Donatas Motiejunas (Monaco): “We have a more American style of play than the other teams”
A few hours before Match 4 between AS Monaco and Panathinaikos, the Lithuanian pivot of the Roca Team, Donatas Motiejunas (2.13m, 31 years old), spoke to the Greek site Sport24.
About the current season:
“Our goal was the top 8, so the team could stay in the competition for another year. To be precise, that was the goal of the administration. For us, the players, the objective was to achieve something beautiful, to enter the playoffs and to reach the Final Four. For every basket player, the goal is the best possible result, you won’t hear anyone say” ok we made it to the playoffs, now we’re going home “. We’ve had some ups and downs as a team, it’s been a bumpy season, but now we’re more stable and playing the basket better. I guess we play a bit… a different basket to what most European teams play, we have a more American style of play. For some opponents it’s very difficult to face us, for some it’s easier, but in the end our season has been successful so far. In the French championship on the same victories as the first and second teams (Editor’s note: Boulogne-Levallois and ASVEL), on a few more matches ahead of us before the playoffs. It’s hard to predict how things will go there, but so far I think we’re fine. We want the French championship, which will not be easy. There will be competition, it will be fun playoffs. »
About life in China and Monaco:
“It’s different… My first two seasons were spent in Jinan, a small town where it’s more difficult for a foreigner to live, because there aren’t so many things to do, it’s not easy to find places or different food. Then I lived in Shanghai, for me it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Amazing experience, amazing place, amazing feeling. Some places are harder, others more beautiful, but for me Shanghai is perfect because you can find the food you want there, for me it’s even better than New York because people live there at a more relaxed pace. I really enjoyed that. In my fourth season, we entered a bubble in Xinjiang. Completely different situation, it’s a completely different part of China and if you play there you have to go every move with a five hour flight. Fortunately, I did not experience it because, as I said, we were in a bubble regime, in which life was not easy. We did it. In general, the era of Covid-19 has been difficult, but in the end I can say that overall China has been a good experience, certainly in the field of the basket. Here in Monaco everything is different. I don’t know if you will have had the opportunity to walk around, you will see that more and more people come as soon as the good weather arrives and the days become more and more beautiful. There are crowds, it’s true, but during the year everything was calm, we could enjoy the place. Now there is more noise and traffic which is not nice in such a small place. Indeed, everything is tiny and narrow here, but we adapt. Everyone talks about the view, it’s definitely one of the most impressive places in the world. »
About next season:
“We’ll see, the year isn’t over and we haven’t had time to discuss our future with the team. Let’s wait to see how the season will end, what the management will say, how we will do as a team, what will be my performance and we will talk. I am always open to discussion. »
Photo: Euroleague