'I was close to dying': Mateusz Ponitka tells the story that shook his world / News - Basketnews.com

A few days after signing with Reggio Emilia, Mateusz Ponitka sat with BasketNews to discuss Poland NT, the upcoming EuroBasket, his free agency and a serious health problem.

Credit: FIBA Media Credit FIBA Media

"Those last six months of my life have been really strange. I can't even explain this properly."

For Mateusz Ponitka, the setbacks throughout the calendar year 2022 haven't been related only to basketball.

The experienced Polish guard-forward had to deal with several issues off the court that made headlines:

Α COVID infection in early January that left him out for two weeks A heavily criticized return to Saint Petersburg after the war in Ukraine had broken out A public feud with Polish legend Marcin Gortat and another with his brother Marcel - with the Polish national team captain providing the background this time.

If all that isn't enough, the experienced player had to confront a far more serious situation. The string of events started on January 26, with a seemingly innocent hit he took on his nose during Zenit's practice just one day before the Russian club hosted Anadolu Efes Istanbul for EuroLeague Round 23.

Ponitka visited a hospital and was told that his nose would soon return to its previous state. It wasn't broken, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. That turned out to be the prelude to a real ordeal that lasted several weeks.

"I don't want to point fingers because many mistakes were made. People don't know about it because I'm not talking about this stuff," Ponitka tells BasketNews almost seven months after his adventure, which included more chapters than anyone could have imagined.

"I tried to return after a couple of days, but I was feeling dizzy in my head. I played Efes, and I don't remember anything from that game," he says.

EuroLeague Round 24 included Zenit's trip to Vitoria. "It's a 4.5-hour flight from Saint Petersburg," Ponitka says.

The extremely low temperature in Russia, which can fall well under -20 degrees in winter, gave the impression of a temporary issue that it was merely a matter of time to be resolved.

But the flight and the change of atmosphere and temperature aggravated the problem. The Polish international had started to experience severe pain.

"Everything started hurting me in the sinus area. I didn't play in the Baskonia game. I had a terrible morning. I was bleeding all the time," he recalls.

Zenit's next game was in Madrid. Luckily for Ponitka, Real's doctors looked into his condition and said the player needed surgery as soon as possible.

"My nasal area was swollen. I couldn't breathe and didn't sleep for a couple of nights. The next day I was on the operating table."

The surgery had to be carried out successfully and immediately because the danger was there, clear and present.

"The lady doctor told me:

'Listen, you're with your wife here. I'll tell you straight. Over the next three days, you might have a full infection in your nose, which is close to the brain. When sepsis starts, you'll be dying. In two-three days, you might end up dead.'

That was her words, not mine," Ponitka says with a sigh of relief.

If the versatile player is still alive to tell the story, one should attribute the happy ending to the lack of further complications. Ponitka's surgery went well, although it was really long.

"It was supposed to be a normal procedure. The doctor told me that after three weeks, I could start practicing with the team, wearing a mask. I took it very seriously, and when I could finally join in, the war started."

The war Ponitka is talking about is Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which -among other, far more serious consequences- did not only result in the Russian teams getting suspended from the EuroLeague.

Players who were under contract in Russia or signed there after the war had broken out found themselves caught in the crossfire.

Mateusz Ponitka had been playing for Zenit since 2019, had extended his contract until 2024 in the summer of 2021, and was also the team captain. In mid-March, he was among the players who returned to Saint Petersburg "after a short vacation to return home," as the club's announcement read at the time.

Ponitka received some heavy backlash from the public. Soon after, he left the team for good and held a press conference to set the record straight.

"The war is always a difficult subject," he concedes. "Russia is a big country, and it will not disappear. When I was free to leave Zenit, I didn't hide. I was straight. If sports people do speak about something, it's their choice. In my situation, I had support from the national team, but I heard many bad words from some people in Poland."

One of the most prominent persons to call him out was Marcin Gortat, a 12-year NBA veteran. Gortat, who retired in 2019, said Ponitka is an "individualist" and that "it's sad he's the captain of the Polish NT."

