Match with Lithuania will be remembered forever: Czechs escorted a basketball player out of the national team in an epic ceremony / News
Jakubas Širina will remember the confrontation with the Lithuanian national team for a lifetime. The 34-player basketball player wore the Czech national team shirt for the 50th time in his career in Opava, but this time the defender helped that team.
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From the very beginning, Shirina had expressed extraordinary support in the arena for about a thousand spectators. Several groups of people held posters thanking them, “Thank you, Shiro!”
Especially at the beginning of the duel, as soon as Širina was accepted, the famous shouts “MVP, MVP, MVP!” Were heard from the stands.
At the full epicenter, Shirina found herself in the final siren, after which the player still reconciled with the mistake made. With about 23 left to play and Lithuania leading 69:65, Arnas Butkevičius’ attempt to get into the basket was unsuccessful, and after all this, Širina suddenly shot on.
The defender tried to make a cross, but Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Butkevičius read it with two points.
“Before the match, my emotions flooded me a bit, but as soon as the match started, I stopped thinking about it,” Širina, who made her national team debut a decade ago. “In the end, however, I was angry with myself for a complete mistake, without which the ending could have been different.”
The Czechs who saw the celebrating Lithuanians quickly immersed themselves in the uplifting mood, when the center of the square was reformed into a kind of scene: a wooden wall was introduced and the word “Diky” was composed of letters.
Taking the hammer in his hand, Shirina “nailed” the nail to the improvised wall and hung an imitation of her T-shirt.
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This is a newly initiated tradition of the Czech Federation. In mid-November, basketball players who had finished their careers in the national team were honored through the women’s FIBA window Katerina Elhotova, Romana Hejdova and Lenka Bartakova.
Jakub Širina “hammered” his T-shirt
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Czech basketball officials gave a speech to the basketball player at the arena, and the country star Jan Vesely spoke at the distance with the help of a video.
The ceremony was crowned with a gift for a basketball player – a barrel was brought on the parquet, a part of the player’s face and a word of thanks were pasted on it.
“I didn’t really expect anything, I didn’t even think that something like this could happen,” Shirina said of the ceremony. – It was wonderful to see fans applauding their teammates and even Lithuanian basketball players, which caused even more emotion. I am very happy that together with the fans we were able to experience such a moment. Of course, Vesely’s wishes were gratifying. I was hoping he would be able to join in the second match from Istanbul’s Fenerbahche Club, but unfortunately it didn’t come true. But we’ll see you in the summer when you really come to the national team to see your friends.
Vesely ir Tomasz Satoranski to try to convince me not to end my career in the national team, but I was already determined. At the same time, it shows how united a team we are. For me, the decision was logical and balanced. ”
Kuzminskas, who contributed applause to the hero of the rivals, enjoyed the holiday created by the Czechs, which is lacking in the Lithuanian basketball community.
“Frankly, I think it’s missing,” Kuzminskas said. – I believe that will be the case in the future. We collect children’s camps ourselves and, for example, basketball players who have relatively recently completed their careers are already forgotten. Knowing how much some give in Lithuania’s name should receive more attention. But it is as it is, that is not why we are playing for Lithuania. ”
Shirina intended to close the doors of the national team after the Olympics, citing the desire to give way to young Czech players. Still man. coach Roneno Ginzburgo efforts to postpone the farewell to 2023. the start of the World Cup qualifiers.
The strategist was also helped by the fact that he managed to organize a confrontation with Lithuania in Opava.
Shirina saw the world only 30 kilometers from this city – Ostrava. Having played in his hometown for the first two years of his professional career, the attack organizer has been representing the Opava basketball club since 2008.
In the Czech League, his season averages 17 points, 6 assists and 20.5 utility points. Shirina is the undisputed leader of the Opava team and a favorite of local fans. The player’s account has two Czech MVP titles.
The basketball player wore the Czech national team shirt in 2015. and 2017 At the European Championships, 2019 fought in the World Championships, and this year for the first time in the country ‘s history entered the Olympic Games, where he took ninth place.
Although the player’s contribution was modest – after 3.7 points and 2.3 assists per 10 minutes of the game, participation in the Olympics became a cherry on the cake while playing for the national team.
“If anyone had told me that before I started my career, I would have said he was crazy. But everything has come true and I am very grateful, ”said Shirina with joy.
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The basketball player of the Opava club spent a minute and a half in a match with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday, lost the only colon thrown, and later made a mistake.
In a match with Lithuania due to ankle injury after losing a wizard David Jelinek, Širinos had to compete in 25 minutes, scoring 2 points (1/5 shots), 3 assists and 2 rebounds.
Ginzburg tried to make the evening as memorable as possible and put it in the starting five, but the most important accent – victory – was missing.
“It would have been ideal to say goodbye to Perga, but that is the sport,” said Shirina. – Winning would have added extra joy to both us and the audience. We accept that as professionals, Lithuania was a better team and they deserved victory. Lithuanians are played by many experienced players who hit well from a distance and high-quality centers.
The match required a lot of physical strength. The referees have allowed the players to play roughly and we are having trouble adjusting to it. That is one of the reasons why we are 15 points behind at the same time. However, we are trying to answer that the same struggle has succeeded well afterwards. Unfortunately, in the end we missed a few throws and made mistakes, including mine, which cost us victory. “
Kazys Maksvytis’ comment after the match with the Czech Republic:
Comment by Eigirdas Žukauskas after the match with the Czech Republic: