By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
It’s been quite a ride for the Lithuanian team up to this point. And now, 19 long years since their first and only title, they’re back to the crème de la crème.
Let’s unfold the story of Zalgiris, from its Vladimir Romanov era to Final Four glory under coach Sarunas Jasikevicius.
The financial hardships
The Lithuanian powerhouse hasn’t always had it easy. Back in 2009, Arvydas Sabonis had to step down from the main head position, selling most of his stake to Ukio Banko, which was then headed by Vladimir Romanov.
Romanov will be remembered as one of the most controversial European team owners of the century, earning much hatred from the fans after some ‘irrational’ moves that were driven by the team’s poor performance back in the day. The eccentric businessman fired plenty of coaches during his reign, while he also allegedly prescribed exact playing time for the players to said coaches.
Οne of the most memorable incidents during his service was the firing of fan-favorite Ilias Zouros in 2012, that led to a FIBA arbitration case against the club, won by the Greek coach.
The NBA lock-out
Zalgiris might not have been on the frontline of European basketball for the past decade, though it has significantly contributed to the sport as we know it today. When the 2011 lockout occurred, the team signed deals with Denver Nuggets‘ Ty Lawson and Houston Rockets‘ Sonny Weems under coach Zouros. While Lawson took a long break from playing action following his time in Zalgiris, Weems established himself in the European elite.
The big 2013 downfall
Following plenty of ups and downs, Romanov’s Zalgiris was at a financial dead-end by December 2012, when the team’s fans were addressed for help. With an official announcement on Zalgiris’ site, Romanov asked fans to invest a minimum of 100 litas (~29 euros), in order for the team to keep going without having to sell any players.
In early 2013, Romanov was left with no other choice but to resign from the Chair of the club. By the end of the 2012-13 season, the Kaunas side also decided to withdraw from VTB League, claiming that the schedule was ‘too tight’, though it was the financial burden that prevented the team from participating to one extra league.
Changes in the head coach position
Following the events of 2013 and Joan Plaza’s departure after Romanov’s decision, a new era started for the Lithuanian club. Ilias Zouros was rehired, only to be replaced by Saulius Stombergas at the end of the season. Back then, it was obvious that Zalgiris still hadn’t found the perfect “maestro”. Gintaras Krapikas returned to the team for the 2014-15 season and his successful route kept him to the team until the following one, when he was joined by Sarunas Jasikevicius in the assistant coach position.
Saras, the wind in the sails of change
When the former EuroLeague legend joined his homeland team, back in 2015, next to Krapikas, everyone started to envision what the team would look like if he was to take the leading position.
Jasikevicius lived up to his own self-fulfilling prophecy and soon became the head coach of the team when Krapikas left the bench.
As the positive results kept coming in, Saras started winning ground in the coaching world. After he completed his first full season as a head coach, plenty of teams tried to lure him away from Zalgiris this past summer. Yet, he chose to stay. Some could say that’s a very romantic thing to do; He stayed in Kaunas, with a middle-ranked team instead of chasing his unlimited options with a more established (for lack of better words) club.
The 42-year-old coach was presented with a fork on the road – the dilemma was set, yet he chose to stay. For the first time, he had the chance to shape Zalgiris in the way he wanted and the results started to show off.
And here we are. The Lithuanian underdogs went against all odds and found their way to the Final Four of EuroLeague, after a 19-year drought. In a few hours, we will be able to see if Zalgiris can exceed limits once again!