By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
All career-changing moments of recent months have been attached to Lithuania. Ignas Brazdeikis discussed his debut in the senior national team of the country and the EuroBasket.
“Even though I grew up and played basketball in Canada, I’ve always wanted to play for Lithuania,” he told FIBA, “Even growing up I would watch the national team play all the time. My family and friends gathered around and we would watch all the big events.”
Brazdeikis, 23, was born in Kaunas, shortly before his family emigrated to North America. Besides making his way to the Lithuania senior national team this summer after being capped with Canada at the junior level, he also inked a deal to join Zalgiris after three seasons in the NBA, split between the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks.
Both Zalgiris and Lithuania are coached by Kazys Maksvytis. The national team is heading to the 2022 EuroBasket, after the friendly games connected to the training camp and a couple of games in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
“We want to make a big noise in this EuroBasket,” said Brazdeikis on the approaching international challenge, “I feel like we might be one of the more underrated teams. We have every capability, the players, the talent level, and the coaches, to win it all.”
Playing in Cologne, Lithuania will tip off Group B taking on Slovenia and Luka Doncic. The next games versus France, Germany, Hungary, and Bosnia-Herzegovina all carry equal weight on advancing to the next round but Brazdeikis has set his sights on the opener.
“I’m very excited to play against Slovenia,” he explained, “It’s kind of gonna be my first time playing on a big stage in terms of FIBA competitions. I’ve never shied away from such games. We’re all gonna be ready for this game. Losing to them last time definitely left a bitter taste.”
After playing in the recent international window focused on the bottom end of Group F, the former Michigan standout is projected to extend his contribution in Group K, specifically against Hungary on 24 August and Montenegro on 27 August. The 5-1 record secured from the previous round produces a solid advantage in the hunt for a berth in next summer’s World Cup.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL