2018 Final Four Official Programme

The Coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius, Zalgiris Kaunas A natural winner as a player, Sarunas “Saras” Jasikevicius has found the recipe to transfer his knowledge, passion, work ethic and winning spirit to his Zalgiris Kaunas players. And in doing so, he has made history by taking his hometown club to its first Final Four this century. During a storied playing career, Saras was the point guard and right-hand man for a series of championship-winning coaches, including Aito Garcia Reneses, Pini Gershon, Jonas Kazlauskas, Zeljko Obradovic, Xavi Pascual, Svetislav Pesic, Zmago Sagadin and Gary Williams. When he retired as a player in 2014, at age 38, Jasikevicius had won four EuroLeague crowns, nine national championships and 10 domestic cups in six different countries. That’s not to mention a EuroBasket gold medal in 2003, one of his many accomplishments with the Lithuanian national team. Jasikevicius went right into coaching with Zalgiris, first as an assistant to Gintaras Krapikas before taking the reins himself in January 2016. Jasikevicius and Zalgiris have been on the rise ever since. A demanding coach and brilliant tactician, Jasikevicius has led his teams to more wins than even the most optimistic prognosticators imagined. Using the qualities that he embodied as a floor general during his playing days, Jasikevicius has specifically elevated the play of the point guards whom he oversees as coach. The youngest head coach at the Final Four in Belgrade, Jasikevicius has instilled a calm confidence in his team that makes them dangerous regardless of the place or situation. Already one of a select group of Euroleague Basketball Legends, Jasikevicius has the opportunity in Belgrade to join an even smaller fraternity of three men to date who have won the EuroLeague as both a player and coach: Pesic, Armenak Alachachan and Lolo Sainz. The coaches he will face at the Final Four all know Saras well from having played against or coached him. For that reason, none will doubt that he and Zalgiris are capable of big accomplishments in Belgrade. The Legend: Arvydas Sabonis, Zalgiris Kaunas In the proud history of this Lithuanian basketball powerhouse, there is no greater legend than Arvydas Sabonis. Imposing by his presence, his talent and a Hall of Fame career that spanned two decades, Sabonis is not only themost- admired Zalgiris player of all time, but one of the greatest centers that the sport of basketball has ever produced. A big man who transcended generations, Sabonis put his hometown club on the Europeanmap in the 1980s when he led Zalgiris to three consecutive Soviet League titles, ending the dominance of mighty rival CSKAMoscow. Sabonis was only 22 years of age when he led Zalgiris to its first EuroLeague championship game in 1986. That turned out to be the start of a brilliant career, which ended with his No. 11 jersey hanging from the rafters of Zalgirio Arena. Despite his 2.20-meter frame needing to fight off many injuries over the years, Sabonis never ceased to dominate. After Zalgiris, it was in Spain, first for three seasons with Valladolid and then threemore withmighty Real Madrid, which he led to the 1995 EuroLeague title while collecting Final FourMVP honors. Altogether, Sabonis won a half-dozenmedals with the Soviet national team, including golds at theWorld Cup in 1982, EuroBasket 1985 and the 1988Olympics. Once Lithuania declared independence, Sabonis led his country tomemorableOlympic bronzemedals in 1992 and 1996, as well as the EuroBasket 1995 silver. After conquering everything there was to conquer on theOld Continent, Sabonis moved to the NBA and joined Portland, where he was one of the European Trail Blazers, literally and figuratively. As dangerous a scorer and rebounder as he was a passer, the 31-year old rookie took North America by storm. Sabonis was a force in the NBA for the next seven years beforemaking his return to Zalgiris for the 2003- 04 season at the age of 38. Even though injuries had sapped himof his once-amazing mobility, Sabonis captured EuroLeague regular season and Top 16MVP honors, got his teamwithin a Maccabi Tel Aviv miracle shot of the Final Four, and finished his outstanding career in themost fitting way possible – playing great and wearing green. OFFICIAL PROGRAMME 26