Donatas Motiejunas blasts new generation of players: 'They're soft, like babies' / News - Basketnews.com

Donatas Motiejunas isn't particularly fond of the way the younger generation of players is behaving on and off the court.

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AS Monaco are hosted by Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade for EuroLeague Round 12 on Thursday night (20:30 CET).

Points this season

45%78,9Points made:78,9Accuracy:45,3%Place in standings:15Record max:107Record min:59Best scorer:Mike JamesTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

For Donatas Motiejunas, only a few trips could be more enjoyable, as the Lithuanian big man enjoys the passion Serbian people demonstrate for basketball.

"Serbs and Lithuanians understand that, probably more than any other European nation," Motiejunas told Sport Klub.

"Our love is unconditional. The most important thing is that you win as many games as you can," said the Lithuanian center, currently in his third season with Monaco.

"I grew up in European basketball, and it comes naturally to me," he continued.

Motiejunas compared the number of games in China to the player's workload in Europe, arguing that the burden in Asia might be too heavy for the athletes to carry despite some elements that can ease up the game.

"What we play in ten months, they play in seven. 15 or 16 games a month, including a lot of flights," he said.

"It was challenging, but again, the basketball there is more based on individual skill. I can play that, but when you come to Europe, you have to adapt to the coach's wishes, how he wants to play, what system he wants.

As a European, it was important for me to be successful when I came to Monaco and stay on the team. To accept the vision of the coach and the whole team. For now, we are successful, and everyone's happy," he pointed out.

According to the veteran center, there's a telling difference between various generations of players. Motiejunas thinks that working conditions in the EuroLeague have improved over the past decade and mentioned some of the things he has noticed.

AS Monaco / Schedule

AS Monaco Olympiacos Piraeus85-77 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade AS MonacoTue19:30 Zalgiris Kaunas AS MonacoFri18:00

"Younger players only think about [scoring] points. They are very soft. Listen, in my day, the oldest player would come into the locker room and slap you -- and nobody would say a word," Motiejunas described.

"Because you don't have the authority to yell at an older player or talk back to him. Now, you either don't listen to the coach, or you show that you are not satisfied that the coach subbed you out. If you're unhappy, you go to the end of the bench, and that's it, you don't show those emotions," Motiejunas stressed, adding that the new generations grew up differently.

He mentioned his former teammate, Mantas Kalnietis, who used to run to practice.

"He said in several interviews that, for him, it was fun to do that. The situation was different. He couldn't afford a ride to practice," Motiejunas said of the retired Lithuanian point guard.

"Now the players are driven all the way to practice by chauffeurs, they are like babies. With all due respect. And we have to adapt, we the older ones; we have to find a way to communicate with the younger ones.

But definitely, the way I grew up and the way guys are growing up now is completely different," he repeated.

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