Valanciunas is back: a return to the EuroLeague after 15 years
Jonas Valanciunas, 34, returned to the EuroLeague after 15 years since 2011 when he played for Lietuvos Rytas.[1] With more than 1,000 NBA games on his roster, he debuted for Zalgiris in an 83-77 win over Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, recording 13 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a PIR of 24, even with nose bleeding from a punch.[2] Coach Tomas Masiulis celebrated the return but asked for time for the team to adapt to the new pivot.[3]
== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man
The return after a long time
Fifteen years is a long time for any athlete. Jonas Valanciunas played his last EuroLeague game on March 3, 2011, when he was only 19 and wearing the Lietuvos Rytas jersey.[citation needed] That night, the Lithuanian pivot scored nine points and 11 rebounds not knowing that this would be his farewell from the competition to the NBA.
Over a decade and a half later, with no less than 1,002 NBA regular-season games on his roster, Valanciunas returned to the EuroLeague.
Weight debut in Belgrade
At the turn, Zalgiris went to Belgrade to face Crvena Zvezda and came off the court with a victory by 83-77. Valanciunas, at 34, was central: 13 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists in 21 minutes and half of play.
A hard blow left the Lithuanian with a bloody nose, but he remained on court and helped hold up the result in the way that Zalgiris fans expect from a player of his stature.
What the technician said
Zalgiris coach Tomas Masiulis made a point of highlighting the weight of returning to Lithuanian basketball.
"The most important thing is that he's Lithuanian and came back to Lithuania. He wanted to come back and join our team, which shows that our organization is doing a good job", Masiulis said. "He still wants to compete and play after 14 years in the NBA.
The coach, however, asked for calm. "We have a very good team but the players and style are different. We didn't have Valanciunas before and we need to learn how to play with him".
Where we are now
Zalgiris is going through an adaptation phase with their new centre, and the squad itself needs to adjust its style of play in the presence of Valanciunas.
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Source: Eurohoops
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