Marcus Foster recalls his mistake in Panathinaikos, overcomes NBA & EuroLeague distraction / News - Basketnews.com

One of the top Basketball Champions League scorers Marcus Foster knows what he was missing to belong among the best in the EuroLeague.

Credit: Rytas Credit Rytas

It's been a 2Pac beat on Marcus Foster headphones warming up for the first Zalgiris game this season.

2-pointers this season

47%18,0Points made:18,0Accuracy:46,9%Place in standings:14Record max:27Record min:12Most made 2FGs:Dwayne BaconTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Rytas topscorer noticed how fans filled up a Jeep arena that welcomes around 2500 fans, so he switched on slower-tempo music.

That's an essential part of Foster's pregame routine. In college, he had issues handling stress before the jump ball. He got distracted looking at the crowd and building up for the game.

When he got too excited, Foster burned himself out at the beginning of the game. He was so tired that he couldn't stay on the floor after the first couple of minutes.

The therapist suggested listening to his body to understand what it wants.

Music keeps Foster focused and locked in. When he feels a little tired, Foster tunes in something that pumps him up. But before the first derby vs. Zalgiris, he needed music to calm him down and put him in his zone.

He got in his zone when the game was on the line.

The ball was in his hands in the last play, with the shot clock going down and Rytas up by 2 (84-82). The missed shot might have translated into the final fastbreak opportunity for Zalgiris with seven seconds to save the game.

But Foster put one of the best Zalgiris defenders, Rolands Smits, on skates on the perimeter. Once the Latvian big regained his position, he knew what was coming.

Foster's 3-pointer hit the target and sent their archrivals home with a defeat. The American guard scored 11 of the last 13 Rytas points and waved goodbye to Zalgiris fans after the shot.

"I definitely did receive a couple of bad messages from Zalgiris fans," Foster laughed a week after that game.

Panathinaikos Athens / Schedule

Panathinaikos Athens Virtus Segafredo Bologna88-85 Panathinaikos Athens LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne77-58 Zalgiris Kaunas Panathinaikos AthensFri18:00

Greens had 34 reasons to be angry with Foster.He shot the lights out with a 34-point performance, tying Chuck Eidson, who held the record for the most points scored over Zalgiris in the history of LKL derbies.

"You know, Damian Lillard is one of my favorite players, and ever since he did that too, I was like, I have to do that one time in my career. I felt it was the right time to bring it out," he smiled.

"I just like to give the fans a show," Foster explained his gesture. "Every country I go to, I want to leave an impact where people would remember me and always want me to come back."

***

The next day after big games like vs. Zalgiris, Foster wakes up and goes straight to the weight room and sauna. To get away from the gym, spend time with himself, and reflect on the game.

He has a short memory. Foster, 27, took the best experience from the Zalgiris game to get better but instantly jumped onto the next challenge.

There was a time when he couldn't forget good games and NBA analysts praising him on SportsCenter. Not so long ago, a basketball dream was waving goodbye at him.

Foster comes from a small Wichita Falls city in Texas, where nobody was balling like him.

That's why he feels fortunate to be in the situation that he is in right now. He got to travel the world and play basketball since he was a kid. So every time he steps on the court, he shows that emotion and lets it out loud.

"Because I really do love this game. I always wanted to be on a big stage. Me growing up,Kobe was my favorite player. I could never play like Kobe with his footwork and skill, but I could always make the big shots when it counted.Those are the moments I always like to be able to take big shots. Especially having the fans that we have. How they show up, give us the energy, I want to give them energy right back," Foster said.

Foster early understood that he could make it on the big stage only through hard work behind closed doors. That's how the gym rat became one of the biggest NCAA sensations in his rookie year (2013-14) at Kansas State.

His desire for development was even more impressive than his 15.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists averages.

But before the second year, Foster thought this was it. He felt that he figured it out and the NBA was waiting for him with open arms.

He started skipping extra work in the gym. He often had conflicts with his head coach. Suddenly he got suspended and finally dismissed from Kansas State.

"Growing up, I wasn't supposed to be in the position to play at Kansas State. I was a 3-star recruit. But coming in, NBA teams were looking at me and saying that I should be playing in the NBA. That can go to your head, and that's what happened to me," Foster explained to BasketNews.

"So from that experience, I learned that it can be taken away from you at any moment. Just like when I made it to the EuroLeague. I thought I would be in the EuroLeague for a very long time. Just like that, I was out of EuroLeague," he continued.

