Paulius Motiejunas' Zalgiris shares to be given to Jankunas / News - Basketnews.com

EuroLeague CEO Motiejunas previously held 55% of all Zalgiris shares. All of them are being transferred to Jankunas, the current Zalgiris GM.

Credit: Teodoras Biliūnas/BNS Credit Teodoras Biliūnas/BNS

After Paulius Motiejunas became the EuroLeague's CEO last summer, uncertainty surrounded his status at Zalgiris Kaunas, where he previously held the general manager and part-owner positions.

Paulius Jankūnas

Position:PF, CAge:39Height:205 cmWeight:107 kgBirth place:Kaunas, LithuaniaProfileNewsStatistics

After arriving at the club during the disastrous Vladimir Romanov era, Motiejunas is often credited for helping resurrect the Lithuanian club and save it from a plethora of debts. Seen as one of the best executives in the league, Motiejunas was given the reigns to the EuroLeague in 2023, replacing Marshall Glickman as CEO of the organization.

With his departure from Zalgiris and the appointment of Paulius Jankunas, a former Zalgiris player, questions started rising about the status of Motiejunas' status within the organization. Namely, he previously held 55% of all Zalgiris shares after 45% were sold to a tech company, Tesonet, BasketNews sources indicate.

When Zalgiris held the now-infamous press conference about former head coach Kazys Maksvytis, Jankunas didn't provide a clear answer about Motiejunas' involvement in the club, which sparked a series of reactions in Lithuania. Now, the Zalgiris GM has a definite answer.

"It might be our own fault as an organization that we didn't communicate this earlier. We know that everything that happens in Zalgiris is very important and interesting for our fans. I can surely say that there's been a process going on since the start of the summer," Jankunas said during the Zalgiris On-Air podcast.

"These are legal matters that take a really long time. I think it's (the process) near the end, and all Zalgiris shares that Paulius Motiejunas possessed will be handed to me at the end of it," the former player concluded.

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