Marius Grigonis landed in Athens: 'I can vouch for my passion and fighting spirit' / News - Basketnews.com

Marius Grigonis landed in Athens to join Panathinaikos in preparation for the season and gave his first statement as a member of Panathinaikos.

Marius Grigonis has arrived in Athens to join the Panathinaikos Athens in preparation for the season.

Marius Grigonis

Team:Panathinaikos AthensPosition:SGAge:28Height:198 cmWeight:93 kgBirth place:Kaunas, LithuaniaProfileNewsStatistics

The Lithuanian player arrived in Greece on Friday morning and will be integrated into the preparation of the Panathinaikos. Right after landing Grigonis gave a statement to the club.

"I'm excited to be here and get the chance to meet the rest of the team. Everyone knows who I am and what I can do," said Grigonis.

"I'll do what I've always done. I will give energy and will fight on the court. I don't like to talk about myself, but I can vouch for my passion and fighting spirit," added the 28-year-old.

When asked how long it will take to get integrated into the team, Grigonis did not have a clear answer.

"Each team is different. Every player is different. It can take a week or a month. But first, he [Dejan Radonjic] wants me to get to know the rest of the players, the club and everything else, and then we can say that I have integrated into the team," Grigonis explained.

Grigonis will not be the only Lithuanian player on the team next season, as Arturas Gudaitis has also signed with Panathinaikos this summer. Grigonis revealed that he knows Gudaitis for quite some time now.

"I've known Gudaitis since I was 15 or 16 years old. We have played together in club teams and in the national team," said Grigonis.

"One of the things we can do is speak our language and no one understands us. We know each other and on the court, so it will be easier. We could play our game and adapt quickly," the Lithuanian player explained.

Grigonis was a part of the Lithuanian national team in the EuroBasket 2022 but the Lithuanians didn't get the result they expected and were bounced in the Round of 16 against Spain.

"It's a crazy tournament. For NBA players it's not easy. You may be the best in the world, but it's hard. Basketball there [EuroBasket] is different from the NBA and anybody can beat anybody. Poland showed this," said Grigonis.

"EuroLeague is different because it is a season. During it, you can improve as a team. National teams can have players like Doncic and Antetokounmpo but even then sometimes it won't go well," Grigonis concluded.

Grigonis should make his debut with Panathinaikos on September 23-24 in a friendly tournament organized in honor of Pavlos Giannakopoulos.

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