The 25-year-old, 193 cm tall point guard from Mažeikiai watched the Bavarian club’s titleless season from the sidelines, and speaking with the local media, R. Jokubaitis shared thoughts about psychological challenges, the difficulties of the German language, and why he is facing preseason training for the first time in his career.
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Eleven months have passed since the injury sustained in the game against the Finnish national team, and the Lithuanian national team’s playmaker, who recorded his career basketball before the injury, is rapidly approaching a return to the court.
“I am on the right path,” R. Jokubaitis told Merkur journalist Patrick Reichelt. “The most important thing now is to return to contact training. In individual training, I can now do practically everything. My knee feels good, as does the rest of my body. Psychologically, I also feel good. Now I need to not rush anything and take it step by step.
When you miss an entire season, naturally you want to return as soon as possible, but that would be a completely wrong approach. My knee still sometimes reacts to the loads from sprints, changes of direction, and jumps. In such cases, I have to slow down a bit. Fortunately, I have doctors, physiotherapists, and coaches here whom I completely trust. They ensure that I act correctly.”
– Will you be thoroughly prepared for the start of the season?
– I think so. Of course, the feeling will be that I can play more, but after such an injury, you have to act wisely. At first, I may miss some games or get fewer playing minutes. My goal is not to play as much as possible right away, but to stay healthy throughout the season and miss as few games as possible.
– Did you have doubts during rehabilitation?
– The first months were tough when I was far from the team. But the hardest were the fifth or sixth month when I returned and was close to the team. That is the moment when you start to feel better physically, but in your head, the question arises: what if I were on the court now? Of course, doubts arise. Another thing – I had to come to terms with the fact that I would not play this season anymore.
– Did you seek help for psychological problems?
– Yes, I did. I already had support here, and now I will probably work with a sports psychologist from Lithuania. It is simply easier to share feelings and thoughts in your own language. This will be especially important when contact training begins.
– How did you come to terms with the idea of watching the entire Bayern season from the sidelines?
– It was hard. We didn’t win the cup, we didn’t become league champions, and I could only watch all of that. All team members felt that something was missing. In my opinion, everything started to go worse in February after the cup tournament. At that time, we reached our limits – both psychologically and physically. How the fifth game of the German championship final unfolded reflected our entire season. We played well in the first half, but then completely collapsed. Everyone felt that something was missing. We need to restore that necessary microclimate.
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– What exactly was missing?
– If you look at other teams like Berlin ALBA, you will see how important teamwork is. Maybe they don’t have the brightest stars, but they were stable and very united. That kind of chemistry is exactly what we need too.
– Wasn’t too much responsibility placed on Andy Obst’s shoulders?
– In my opinion, Andy is the best shooter in Europe. But we have to make his job easier. Last year, everything mostly revolved around him, so opponents focused all their attention on Obst. We need more players who are dangerous and can take pressure off him. In that case, Andy will stay fresher throughout the season.
– What do you think about the changes that happened in the team?
– I think we needed this new start. It’s time for new energy. Of course, it won’t happen overnight because many new players joined, but I believe we will have more talent on the team, and we will have to unite all of that into one fist.
– The new Bayern coach Anton Gavelas is also a former point guard. How important is that?
– Of course, it’s important. I have already played in teams coached by Šarūnas Jasikevičius and Oded Katash. They are former point guards. Such coaches understand the point guard’s thinking, so they give responsibilities and trust. That is the best thing that can happen to a point guard. Another thing – I have already worked at Kaunas Žalgiris together with Arne Woltman, who is now an assistant coach. That is a good connection.
– How much were you able to rest during the summer after a long rehabilitation?
– We spent a couple of weeks in Mauritius. It was great. However, I continued my training program there, and now I am fully focused on preparation and the upcoming return to the court.
– Have you managed to learn German during this year?
– (laughs) Not really. When I was in Barcelona, I quickly learned Spanish. My fiancée is Spanish, so it was a natural adaptation. German is considered more difficult. On the other hand, English proficiency in Germany is amazing, so you can easily get by in everyday life.
– How do you feel about the upcoming season?
– To be honest, this is the first time in my career that I am looking forward to the preseason phase. A lot of time has passed, and I just want to play basketball, but at the same time, I understand that I have to be patient. The most important thing is that I can return step by step, stay healthy, and help the team.
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