http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/jasik...ns_050812.html
Europeans Expect Success for "Saras"
By Conrad Brunner | Aug. 12, 2005
To basketball fans in the United States, Sarunas Jasikevicius is a relative unknown, in his words, "just another guy from Europe." In Europe, however, he is much, much more. The dynamic guard who signed a free-agent contract with the Pacers on Thursday is one of the brightest stars on the continent. In fact, beyond the borders of the U.S., he just might be the most well-known basketball player in the world.
It certainly is the case in Israel, where he led Maccabi Tel Aviv to consecutive Euroleague titles; in Spain, where he led F.C. Barcelona to the Euroleague title in 2003; and his native Lithuania, where he led the national team to the gold medal at the 2003 European championship, bronze at the 2000 Olympics and a stunning victory over the United States in the 2004 Olympics.
"When first he arrived here, people didn't really know him. But he became a hero in this country," said Mike Karnon, press officer for Maccabi Tel Aviv. "Although he is not Israeli, people here, especially the Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, they look at him as one of us. I can tell you one thing: there's no doubt the Indiana Pacers will be one of the most popular NBA teams in Israel. Every chance we have to see a Pacers game on television, even in the middle of the night, people will stay up and watch the games.
"They really adopted this guy. They like the way he plays. They like everything about him. He is very, very popular here and popular all over Europe because he has played all over the place. After the two years in Israel, helping us win the Euroleague title twice and being a major player in our setup here, we are looking forward to watching him and we hope he will get a lot of playing time so we'll be able to enjoy the way he plays and to see how he fits in the Pacers' setup."
There is enormous curiosity about the role Jasikevicius will play with the Pacers, who have an incumbent starter at point guard (Jamaal Tinsley) and a proven scorer at shooting guard (Stephen Jackson). The 6-4 Jasikevicius can play both positions but is most comfortable at the point, with the ball – and the game – in his hands.
"I see 'Saras' (his nickname) as a great test case," said Frank Lawlor, an acclaimed journalist with the Euroleague.net Website. "Given the opportunity, and I mean beyond just playing time, he'll thrive as a team leader, particularly on offense, where he really does make teammates better. That's his top strength, even more than shooting. Another is that he's a fully self-motivated, big-game player. He always shows up. His main weakness is man-to-man defense, but he knows himself better than anyone else and won't let that hurt him too much."
European basketball aficionados know Jasikevicius' game and personality well and are curious to see how he adjusts to a new country, league, team and coaching staff. He is not a player, they believe, who would be comfortable in the background.
"It very much depends on what Coach (Rick) Carlisle will do with him because this is the kind of guy who is another coach on the court," Karnon said. "He is not just an ordinary player who goes and plays his role. He is all the time dictating the play, and all the time talking to the other players. This depends on Coach Carlisle and the other players around him if they'll accept it. I don't think at the age of 29 he can change.
"He's a very emotional kind of character, very much involved in the game. And he understands the game very well. He's a very, very clever guy and he knows everything about the game. He is very experienced. He's played all over the place in every competition. And most of all, he is a real winner. This is a guy who is not afraid to take the shot in the final seconds to win games and he's won many games for us and for his other teams.
"He's really kind of a special guy. I don't think the players for the Pacers and the coach have ever met anybody like him. Of course, he will have to adapt the team, but the team will also have to adapt to him. This is when you get the best out of Sarunas, when he can really play his game. "
Jasikevicius moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s, playing two years at Solanco High in Quarryville, PA, before moving on to the University of Maryland. He played four seasons with the Terrapins, averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists his final two seasons, but was not drafted in 1998. Thus began his trek to global fame.
"The Sarunas Jasikevicius college hoops fans may remember from his days at Maryland - a solid, if unspectacular, guard who labored the ball up the floor - bears little resemblance to the man who essentially beat the U.S. Olympic Team in Athens," said international basketball expert Alexander Wolff of Sports Illustrated, author of Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure. "Yes, he still plays hard and fearlessly, but he's a much more consistent shooter, and all those seasons in the crucible of European club ball have given him a poise and confidence that will serve him well as a Pacer.
"If you wanted to mark the arc of the guy's improvement, just think of two Olympic moments: his barely-off-the-mark three-pointer that would have beaten the U.S. in Sydney in 2000; and the final-minutes show he put on four years later, against Team USA, to more than redeem himself."
When Jasikevicius left Maryland, the concept of the international player was still somewhat foreign to the NBA. In the years since, its eyes fully opened by the humbling experiences of the U.S. team in recent international competition, teams have turned to Europe has a major source for talent.
Jasikevicius, however, had to wait until the age of 29 before becoming a hot commodity to NBA teams. He attracted widespread interest this summer before settling on the Pacers.
"We were surprised to see how many European players played for the NBA and a guy like Sarunas Jasikevicius has not had any serious offers until this season," Karnon said. "This guy should play in the NBA. There's no doubt about him. He has got everything to be successful in the NBA. Nowadays, with so many Europeans in the NBA, and so many not as good as he is, we expected it.
