By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
After a season at Olympiacos Piraeus, Lithuanian national team member Ignas Brazdeikis has returned to Zalgiris Kaunas.
The 25-year-old player, who made his EuroLeague debut with the Kaunas team, spoke to the Zalgiris TV about his return and the upcoming season.
“I feel truly blessed and grateful for the opportunity to come back here. I loved being here the first season. I have many good memories with my teammates, coaches, and fans. I can’t wait for this season to start, and I’m ready to fight. I think my teammates feel the same way. We are all looking forward to the start of the season,” Brazdeikis said.
He struggled to find his place on the Piraeus team and admits he thought about a potential return.
“I always thought about such a possibility in my head, even when I left Kaunas. As the season with Olympiacos progressed, we saw the trajectory I was on. The thought of returning started to become more real. I’m glad the call was made. There was interest from both sides, and everything was implemented.”
Ignas averaged 11 minutes on the court for Olympiacos, but he believed that he could contribute more. That’s why he used the summer to prepare fully for the upcoming season.
“Without a doubt, I felt that I was able to influence the course of the match and contribute to victories. That’s what I thought when I was there too, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen in my case. I’m really hungry for basketball. I’ve been working all this offseason. I analyzed many things. This was the first summer in a while when I could focus solely on improving, after several seasons spent playing for the national team. I was able to analyze my game this summer and grow as a player,” asserted Brazdeikis. “I feel great. I feel that I have learned the importance of taking care of my body during my years as a professional. This summer, I took it extremely seriously. I am well-prepared physically and psychologically. I’m really happy about that.”
Zalgiris will enter the season with coach Andrea Trinchieri and a significantly changed squad.
“We have a lot of talent on this team. Many players can score points. I think we are a physical team. You never know how things are going to play out until the season starts. But it’s great fun to be part of this team. I think we will be very competitive. We will be able to win games. We just need to put things together and find the right chemistry. Everything else will be great,” Brazdeikis concluded.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague