Isaiah Taylor hits the free agency with a message after a dream-like title game / News - Basketnews.com

Isaiah Taylor is not expected to return to Zalgiris despite earning the Lithuanian Basketball League Finals MVP award.

Credit: LKL Credit LKL

Whether you're a basketball player or an enthusiast, we've all had those Hollywood movie dreams where we clinch victory and win championships after game-winners shooting hoops in the backyard.

Isaiah Taylor

Team:Zalgiris KaunasPosition:PGAge:28Height:191 cmWeight:77 kgBirth place:California, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Isaiah Taylor, a 28-year-old from Hayward, California, fulfilled perhaps the most beautiful scenario of basketball dreams.

He scored the first 10 points for his entire team in the decisive Game 5 of the final series.

He dropped 19 points before halftime.

Added a 2+1 play that determined the winner of the game and the series.

And wrapped up a remarkable performance of 32 points in the crucial final series night, which brought the championship title back to the Lithuanian basketball capital.

Zalgiris Kaunas guard checked all the boxes that usually make up the typical scenarios of basketball dreams in the LKL finals vs. Rytas Vilnius.

"When you're a basketball player, these are the kinds of situations you dream about. When you're a professional, Game 5, home court, especially after going through the adversity I've faced..." he recalled to BasketNews after a Game 5 thriller 97-87.

Taylor went through an experience that transformed a basketball nightmare into a dream within 48 hours.

He was unstoppable throughout the series. In the last four games of the finals, the 1.88m tall American put up 20.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, an average rarely seen in the history of the LKL finals.

However, in Game 4, when Zalgiris had a chance to clinch the title in Vilnius, Taylor missed two crucial free throws, leading to a miraculous comeback for Rytas.

With Zalgiris leading by one point (68-67) with 11 seconds left to play, Taylor stepped up to the line to extend the lead. However, both attempts hit the rim, and Rytas grabbed the rebound to start their rescue transition.

Isaiah Taylor

MIN:14.22PTS:5.69 (52.9%)REB:0.81As:1.58ST:0.5BL:0TO:1.04GM:26ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

Marcus Foster went coast to coast and made a game-winning layup that sent the series to Game 5.

Zalgiris has a painful history of missing crucial free throws. Back 19 years ago, when Giedrius Gustas missed two free throws at the end of the EuroLeague Top 16 stage in Tel Aviv, which could have taken Zalgiris to the Final Four with Arvydas Sabonis leading the charge, Derrick Sharp punished the Lithuanians with an iconic three-pointer that sent Maccabi on the path to becoming champions.

Even though it's unfair, Gustas is mentioned by Zalgiris fans in a negative light to this day.

If Zalgiris had lost the LKL finals series - which was close to happening when Rytas took an 8-point lead in the third quarter of Game 5 - Taylor's name would likely have been added to the blacklist of the Greens' fans.

After Taylor's missed free throws, the internet was flooded with memes featuring Taylor's face put on Giedrius Gustas' body.

Taylor's reaction to the adversity? 32 points and a historic performance in the LKL finals, earning him the LKL Finals MVP award.

"I prepare differently than other people. You would think that after missing two free throws, I would come in and shoot a million free throws, right? No, I didn't do that. The next day, I stretched, and I rolled out. I probably shot like ten free throws, and that was it," Taylor told BasketNews.

"For me, it's not really about the technique or anything like that. It's just about me and believing in what I can do," he added.

"I just never waver. Never get too high or too low. Just stay on course. I think I showed that today, for sure," Taylor concluded.

These were Taylor's first decisive playoff games and his first final in his professional career.

Usually, performances like these bring new contracts to the table the next day. Does Taylor expect a call from the Zalgiris front office after such a final series?

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure," he smiled.

"You guys probably know before me. Usually, people tell me where I'm going before I even sign the contract. You'll probably know before I do," he laughed.

According to BasketNews sources, Taylor is not expected to return to Zalgiris and is set to enter free agency.

Zalgiris' backcourt is already stacked with Keenan Evans, Naz Mitrou-Long, Ignas Brazdeikis, Lukas Lekavicius, Tomas Dimsa, and Dovydas Giedraitis signed for the next season.

The import players' rules and financial obligations toward other guards affected Zalgiris' ability to retain Taylor, who came to Kaunas during the season to replace injured Keenan Evans.

Zalgiris couldn't part ways with some players due to the foreign player limit in Lithuania and the significant financial obligations they have towards other guards.

"I believe he's a EuroLeague-caliber player wherever he goes. He has a bright future ahead. We spoke with Paulius Jankunas (assistant GM) about him becoming one of the best point guards in the EuroLeague," said Zalgiris director Paulius Motiejunas to BasketNews.

An elite first step that even the best EuroLeague defenders struggle to keep up with.

The developing ability to make plays in crunch time during the most important games of the year.

And his 32-point performance in the crucial final series match will indeed send a message to the decision-makers of EuroLeague teams.

"I've got balls, man. I'm not really worried about s***, man. Missed free throws, turnovers, and missed shots. I don't give a f***. You know what I'm saying?" Taylor responded when asked about the message his performance in the final series sends to Europe.

"Just to be frank with you, I'm not worried about the fans or anything else. I know who I am as a basketball player, and I know what I can do. That's what I've tried to show every day on the court," he concluded after his iconic performance.

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