After a remarkable NBA career, Arvydas Sabonis returned home just before turning 40. He went on to win both the EuroLeague Group Phase and Top 16 MVP awards in 2003-04, while also leading the competition in rebounds and blocked shots.
One of the greatest centers the game has ever seen, Sabonis eventually saw his No. 11 jersey retired by Žalgiris.
More than two decades later, Kaunas is dreaming again.
Jonas Valančunas was never Arvydas Sabonis. Few centers in basketball history were. But inside Žalgiris, there is hope that another NBA homecoming can have a similar effect.
“We all know who Jonas Valančunas is – one of the greatest Lithuanian players, a true patriot who always plays with incredible passion and total commitment to the team,” said Žalgiris president and club legend Paulius Jankūnas.
Can Valančunas live up to those expectations?
He certainly wanted this move. Financially, it makes little sense. Emotionally, it makes perfect sense. Valančunas reportedly signed a two-year deal worth around €5.5 million, despite having one year and roughly $10 million remaining on his contract with the Denver Nuggets.
He came close to joining Panathinaikos last summer as well, but Denver refused to let him leave.
Last season, backing up Nikola Jokić, he averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in just 13.4 minutes per game.
What Valančunas Still Brings
There is little reason to worry about what Valančunas will do offensively.
At 34, he remains physically dominant, one of the most polished post scorers in European basketball, despite spending more than a decade in the NBA. He can stretch the floor with his three-point shot and remains an excellent passer – a particularly valuable skill now that, for the first time in years, he is expected to be one of the focal points of his team.
The bigger question is at the other end of the floor.
Defending the pick-and-roll was already becoming a challenge for him in the NBA. Foot speed has never been his greatest strength, and in today’s increasingly fast-paced EuroLeague, that issue could become even more noticeable. The same has often been true in FIBA competition.
Žalgiris supporters have grown accustomed to a very different type of center after Moses Wright delivered the best season of his career on both ends of the floor.
Wright brought mobility, explosiveness and switchability. Valančunas offers something entirely different.
This is hardly the first high-profile NBA return to Europe.
But at a time when Europe continues to lose younger and younger stars to both the NBA and American colleges, bringing back a name like the 211-centimeter Valančunas is a victory not only for Žalgiris, but for the EuroLeague itself.
Smart Business in Kaunas
As usual, Žalgiris has approached the offseason with patience and clarity. On paper, this year’s roster will not look dramatically different from the one that finished fifth in last season’s EuroLeague.
Sylvain Francisco leaves enormous shoes to fill. Carsen Edwards arrives with a different profile. He is more scorer than playmaker, whereas Francisco was equally comfortable creating for others as he was creating for himself.
Naturally, there will also be an adjustment period, particularly alongside Nigel Williams-Goss, who developed outstanding chemistry with Francisco.
The backcourt has been further strengthened by the arrival of Saben Lee, another valuable ball-handler and a reliable insurance policy.
More creators around him should also make life easier for Sterling Brown, although the former Partizan guard/forward has always been at his best with the ball in his hands. That balance will be worth watching.
Birutis has departed, while Blaževič arrives from Tofaş – a move unlikely to change the team’s overall identity.
After last season’s outstanding fifth-place finish, Masiulis had little reason to reinvent the team.
Some changes were inevitable, but Žalgiris once again adapted well to circumstances it hadn’t necessarily planned for.
Once again, Žalgiris looks like a team nobody will be eager to face in the EuroLeague.