If Gortat took to Twitter to publicly criticize his fellow countryman, Ponitka is one of the few athletes that consciously abstain from social media and the toxic comments that tend to dominate the conversation. In contrast to what the majority would do, he chose to use the more 'traditional' media to voice his opinion and answer all the critics.

His body language during this interview reveals a man willing to take a lot but is also sure of his red flags.

"If someone is attacking my family or my children, I don't like that, and I'm not going to allow it," he firmly utters.

"When my wife receives messages like, 'We know where you live,' or 'We know what car you're driving,' this crosses the line for me. I'm not going to sit back and stay silent," he adds.

Credit FIBA Media

Ponitka thinks social media foster the kind of permissive and irresponsible behavior that can destroy people's lives.

"I understand that there's frustration because of the economic situation or COVID, but at the end of the day, we're also human beings. I don't have social media, I don't care. If you want to attack me, come up to me and just talk," he suggests.

That's why he's getting really angry when someone crosses the line, especially when they have played the sport themselves.

"That's what Marcin Gortat did, that's what my brother did. If you're a basketball player and you don't understand that there are different situations and you're talking on social media without even calling or talking to me, then something's wrong with you," he maintains.

"I don't attack anyone, I don't look for conflicts. But when someone is attacking me, I have the right to defend myself."

Upon returning to Russia and playing with Zenit again, the captain of the Polish national team exposed himself to criticism. Nevertheless, refusing to return to Saint Petersburg could have resulted in him facing legal consequences because players had no legal grounds to terminate their contracts with Russian clubs.

As time went by, certain basketball federations around Europe started to adopt a more rigorous stance.

For instance, France essentially forced their NT players to sign a sworn statement that they wouldn't sign with any club from Russia or Belarus, or else they would no longer be eligible to play in international competitions.

Poland didn't do the same when Ponitka was under fire, but Sweden was quick to expel Jonas Jerebko from the NT when the former NBAer moved to CSKA Moscow in late March.

"Of course, right now, if someone from Poland signed a contract in Russia, it would be a similar situation with France. My situation was different when I returned to Russia because I had a valid contract," Ponitka clarifies.

The problem with basketball players was that they were left adrift, without any legal cover. FIFA suspended football players' contracts so they could leave and finish the season somewhere else. FIBA didn't do anything like that.

"You either had to talk with the club and find a solution, you could run away, or you could stay. If you run away, you have to be ready to suffer the consequences because you're breaking the law. I understand different nations have different points. Greece is not the same as Poland, Sweden, Finland, or Lithuania."

Ponitka says Zenit GM Manos Papadopoulos told him and Lithuanian big man Arturas Gudaitis that they're "from the countries closer to Russia", and hence, "in the most difficult position."

Eventually, Ponitka did leave Russia for good. Like many other players, he had the option to finish the season in a different club, albeit away from the EuroLeague headlights. That wasn't the case with the Polish veteran, who felt very tired and needed a break to spend some time with his family.

Thus, he decided to take three months off because he felt like he "wasn't mentally ready to play."

Credit Greek BF

When he thought the time was right to end his hiatus and explore free agency, Ponitka found himself in a strange and maybe unprecedented situation. Him being away from the courts for long was one of the reasons.

However, a couple more elements compromised his EuroLeague future, which could be seen as related to each other.

First, his mediocre season with Zenit, amounting to an average of 4.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for a rather flattering 9.6 in PIR. Second comes the fact that he had to cover the point guard position at Zenit for longer than expected.

As Shabazz Napier and Dima Kulagin were injured, Ponitka had a discussion with Xavi Pascual, and the two concurred that if Jordan Loyd and Billy Baron were to dribble the ball under pressure for 30 minutes, it would be difficult for them to make decisive plays in the fourth quarter.

In short, assuming point guard duties was a small sacrifice he had to make for the good of the team. When all was said and done, Zenit won the VTB League, but without Ponitka being part of the championship squad anymore.

Regarding his stats, there's a particularly striking curiosity: while he had an excellent three-point percentage (above 40%) in VTB over the past 3 years, in the EuroLeague, he almost registered all-time lows last season, going 27% from distance and 58.5% from the free throw line.

"I'm surprised too," Ponitka admits. "I had some good VTB games and some bad ones in the EuroLeague. I think I was affected by my different roles on the team. I hope to redeem myself and come back to my own game."