"Those experiences humbled me and made me understand it's not about what's going to happen down the line. If I'm not a EuroLeague player today, I will have a chance to be a EuroLeague player tomorrow. If I'm not an NBA player, I have a chance tomorrow. It's all about each day and taking one step at a time. If you make it, then you do. But if you do not, you have to enjoy your experiences when you're on the way," Foster summarized.

Huge Panathinaikos lesson

Foster was killing it three games into his first EuroLeague season with Panathinaikos (2020-21).

He faced three talented EuroLeague teams, FC Barcelona, Olympiacos, and Khimki, and averaged 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

Long story short, four months later, he played his last game in Panathinaikos jersey.

"First, it started with me when I got hurt," Foster recalled.

"I rolled my ankle pretty bad. I rushed myself back. I should have taken three weeks off, but I returned in a week, and it never felt fully healed. I could never play to the best of my ability," he continued.

"I was at the point where I was trying to prove to myself that I deserved to be in the EuroLeague and also to make Athens my home for the next couple of years. I was trying to keep getting another contract from them," he explained.

After the injury, his scoring average dropped to 5.1 points in less than 13 minutes. Foster was out of rotation.

"Our coach was new in the EuroLeague. He was a great coach, but he was under a lot of pressure. Playing for Panathinaikos adds a lot of pressure on coaches, players, management, and everyone. So I think at the time, I was a younger player, and he just started going with the guys he knew and had more experience. Which I understand," Foster analyzed his chapter in Panathinaikos.

"I really wasn't ready to be on that stage. I know I had some good games in the beginning. But I didn't fully understand how elite the Euro level was. And now, looking back at it, I needed that experience to help me get back to where I wanted to," Foster said.

Credit „BasketNews.lt“/D. Lukšta

He understood the main mistake he made during his rookie EuroLeague year.

"I have always been known as a scorer. But when you get to the EuroLeague, everybody can score. I only brought a scoring dynamic to the team, and I didn't bring anything else," Foster said.

"You see games where I have a lot of assists and games where I'm rebounding more. I didn't bring that to Panathinaikos as I should have. I was just trying to score and get the most points when I should have been working on all my game by being the best defender and putting my body on the line. I think that would have helped me to keep improving how I wanted to," Foster analyzed.

"I think my greatest aspect is always going to be scoring. But the higher level I get, the more I have to sacrifice my game to help my team. When you get to the EuroLeague, it's all about winning. No matter how many points you're putting up, if you're not helping your team win, it's hard for you to be considered a great player.

It was tough to go through that experience, but I learned so much from that year. That's why now I'm coming to my own and being the player I want to be this year," he concluded.

Whether it's anxiety before games, NCAA, or Panathinaikos mistakes, he learned with time how important it is to be present with yourself.

"Yes, that's what I'm learning. I have to stay in the moment. I can't think about my future or past too much. One thing you can think about the past is what you can learn from it and keep going.

It's always about self-reflecting and understanding yourself. I can help my team if I understand what I need to do to get myself in the right mindset to help my team," Foster stays present.

Decisive phone call

Three months into the season, Foster conquers Rytas fans' hearts.

Foster is the 4th best scorer in the Basketball Champions League, putting up 23 points per game on 58% field goal and 50% 3-point shooting.

But it's not only about his stat line that's being appreciated by Rytas fans. They recognize the player leaving his heart on the floor every time he steps in to play in front of them.

It took some time for Foster to get this recognition from his new teammates too.

At first, Foster took a backseat and analyzed everything. He's not the most vocal guy in the locker. But he opens his heart on the floor, whether it's a game or extra shots after practice.

"I think they started to understand I don't care about myself, and I care about the team. In games where I had 4 or 6 points, we still won. That didn't bother me. As long as we were winning, that's all that mattered. If I had 10 points in the Zalgiris game and we won, that's it. This is all that I care about," Foster emphasized.

"I think they started to understand that he's not just for 20-point games. He actually wants [to] win. And when they see me with the passion that I have on the court, I can see my teammates listening to me more and understanding that they can also talk to me because I'm here to listen to them too," he continued.

Credit LKL

He became a figure just as the Rytas head coach Giedrius Zibenas imagined.

When Foster got the call from his agent that Rytas wanted him, Foster had many doubts.

Yes, he had lovely memories from his first Lithuanian experience when he visited Rytas gym with Panathinaikos in the preseason. He was surprised it was packed with Rytas fans, even though it was a friendly game.

"Seeing it packed just for the preseason game was amazing to me. When I got the call this summer, all I thought about was that game we had and how fun it would be to play in this arena. It may not be the biggest arena, but the fans come out, fill it up, and it gets loud. So I like it a lot. I rather have it small and packed than big and not have many fans in it," Foster recalled.

