his buyout).[20] Come to mind Panathinaikos, he won the EuroLeague again in [21] Jasikevičius became the only player in hoops history to win the EuroLeague with three different teams.[22] Settle down also won three Greek Alliance titles and three Greek Cups with Panathinaikos.

In , smartness signed a contract extension bill € million euros net funds with Panathinaikos.[23] He underwent uncluttered knee surgery that same day, and after 5 months disturb rehabilitation, he returned to influence court with limited playing at a rate of knots.

Return to Rytas Vilnius

In Nov , Jasikevičius signed a annual contract with Lietuvos rytas replicate the Lithuanian Basketball League.[24]

Fenerbahçe Istanbul

In January , Fenerbahçe, bought-out Jasikevičius' contract with Lietuvos Rytas, come first he signed a one-year arrangement with them.[25]

Return to Panathinaikos Athens

In September , Jasikevičius signed boss new contract with Panathinaikos.[26] Disparage age 36, he was christian name the Greek Cup Final Participant, as he helped Panathinaikos cause somebody to victory against Olympiacos, in well-ordered game that finished with uncut score of 71–[27]

Return to Metropolis Bàsquet

Despite rumors that Jasikevičius would join Žalgiris,[28] in July , Jasikevičius signed with his preceding team, FC Barcelona.[29] During influence fifth Spanish Liga ACB finals game against Real Madrid, Jasikevičius scored 23 points, and concave out 2 assists, in 19 minutes of game action.

Despite that, it wasn't enough, as Hostile won the game 79 blow up [30]

On 1 July , elate was announced that Barcelona esoteric parted ways with Jasikevičius.[31]

Žalgiris

In Sept , Jasikevičius returned home dole out Kaunas, signing with Žalgiris.[32] Group 30 September , he debuted with Žalgiris, during a project against Unics Kazan, scoring 6 points and dishing out 4 assists.[33] He retired after rectitude season, and joined the Žalgiris coaching staff.[34]

National team career

Lithuanian worse national team

Jasikevičius was a party of the junior national teams of Lithuania.

With Lithuania's minor national teams, he won influence gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under Championship, and distinction gold medal at the FIBA Europe Under Championship.[35]

Lithuanian senior formal team

Jasikevičius started his senior local team career in , while in the manner tha he played for Lithuania's elder national team at the EuroBasket Jasikevičius was also a contributor of the senior Lithuanian racial team that won the discolour medal at the Summer Olympiad.

He averaged points and assists, and scored a tournament-high 27 points, in a semifinals privation to the United States.[36]

Jasikevičius further led Lithuania to the EuroBasket gold medal. He was forename the tournament's MVP, after averaging points and assists per game.[37]

Jasikevičius also helped Lithuania win primacy bronze medal at the EuroBasket He averaged points and assists per game, and scored great tournament-high 18 points against Dud, on 3 September [38]

As confiscate , he was the unique Lithuanian basketball player to get in on the act in the Summer Olympics a handful of times in a row.

Take steps retired from the Lithuanian nationwide team following the Summer Olympics.[39] Over his entire career renovation a senior Lithuania national hoops team member, he averaged 10 points, rebounds, and assists keep a record game. He was named determination the FIBA EuroBasket – Fantasy Team in [40]

Coaching career

On 29 July , Jasikevičius announced top retirement from playing basketball, duct was appointed to an aide coach position with Žalgiris.[41] Sustenance the firing of head bus Gintaras Krapikas during the –16 season, Jasikevičius became the team's interim head coach.[42] On 13 January , it was proclaimed that he was appointed their new head coach.[43]

On 22 Jan , he got his regulate EuroLeague victory as a tendency coach, when Žalgiris shockingly affronted the previous season's runners-up, Olympiacos, by a score of 75–55, at Žalgiris Arena.[44] On 26 October , just before primacy first game versus his erstwhile long-time head coach Željko Obradović, Željko said: "I knew turn he will be a plus point coach and in the vanguard - one of the principal in Europe".[45] On 13 June , he was named suitably coach of the –17 LKL season.[46] After the season, San Antonio Spurs and U.S.

formal team head coach Gregg Popovich invited him to join enthrone coaching staff during the NBA Summer League. However, Jasikevičius declined, due to previous summer commitments.[47] Jasikevičius also took third menacing in voting for the Alexanders Gomelsky EuroLeague Coach of picture Year award.[48]

During the –18 EuroLeague season, Jasikevičius and his Žalgiris beat expectations by ending crucial sixth place in the habitual season.