Reggio Emilia was one of the teams that bypassed the player's lack of action and impressive numbers. Explaining how he came to sign with the Italian club, Ponitka describes a dry EuroLeague market with very few opportunities and job openings.

"The market this summer was strange for me. I thought I would have had some solid EuroLeague options, but many players were under long-term contracts, and few spots were open. We had some talks, but there weren't many options for the player that I am. I understand that."

Having made his EuroLeague debut at 19 with Asecco Prokom, Ponitka says he had some EuroCup teams showing interest in him. Still, their offers were for a full season - not exactly what the Polish international was looking for.

"Reggio Emilia came up with a great offer and a good deal for me. I think we can help each other and then we'll see what happens next. I'm tired of practicing individually," he admits.

His deal with Reggio Emilia is for three months, with an option for the rest of the campaign. Ponitka holds that there's no such thing as a worst-case scenario, regardless of how long his contractual relationship with the Italian team will last.

"It's a win-win situation for me because I'll be helping my new team, winning some games. Sitting at home isn't easy. If nothing comes up, I'll be happy to finish the season in Italy," he says calmly.

So far, Ponitka has enjoyed the perks of playing away from Poland in such countries as Turkey (Pinar Karsiyaka), Spain (Iberostar Tenerife), and Russia (Lokomotiv Kuban, Zenit Saint Petersburg).

A year in the region of Emilia Romagna and the Basketball Champions League might keep him away from the top level, but there's still plenty to achieve in this new environment.

"I've always wanted to go there, and I'm super excited about the organization of Reggio Emilia. They were in the FIBA Europe Cup finals last year and aim high. I want to be in shape and get back to rhythm," Ponitika argues.

Without any doubt, joining Poland NT can revitalize his basketball cells and give him back a great deal of what he lost in six months.

"It feels different because I can do many things. I needed some time to feel the game again. The national team is a good place to rebuild myself and get in shape," Ponitka thinks.

In the three games Poland played in the Acropolis Tournament against hosts Greece, Turkey, and Georgia, the captain averaged 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. On top of that, he was the leading man in Poland's dramatic win over Turkey, producing 16 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, plus the assist to big man Aleksander Balcerowski for the game-winning layup.

Eventually, Poland finished the tourney in Athens with a 2-1 balance, a welcome shift from the two heavy losses to Ukraine and Turkey in the last couple of friendly games before flying out to Greece.

Ponitka smiles when asked if there's any reason for concern prior to the two upcoming outings for the EuroBasket 2025 qualifiers games against Croatia in Warsaw on August 25 and Austria on the road three days later.

"Those are opponents we have to beat," he replies. "Right now, we're looking at what point we're at. We've lost some games, and we'll probably lose more. We're playing against some very good teams which are more experienced than us. All of them have NBA players, and we have none."

For the Polish NT, there was one NBA player in particular who could potentially have made the difference. But Jeremy Sochan, only the 7th Top-10 NBA Draft pick in the San Antonio Spurs history and the highest ever pick from Poland, isn't available.

The 19-year-old forward left a very strong impression in his national team debut, a game against Romania for the 2022 EuroBasket Qualifiers held in February 2021.

Despite being included in Poland's preliminary roster, the 9th pick of the 2022 Draft decided to skip the EuroBasket to work on his game and prepare himself for his rookie season overseas. Of course, the future might be bright for Sochan, but Ponitka refuses to put too much weight on the youngster's shoulders for the time being.

"Right now, he's only 19, and we can't expect anything from him," he contends. "He was in the NCAA, in youth competitions in Europe, and only played with the NT against Romania, where he was great. I'm curious about him and how he'll react."

Ponitka thinks Sochan can be "the most successful Polish player in the NBA" because "he can do a little bit of everything on the court."

The veteran player expects to have fun when Poland's youngest debutant ever will join the national team. But until that happens, "he has to grow and make progress. All the pressure is on him now."

Apart from Sochan, Poland didn't see AJ Slaughter make any prep game. The naturalized guard joined the squad on August 22. Even so, there's an opponent no athlete can beat - time.

