By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
From excessive offseason noise, stemming from the interest of EuroLeague powerhouse Panathinaikos Aktor, Jonas Valanciunas is focused on the 2025-26 journey with the Denver Nuggets in the NBA.
“One thing I want to clarify is I’m here,” the 33-year-old Lithuanian center stressed during the preseason media day on Monday, “I’m happy to be here, and I’m gonna dive in to do everything to win more games than ever.”
“Just being here, I’m comfortable and I’m happy. If I’m not happy, I’m not gonna be here, right?” he replied to a question about potential hesitation in joining the Nuggets, “We’ve got to put everything behind us because it is now history. Now we have a future in front of us. We got to do our jobs to make this future even brighter.”
The native of Utena also played for the senior national team of Lithuania in EuroBasket 2025, before his next challenge in the league based in North America.
“I’m excited to go again, my 14th season, to jump in and be in probably the best situation I’ve ever had to win a championship,” he said.
A veteran of 995 games between the Regular Season and the Playoffs, Valanciunas has stuck around since 2012, one year after being drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick of the 2011 draft.
“I’ve learned that it’s a team sport,” he shared on his overall experience in the league, “Sometimes, you’ve gotta put your ego aside, put your everything aside to be successful. Sometimes you need to support your teammates more than you can support yourself. Those little things come together for good teams, the teams seeking to be the best.”