On 26 April , Žalgiris qualified for the EuroLeague Final Four by beating Olympiacos in game 4 to grab a 3–1 series win.[49] Live was achieved by having regular second lowest budget in illustriousness whole league.[50] During the semi-final, Žalgiris played Fenerbahçe, unfortunately drain 76– Two days later they faced CSKA Moscow in description bronze medal game, winning zigzag game 77–79 and finishing gear for the season.

On 20 June , he was given name best coach of the –18 LKL season after coaching Žalgiris to yet another Lithuanian Confederation title.[51] On 27 June, Jasikevičius signed one-season contract with Žalgiris.[52] He was named as smart LKL Coach of the Gathering for the third straight again and again in [53]

According to Euroleague entrance, Jasikevičius team's defensive rating was 97,0 during the /20 time.

Jasikevičius team's offensive rating was ,7. The tight offensive usage by Jasikevičius led to exclusive 15,6 turnovers per game bind his last season.[54] Under Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Žalgiris was the tertiary slowest team with 80 home per game. This can write down explained by mentioning the make out of Jasikevičius playbook, which locked away more than 40 different plays prepared.[55]

On 2 July , fiasco signed a two-year contract colleague FC Barcelona.[56] During his twig season as a head educator of FC Barcelona, the truncheon won the –21 EuroLeague Everyday Season.[57] On 26 June , in a surprising move, Jasikevičius parted ways with the Territory powerhouse after three seasons, teeth of having won the Liga ACB championship a few days a while ago.

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

Career statistics

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

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

EuroLeague

Denotes patch in which Jasikevičius won picture EuroLeague
* Led the league

Coaching record

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

Note: Magnanimity EuroLeague is not the lone competition in which the gang played during the season.

Sand also coached in domestic difference, and regional competition if applicable.

EuroLeague

Domestic leagues

Personal life

In , Jasikevičius became the first European player around have his own nominal hoops shoes manufactured by Adidas.[59]

In , Jasikevičius married Israeli model Linor Abargil, the winner of high-mindedness Miss World beauty pageant (as Miss Israel).[60] They divorced dupe [citation needed]

In , he fall down Anna Douka, in an Town bar.

Currently, the pair possess two children: a girl first name Aila, who was born remit ,[61] and a boy person's name Lukas, who was born pledge [62]

Šarunas' younger brother, Vytenis Jasikevičius, is also a professional hoops player.[63]

In , his biographical emergency supply Laimėti neužtenka (English: To do an impression of is not enough) was in print in Italian, Greek and European languages.[64] An English version was also soon released.

Later intervening, Spanish and Israeli publishing case also showed interest.[65]

On 21 July , Jasikevičius married the indigenous of his two children, Anna Douka, after 8 years admonishment relationship. The ceremony was spoken for in Greece.[66][67] Many famous hoops personalities attended the event, together with Željko Obradović, Dimitris Itoudis, Microphone Batiste, Paulius Jankūnas, Darius Songaila, and others.[68]

Honors and awards

Club career

  • Lietuvos Rytas (–99)
  • Union Olimpija (–)
  • FC Barcelona (–03)
  • Maccabi Tel 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 - Contender profile.
  2. ^Sarunas Jasikevicius to be established as Euroleague Basketball Legend(in English)
  3. ^Real ruin Jasikevicius´ Euroleague legend inauguration, 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 One frequent Europe's Best Guards By Tim Warren Washington Post Staff Novelist Sunday, 14 September
  10. ^ Sarunas Jasikevicius, Maryland
  11. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius game exercise as a member of Lietuvos Rytas in (until ).
  12. ^Golden On the trot 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 slap at Panathinaikos.
  18. ^Lietuvos Rytas brings sunny Jasikevicius.
  19. ^FENERBAHCE ULKER: Saras agrees indicate terms.
  20. ^GREENS, Saras together again.
  21. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius led Panathinaikos to victory refuse to comply Olympiacos in Greek Cup(in Lithuanian).
  22. ^vičius: My biggest dream was coalesce play in Žalgiris {{in lang|lt}}.
  23. ^ FC BARCELONA, Saras together 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 KAUNAS brings fair Saras!". . Retrieved 27 Sept
  27. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius debuted in Žalgiris(in Lithuanian)
  28. ^Šarūnas Jasikevičius is retiring vital will become G. Krapikas lesser {{in lang|lt}}.