Jasikevicius talks about coaching struggles, sleeping pills and cultural shock in US / News - Basketnews.com

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FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius took part in the Boston Celtics scout Benas Matkevicius' talk show "The Benas Podcast", where Saras opened up on various topics.

2-pointers this season

53%20,2Points made:20,2Accuracy:53,3%Place in standings:7Record max:27Record min:14Most made 2FGs:Brandon DaviesTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The Lithuanian mastermind shared his thoughts regarding the playing days, his transition to the coach role, leisure, emotions, and more.

At the beginning of the podcast, Jasikevicius recalled the difficult start of a road to professional basketball player, including the trip to study in the USA.

"Leaving Lithuania when we were breaking off the Soviet Union... I was going in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania. I mean, you cannot get a bigger cultural shock that a kid can experience. Leaving your parents... I did not see my parents for nine months. It was very expensive to call, so I called them once a month. My mother was crying all the time. I was only 17, it was difficult."

Shifting towards the coaching career, Jasikevicius remembered how he changed as a person, being a player, and also revealed some special EuroLeague Final Four experiences.

"The first Final Four, when I played in Barcelona, it was a disaster for me. But we won with older guys - Bodiroga, Fucka, and others. One week before the event, I would fall asleep at six or seven in the morning. Everything was turning upside my head. You are so excited, and there is so much adrenaline...

I was always going into the decisive games either with a sleeping pill or without sleeping all night. So, later I was choosing a sleeping pill," Saras said.

"In the second Final Four, which was in Tel Aviv, it was a little bit better. Before the third one, which we won in Moscow, I was sleeping like a baby. I was mentally prepared, but I did not know how to control my emotions. Every person is different and not a machine. Later on, I was totally fine. I guess you call that experience as well," added the 45-year-old.

FC Barcelona / Schedule

FC Barcelona LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne84-71 FC Barcelona FC Bayern Munich71-66 FC Barcelona Panathinaikos AthensThu20:00

Jasikevicius and Matkevicius also touched on the topic regarding the first coaching challenges. According to Saras, it was tough to decide which athlete's arrival is good for a team.

"In Zalgiris, you have to build over from the players, who have been coming. Obviously, you don't have a lot of money and cannot compete with top clubs in this category. You need to find the players. These athletes are coming, and in the first three, four months, they are absolutely shocked about the EuroLeague. They are too slow, whether physically or with their decision making and you just need time.

People say that my system is on the complicated side. It could be, but you try to put the options at a decent time. I was struggling to understand what is the best way: do I sign the veteran players, or do we go there and build up? I was struggling to understand when these guys will come about and if I sign the right player," stressed Lithuanian.

Asked about assistant coaches, becoming head coaches, and preparing for an even more responsible job, Jasikevicius said that he was lucky to coach the squad in the summertime and get used to new responsibilities.

"I was working for Gintaras Krapikas, and he was leaving for the national team in summers. He would come back one week before the regular season starts. As an assistant, I had a five-week period two years in a row to be a head coach already.

Moreover, there were a lot of sleepless nights because I was not sure about the practice. I was constantly rewatching my training: what was going on, how we practiced moving, how was the flow of the practice - was it intense or not? Now, I do not do that very often. Though, you start from the ground," spoke the specialist.

Talking about passion, Jasikevicius admitted that it is not his goal to implement it into the team. According to him, players differ from each other, and there is no reason to force them to be who they are not.

"I cannot make some players be like me, and I will never be them. I have to be myself. I would look stupid if I were not myself. I would be faking. On top of that, I don't want my players to be fake. When we sign a player, we think a lot about personalities, the right balance, and the locker room."

During the conversation, Sarunas Jasikevicius also revealed that the biggest basketball idols for him are Michael Jordan and Zeljko Obradovic.

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