During your five years in Žalgiris, there was everything – from winning the EuroLeague title with Athens’ Panathinaikos to considering ending your career due to prolonged back problems.
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Wearing the green and white jersey of his hometown Kaunas team again, M. Grigonis is happy to be able to play basketball without problems and is looking forward to the start of the season at Žalgiris.
About this and the long four-year period at Panathinaikos, M. Grigonis shared his thoughts with the website Žalgiris.lt.
– Marius, I remember before our first interview this summer you said it was not easy to leave Greece after so many years there. Your family was used to living there and the good weather. How do you feel now, having settled here and preparing for the new season?
– Now, I just looked at the weather… Some places say 80% rain all week. And there – 34 degrees heat (laughs – Žalgiris.lt note). Of course, the weather makes a big difference. I really liked it there – they respected me, and everyone liked that I was there. My family liked it too. When you are loved, you want to stay as long as possible. Did I think about the possibility of returning? Actually, it was a tough period. First of all, I wanted to run normally. To feel normal. That was the biggest concern. And those talks… Throughout my career, they were always about me and Žalgiris. Still, this is home. You know everyone from top to bottom. So everything happened naturally.
– When you left Žalgiris in 2021 and signed huge contracts, did you ever think you might never return to Žalgiris in your career?
– Maybe I had such thoughts. Again, everything depends on some small things. I was in Russia at the time. The war started and I returned. I couldn’t agree with Žalgiris, but it worked out well that an offer came from Greece.
– Four seasons at Panathinaikos. Not every high-level local player can boast spending so many years at this club. How would you describe the years spent there in one sentence?
– Organized chaos. The first year was interesting. It’s easy to talk from today’s perspective. At the time, of course, it was difficult. In the locker room, everyone fights, sends each other away. The coach cuts you off from the team. Our own fans curse us. They spit. You walk on the street and get remarks. The next year – they carry you on their hands because we won the EuroLeague. Again, as we say, there is fanaticism about Žalgiris in Kaunas, but there it is on another level. The whole sports culture lives by that. Of course, the local market is bigger, more people. They are really crazy there; they don’t even need to drink beer to be like that. They are naturally like that. That period was one of the best in my career.
– You went through an extraordinary period when Panathinaikos assembled a complete constellation in one summer. What was that experience like?
– I was also told I was free, but I had a contract and said, do as you want. Later, they told me again that I was free. And I came again. There were many injuries at the start of the season. I remember K. Mitoglu, I. Papapetrou, and Juancho (J. Hernangomez – note). It happened that I played 35 minutes. That’s how it goes in sports – you make your first shots and everyone tells you how good you are. You keep playing. K. Nunn also came and raised us to another level. We gelled like that: without any rules, nothing. It happened like that. I remember we went to the Final Four and were confident we would win. Even though in the final we had a 15-point deficit against Madrid. We were all sure we would win. I say, for that moment, it was not a pity to be injured and not play. It makes up for everything.
– Did you build any connection with Ergin Ataman?
– I would like you to find at least one player who has a connection with him. He completely separates himself from the players. He chooses that position. There is no communication.
– I remember once we met at the Žalgiris arena when you were undergoing rehabilitation after back surgery. At that time, you didn’t know if you could continue your career at all. Was that a real scenario?
– You know, when it’s tough, there is always that option. It was chaos. No one organized proper rehabilitation; I had to travel to Germany myself. Before the surgery, I was paralyzed, couldn’t do anything or fly to Germany. I had to have surgery there. Then there were arguments. My doctor said one thing, theirs another. The injury recurred. Then I flew to Germany, spent the whole summer there. After that, Panathinaikos added a Greek physiotherapist, with whom I worked in Russia. He also worked with Šaras at Fenerbahçe. A really good specialist. I continued rehabilitation with him, and Kęstas, who works with Žalgiris, also helped. I started feeling better only last January. Then I began to feel that everything was possible. It took a long time.
– In such a situation, relations with the club can deteriorate significantly. How did it happen in your case? Did you keep in touch?
– No one took it seriously. They said, if you want, stay. I should have a contract with them this year as well. If I wanted, I could look for another club; from their side, everything was benevolent. I really have a good relationship with Panathinaikos’ sports director and with the club owner. There were no problems. At that time, of course, there was a quarrel with the club doctor. You can’t do that. Unlike Žalgiris, in Europe, this issue, the choice of doctors and physiotherapists, is taken very lightly.
– But when they tell you “if you want, you can stay,” it doesn’t seem like you are very welcome at the club. Didn’t you feel that?
– You see, if you enter history with Panathinaikos, put that star on yourself, people look at you differently. I really felt that personally. People gave a lot of love. When you win, they give you that feeling that you can be here and everything will be fine. Besides, I still wanted to try. To get some role where you are important, not just be there and take the money.
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– When you returned after the injury, Panathinaikos fans greeted you standing. How much did that moment give you chills running through your body?