"We knew it was going to happen. We were afraid it was going to happen last season. But we had two seasons with this guy. We're sorry he left, but we realize this is where he should be. … I hope, for his sake and for your sake, it will work out. When you get the best out of Sarunas, you will love every minute of it. "
Europeans Expect Success for "Saras"
By Conrad Brunner | Aug. 12, 2005
To basketball fans in the United States, Sarunas Jasikevicius is a relative unknown, in his words, "just another guy from Europe." In Europe, however, he is much, much more. The dynamic guard who signed a free-agent contract with the Pacers on Thursday is one of the brightest stars on the continent. In fact, beyond the borders of the U.S., he just might be the most well-known basketball player in the world.
RELATED ITEMS |
---|
Jasikevicius, Pacers a winning combo Behind the Scenes: Press conference video Photo Gallery Career highlights |
It certainly is the case in Israel, where he led Maccabi Tel Aviv to consecutive Euroleague titles; in Spain, where he led F.C. Barcelona to the Euroleague title in 2003; and his native Lithuania, where he led the national team to the gold medal at the 2003 European championship, bronze at the 2000 Olympics and a stunning victory over the United States in the 2004 Olympics.
"When first he arrived here, people didn't really know him. But he became a hero in this country," said Mike Karnon, press officer for Maccabi Tel Aviv. "Although he is not Israeli, people here, especially the Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters, they look at him as one of us. I can tell you one thing: there's no doubt the Indiana Pacers will be one of the most popular NBA teams in Israel. Every chance we have to see a Pacers game on television, even in the middle of the night, people will stay up and watch the games.
"They really adopted this guy. They like the way he plays. They like everything about him. He is very, very popular here and popular all over Europe because he has played all over the place. After the two years in Israel, helping us win the Euroleague title twice and being a major player in our setup here, we are looking forward to watching him and we hope he will get a lot of playing time so we'll be able to enjoy the way he plays and to see how he fits in the Pacers' setup."
There is enormous curiosity about the role Jasikevicius will play with the Pacers, who have an incumbent starter at point guard (Jamaal Tinsley) and a proven scorer at shooting guard (Stephen Jackson). The 6-4 Jasikevicius can play both positions but is most comfortable at the point, with the ball – and the game – in his hands.
"I see 'Saras' (his nickname) as a great test case," said Frank Lawlor, an acclaimed journalist with the Euroleague.net Website. "Given the opportunity, and I mean beyond just playing time, he'll thrive as a team leader, particularly on offense, where he really does make teammates better. That's his top strength, even more than shooting. Another is that he's a fully self-motivated, big-game player. He always shows up. His main weakness is man-to-man defense, but he knows himself better than anyone else and won't let that hurt him too much."
European basketball aficionados know Jasikevicius' game and personality well and are curious to see how he adjusts to a new country, league, team and coaching staff. He is not a player, they believe, who would be comfortable in the background.
"It very much depends on what Coach (Rick) Carlisle will do with him because this is the kind of guy who is another coach on the court," Karnon said. "He is not just an ordinary player who goes and plays his role. He is all the time dictating the play, and all the time talking to the other players. This depends on Coach Carlisle and the other players around him if they'll accept it. I don't think at the age of 29 he can change.
"He's a very emotional kind of character, very much involved in the game. And he understands the game very well. He's a very, very clever guy and he knows everything about the game. He is very experienced. He's played all over the place in every competition. And most of all, he is a real winner. This is a guy who is not afraid to take the shot in the final seconds to win games and he's won many games for us and for his other teams.
"He's really kind of a special guy. I don't think the players for the Pacers and the coach have ever met anybody like him. Of course, he will have to adapt the team, but the team will also have to adapt to him. This is when you get the best out of Sarunas, when he can really play his game. "
Jasikevicius moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s, playing two years at Solanco High in Quarryville, PA, before moving on to the University of Maryland. He played four seasons with the Terrapins, averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists his final two seasons, but was not drafted in 1998. Thus began his trek to global fame.
"The Sarunas Jasikevicius college hoops fans may remember from his days at Maryland - a solid, if unspectacular, guard who labored the ball up the floor - bears little resemblance to the man who essentially beat the U.S. Olympic Team in Athens," said international basketball expert Alexander Wolff of Sports Illustrated, author of Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure. "Yes, he still plays hard and fearlessly, but he's a much more consistent shooter, and all those seasons in the crucible of European club ball have given him a poise and confidence that will serve him well as a Pacer.
"If you wanted to mark the arc of the guy's improvement, just think of two Olympic moments: his barely-off-the-mark three-pointer that would have beaten the U.S. in Sydney in 2000; and the final-minutes show he put on four years later, against Team USA, to more than redeem himself."
When Jasikevicius left Maryland, the concept of the international player was still somewhat foreign to the NBA. In the years since, its eyes fully opened by the humbling experiences of the U.S. team in recent international competition, teams have turned to Europe has a major source for talent.
Jasikevicius, however, had to wait until the age of 29 before becoming a hot commodity to NBA teams. He attracted widespread interest this summer before settling on the Pacers.
"We were surprised to see how many European players played for the NBA and a guy like Sarunas Jasikevicius has not had any serious offers until this season," Karnon said. "This guy should play in the NBA. There's no doubt about him. He has got everything to be successful in the NBA. Nowadays, with so many Europeans in the NBA, and so many not as good as he is, we expected it.
"We knew it was going to happen. We were afraid it was going to happen last season. But we had two seasons with this guy. We're sorry he left, but we realize this is where he should be. … I hope, for his sake and for your sake, it will work out. When you get the best out of Sarunas, you will love every minute of it. "
Comment