"AJ is getting older. He's a great player and great guy, but he's turning 35 now," Ponitka underlines. "I hope he doesn't get mad at me for saying this, I love him!" he continues with a smile.

Credit FIBA Media

Mateusz Ponitka is by far Poland's most experienced player, having been a part of the team for the past ten years, although he's not even 30 yet. In fact, he will have turned 29 when the EuroBasket tips off. With the exception of the 2019 World Cup in China, the Polish NT hasn't managed to make the TOP 8 in any competition since 1997.

In their EuroBasket group hosted in Prague, Poland will be taking on the Netherlands, Serbia, Finland, Czech Republic, and Israel. How would the team's leader define success in this EuroBasket?

"If we qualify from our EuroBasket group, that will be a success," Ponitka clarifies and describes Poland's rebuilding process as the result of a change of generations.

"I don't know how long this period will last, but we also have to learn as quick as possible," he concedes. "It's not easy to do that in one year. We're a young team and have many guys who're currently entering their professional careers. When our players gain experience from different competitions, we can start building on it."

Last October, the Polish basketball federation announced Igor Milicic as the new head coach of the national team. The Croatian-born tactician had been very successful in Poland in recent years. He won the last Polish league as a head coach of Stal Ostrow, after lifting another three league trophies with Anwil Wloclawek.

Milicic replaced American coach Mike Taylor, who left behind a seven-year stint. "It was one of the most successful eras in our basketball," Ponitka describes the period between 2014 and 2021.

"Mike found a way to coach us. He made many good decisions. We won our qualification group most of the time and qualified for every EuroBasket (2015, 2017, 2022). What he did is big, and it's going to be very difficult for any coach to step up and beat his record," he notes.

Credit FIBA

Some days ago, Polish basketball made headlines again when Ponitka's younger brother, 25-year-old Marcel, claimed he didn't make the national team due to Mateusz's wishes.

"Mateusz does not accept me in the squad, and he does not see any possibility to work with me on the success of the national team," said the new player of Spanish side Casademont Zaragoza.

Asked about the possible reasons why he wasn't selected for the NT, Marcel Ponitka said it must have been "the lack of acceptance of me by the team captain [Mateusz Ponitka], who sets conditions in this matter."

Credit FIBA

A few days later, in an interview with a Polish outlet, Mateusz gave some spicy details on the feud between him and his family.

"Marcel and his parents constantly make victims of each other. I went with my own life at the age of 19. Since then, my wife and I were constantly insulted by my parents, and later Marcel joined them," said the captain of the Polish national team.

Ponitka has also made abundantly clear that it's a 'me or him' situation.

"At this point, there is no way to end the conflict and I cannot imagine playing with him on the same team. If the coach decides that Marcel will be more useful, I will gladly concede my place in the team," the older of the two brothers stated in the same interview.

Being at odds with your own brother for whatever reason is one thing. But being denounced by another player for allegedly abusing your status and power in the NT to decide who makes the squad and who doesn't is a serious issue.

"If you think I'm choosing who plays in the national team, show me the proof that I'm doing this," Mateusz Ponitka tells BasketNews at a time when the dust seems to have settled.

The 2016 EuroCup Rising Star winner says he had a discussion with coach Igor Milicic about making their roles clearly defined. Ponitka reveals that the two exchanged text messages in Polish, where the player asked Milicic to come forward and explain his decisions regarding the roster.

"I told our coach, 'We can talk about the tactics, but it's not my job to talk about the players. That's your decision to make, not mine.' The coach has to stand up for his words and decisions; not hide from his responsibilities," the athlete maintains.

"Before I joined the national team, I told them, 'Listen guys, I don't want to be involved in any of this.'

Then, I come to the team, and it's drama. I was like, 'What are you doing?' I don't want to be involved because I know it will be drama and look ugly. I have no reason to do this."

Credit Polish BF

After all this turbulence, expect Ponitka to take most of the blame or the credit for what Poland will be able to accomplish in the coming EuroBasket. Whatever the case may be, he'll probably respond with the same shrug of his shoulders as when he walked out of this conversation after more than half an hour.

"I really don't care. Right now, I have nothing to lose."

For a man that once came close to losing everything, this attitude looks perfectly natural. Those six months must have been really something.

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.