– Again, when I ran onto the court then, I really wasn’t ready. I had to come back gradually. I was in many places where they don’t wait for you until you are 100% healed. If you reach 70%, you can run and shoot; you just have to go on the court. I wasn’t ready yet; maybe that tripped me up because everyone expected me to come after a year of not playing and everything would be fine. It was similar with M. Lessort. He later needed additional surgery. The club managed many injury situations poorly. I think they understand that themselves. They changed a lot; now it should be good.
– Last season in the EuroLeague, you played only 5 minutes. How did you react to this situation? Did you try to talk within the club about your role?
– Talk to whom? No, that doesn’t happen with E. Ataman. You just think you’ll help in training. Help in the local league. When they need you, they’ll call you. There were times when after training you go home, and they call you: “come to the airport. You need to fly to the game.” Or you come to the locker room, and 25 minutes before the game, they bring you the gear – they will need you. There were such situations. I think with Željko it won’t even be close. There were many organizational things. I looked at it as being here and trying to do my job. My contract says I have to help the team. Of course, I complained a lot, gave my opinion, but when needed, I was ready.
– You returned to Žalgiris. What are your thoughts on the season, the renewed team roster, and such a big rotation?
– Actually, I have my mission – to keep my body, not get injured, because even now everyone asks how my back is. Everything is fine. I had many injuries, tough rehabilitations. One after another. It’s hard mentally because you get tired of doing the same thing. Because it’s terribly boring and you don’t immediately feel the effect. After a month or two. Now it’s hard to evaluate anything about the team. Generally, everything was always good with the organization. It is expanding, people are working. It turns out that Žalgiris is not just about basketball. Žalgiris is a bigger organization. For me, as a Kaunas native, it’s nice. All my friends are happy that I returned here, that Žalgiris is expanding. A Žalgiris season ticket is more valuable than euros. It’s nice, but we’ll see. It’s not easy because we have many new players. We will have to gel. We have talent; we’ll just see how we gel.
– You yourself saw up close how Panathinaikos stars with huge egos gel and win the EuroLeague. At Žalgiris, there will also be more than one player who wants to have the ball in their hands. What is the recipe for players who feel their value to blend into a harmonious team?
– When we won, it was confirmed to us that at that time we had a new coach and many new players. Somehow we found our roles, and no one made up too much. One was the shooter, another waited for the ball to drive in, another defended. Another set good screens and grabbed rebounds. Everyone knew their roles. Of course, physical form… You have to know when to raise it. These things are the most important. How it will be this year – I don’t know. For everyone to know their roles and not make up something else… There is a great talent for coaches to achieve that. There must also be good player characters because someone will be unhappy and will have to sacrifice for the team.
– You know Tomas Masiulis well. He coached you in the reserves and youth national teams. Has he changed in any way since then?
– I think he has remained similar. Of course, he has more knowledge. His manner of communication is the same. I say he has more knowledge, is demanding. I feel he doesn’t like being associated with Šaras. But in his knowledge base, you can feel what Šaras used to say. That’s how a coach should be – demanding. He is interested in all the numbers, shows video reviews. I formed many bad habits… Here it’s new again that we watch videos, there is some preparation plan. Of course, I have played under such a system before, but the four years were completely different.
– After the first trainings and preseason games (the interview was recorded before the second preseason game), do you already have a formed idea of what kind of basketball you will play?
– Not everyone is here yet. Both Nigel and Saben haven’t played yet. In the first game, at 32 years old, I press the opponent all over the court (laughs – Žalgiris.lt note). Ąžuolas will still be an important player, Maodo too. Coach Tomas would say the same: “we want to play fast, physical, fight for every ball.” I think that’s theoretically always Žalgiris’ identity. How it will turn out? Now is the “honeymoon” period when everyone passes the ball. Still, when losses come, tough moments come. Then the team shows: either you have character or not. It would be naive to evaluate everything now.
– In your first period at Žalgiris, you were heard in the locker room. Returning more experienced, and here you meet Edgaras Ulanovas and, of course, Jonas Valančiūnas. What could the Žalgiris locker room be like this season?
– I look where Jonas sits, and it seems like Jankis is sitting there again. Jankis used to sit there anyway. Now Jonas, like an uncle, sits across two lockers. I think the locker room will be more fun than last year, although I wasn’t there, but I heard everything was too calm. I’m not saying we will do nonsense. Personally, I will be happy to speak Lithuanian again because I have played abroad for many years. I understand from foreigners that sometimes you talk too much in your own language; you need to include them too. It’s nice to use your language; those “jokes” are different. When you use a foreign language, you are still somewhat different.
– Can it be said boldly that you intend to be the one who, if necessary, will put in your two cents if the situation requires?
– In my opinion, I have proven a lot. Of course, every year you have to prove yourself again, but I have nothing to lose to hold back. Selfishness annoys me more; if it appears, you say it. Everything else, whether you are professional, quiet or not, doesn’t matter; that’s your business. If nails grow inward, you have to say something about it.
– What personal ambition do you feel with Kaunas Žalgiris?
– To go every day and try to win. I won’t tell you anything new. How it will turn out? If I knew, it would be easier to answer.