But that was it. Foster didn't take Rytas' interest seriously at the beginning.

"I'm not going to lie to you. When I first got the call from my agent about Rytas, I was like, okay, I like the city, and Lithuania is cold, so I don't know how to deal with the cold. I remember the fans were great, but I wasn't sold on it yet," Foster opened his heart.

"But I remember the coach called me after the NT practice. He talked to me for about 45 minutes. And I remember getting my agent on the phone and saying: okay, this is the place where I want to be. This is the place where I can help this team, and the team can help me.

And we can do great things. Ever since then, I have just had a good relationship with the coach. Now being here, he's the same coach that was on the phone when I was back home," Foster explained.

Credit Lukas Balandis

During that 45-minute phone call, Zibenas said that he wanted to help him to be a player he was in Israel.

After Foster's first pro experience in South Korea and Lebanon, the season in Hapoel Holon helped him to shift to the EuroLeague level. Foster averaged 17.3 points in the Basketball Champions League and considered that year the best in his European career.

Zibenas made sure he would put Foster in a position to succeed again.

"I'm going to help you, but I need you to be a leader for the team with your experience," Rytas head coach told him on the phone.

"He never talked to me about scoring the ball because I know I can score," Foster added. "He always talked to me about doing little things to lead and help the team."

EuroLeague material?

Foster watches EuroLeague games every week. Mike James is his favorite player in Europe. Foster admires his style of the game.

He also admires how skillful Vasilije Micic and Nikola Mirotic are. How dominant with his size is Walter Tavares.

To this day, Panathinaikos is still one of his favorite teams. He also loves watching Bayern Munich, among many others. Foster is fascinated by how different style of basketball is played in the EuroLeague.

Rytas fans also watch EuroLeague. And they also understand that Foster has EuroLeague quality.

According to BasketNews sources, EuroLeague and NBA exit clauses are included in Foster's contract with Rytas. The new players' registration in the EuroLeague expires on February 9.

Every time Foster puts up another remarkable show, deep in their mind, Rytas fans aren't sure if that was his last game in Rytas jersey.

"My agent always ensures I have NBA and EuroLeague outs just in case because you never know. But my focus when I signed here was to be here for a full season," Foster admitted to BasketNews.

"I never completed a full season. Even my season in Israel was cut short due to covid. So this year, my goal is really to stay here and put a complete season together so teams next year can understand, 'okay, he wasn't just playing good at the beginning of the season, but he played good the whole season and helped his team to have a big year.' That's the main goal," Foster emphasized.

"Regarding the EuroLeague thing and NBA outs, I don't want just to jump into another situation, coming in late, might not playing as much as I want, may not fit the team. Right now, I'm happy.

Of course, at the end of the day, I have to take care of my family. If the situation is right for me and my family, it might happen. But that's not what I want. I want to be here, and I'm happy here. The goal is to finish it here and have a great year," Foster concluded.

Foster worked out for the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets before. Outside the NBA, he wasn't aware of the international basketball scene at first.

But his unusual path through South Korea, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, and Greece helped him realize what basketball really means to him.

"I think in my rookie year, I felt I had to make it to the NBA. But after my first season, I understood how lucky I am to play. Like in South Korea, where not many people get to do that. I enjoyed my experience. I started to learn it's about playing basketball for me.

I always wanted to play at a high level, but I just wanted to enjoy myself and play great basketball. Now my family enjoys coming here and traveling around the world. I'm happy with what I'm doing right now. If the NBA or EuroLeague calls, those are goals I have. But it's not something that I must do before my career is over."

Foster can't wait to finally have his wife, five-year-old daughter, and newborn son with him in Lithuania in January.

They, for sure, will make his stay in Vilnius warmer.

Watching snow outside his flat window in the capital of Lithuania, right now, he's trying to survive the cold with a bunch of warm clothes and just by cooking a lot.

Do you know what else makes winters warmer here in Lithuania? Winning.

"Defending champions have always in mind defending the title. But right now, it's all about improving every single game, so when we come to May, we can be able to defend that title," Foster spoke of Rytas season goals, which included defending the LKL title. "We can't think about winning another championship right now because I don't think we're at the championship level right now. But we can be if we keep improving and work on things that we need to work on."

"As far as the Champions League, I remember our coach talking about making noise in the tournament when we first got there. We have a lot to prove in the Champions League, and we're in a tough group right now. But I think winning the last game against Peristeri puts us in a good situation. Having two home games at the end of the year, I think, can put us in the position where we can make it to the Top 16 or play in the play-in game," Foster concluded.

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