By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Sarunas Jasikevicius is one of the greatest and most successful players in EuroLeague history, and he is now building a remarkable legacy on the sidelines as well.
As a player, he won the EuroLeague four times — three in a row from 2003 to 2005 with FC Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv (twice), and again in 2009 with Panathinaikos. As a coach, he lifted the trophy last season with Fenerbahce, while also reaching three Final Fours with Barcelona and one with Zalgiris Kaunas.
All of that — at just 50 years old.
Eurohoops spoke with the Lithuanian head coach of reigning champions Fenerbahce, starting by asking whether the Maccabi team that won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 revolutionized basketball.
“I don’t know about a revolution, but in a way, it became a historic team that played with four or even five point guards. It wasn’t just the perimeter players creating — Nikola Vujcic was doing it from the five as well.
That made everything offensively so easy. I mean, if we played in a veterans league today with that team, we’d still move the ball the same way we did back then.
The ability to pass, to read defenses and situations — that made that Maccabi team the smartest team I’ve ever played on.”
Asked what advice he would give players heading into a Final Four, Jasikevicius emphasized control and composure.
“Try to avoid the chaos — especially at the Final Four hotel. Just be yourself. I always tell young players going to their first Final Four: control what you can control.
I know sleep can sometimes be an issue, but that’s something you can manage.
It’s okay to play badly. At my first Final Four (with Barcelona in 2003), I was terrible. But the more experienced guys won it for me, and I told myself I would do the same one day for the younger players.
I understand the pressure and the nerves — you just try to be yourself as much as possible.”