Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Kleber, LaRavia, Redick
Lakers stars Luka Doncic (right hip soreness) and LeBron James (left foot arthritis) were initially listed as questionable for Thursday’s game vs. the Heat on the second night of a back-to-back set, but both players ended up suiting up and submitting historic performances.
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Doncic poured in a season-high 60 points en route to a 134-126 win, earning MVP chants from the crowd despite playing on the road in Miami’s Kaseya Center. The 27-year-old increased his NBA-best scoring average to 33.4 points per game and led the Lakers to their eighth straight win, making a case that he needs to start being mentioned among the frontrunners for this season’s Most Valuable Player award.
“He’s playing as well as anyone in basketball,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “He’s really elevated his play at a really important time for our team. He’s elevated the play of his teammates. I think there’s a trust level that we all have — coaches, teammates — with him closing games for us. He’s been fantastic, and I think he’s one of the best and should be in the MVP conversation. Hopefully people will start talking about that because he’s having as good a season as anyone.”
James, meanwhile, compiled 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists to register a triple-double for the 124th time in his career. But he made history by simply stepping on the court. It was the 1,611th regular season game of his NBA career, tying Robert Parish‘s all-time record.
“If anyone is deserving of breaking the iron man record, I would say LeBron James is,” Parish told McMenamin in a Thursday phone call. “Because he takes such good care of himself. … His approach to fitness and what he puts into his body reflects, or mirrors, how I felt about my fitness and what I ate, how I took care of myself. And so, it’s a testament to not only my longevity, but LeBron’s longevity. … He’s playing at an All-Star level still, which is equally impressive.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Lakers big man Maxi Kleber didn’t play vs. Miami, sitting out for a sixth straight game due to a back strain, but he appears to be nearing a return. The team announced on Thursday that Kleber had been assigned to the South Bay Lakers to practice with the G League team, tweets Khobi Price of the California Post.
- Among the Lakers’ 2025 offseason additions, Jake LaRavia was somewhat overshadowed by former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, but LaRavia has played the second-most total minutes of any Laker this season and is the only player on the roster to appear in all 70 regular season games so far. Redick spoke on Wednesday about the forward’s importance to the team, as Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register relays (Twitter link).
- While the Lakers looked like paper tigers during the first half of the season as they compiled a strong record despite a negative point differential, they’ve come on strong in recent weeks and are establishing themselves as a more serious threat entering the postseason, according to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), who notes that Los Angeles has gained the tiebreaker edge over Denver, Houston, and Minnesota based on head-to-head results.
- Melissa Rohlin of the California Post argues that Redick deserves more credit than he’s getting for his growth as a head coach and the work he has done with the Lakers this season.
LeBron Says He’s Not Interested In Owning NBA Team
Lakers star LeBron James has spoken multiple times in the past about his desire to be part of an NBA ownership group after he retires, having specifically named Las Vegas as a market he had his eye on. However, with momentum seemingly growing toward Vegas being awarded an expansion team, James suggested on Wednesday that his enthusiasm about becoming a team owner has dwindled.
Asked by Dan Woike of The Athletic if ownership is still something he’s interested in, James quickly replied, “No, I’m not. Not at all” (Twitter video link via Khobi Price of the California Post).
James’ comments come in the wake of a report indicating that Fenway Sports Group – the sports holding conglomerate that counts LeBron among its partners – won’t be pursuing a team in Vegas due primarily to the exorbitant cost of the anticipated expansion fee.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that the fee for incoming expansion teams will likely be in the $7-10 billion range, while The Athletic cited an estimate of $8 billion.
Of course, James’ brief post-game comments on Wednesday aren’t binding, so it’s not as if he can’t change his mind and become involved with an expansion franchise – or buy into an existing team’s ownership group – down the road. Still, it sounds like it’s no longer part of his future plans for now.
It’s also worth reiterating that active players aren’t permitted to own a stake in an NBA team, and even at age 41, James isn’t looking like a player ready to coast into retirement. In Wednesday’s win over Houston – the Lakers’ seventh consecutive victory – the four-time MVP racked up 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting.
After the game, Rockets star Kevin Durant told reporters that he doesn’t see why his longtime rival couldn’t keep playing for several more seasons beyond this one.
“I think he could play until he’s 45 years old,” Durant said of James (Twitter video link). “I don’t know if he wants to be around that long, but I think he could play for another four to five years, to be honest.”
FSG Reportedly Not Interested In Expansion Team, Limiting LeBron James’ Ownership Options
LeBron James‘ partnership with Fenway Sports Group won’t help him get any closer to becoming an NBA owner, according to Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Two sources with direct knowledge of the firm tell the authors that FSG currently has no interest in pursuing ownership of an expansion team in Las Vegas.
Cost was cited as the main reason, as the NBA will reportedly seek fees of up to $8 billion per team if the Board of Governors approves exploring expansion opportunities in Las Vegas and Seattle at its meeting next week.
Vardon and Vorkunov note that James first expressed his desire to someday own an NBA franchise in 2016, and he stated four years ago that he would like to be part of the investment in Las Vegas. He has been a business partner with FSG since 2011.
“With Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team,” a source close to James told the authors.
Forbes cites James’ worth at $1.4 billion, which doesn’t come close to covering the expected expansion fee, and Vardon and Vorkunov state that he always understood that he would have to be part of a team of investors. They also point out that he has connections with wealthy business owners apart from FSG. That includes a 2023 visit to Saudi Arabia as a guest of the Ministry of Sport, which is a partner of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, but the authors explain that the NBA doesn’t permit sovereign wealth funds to own more than 20% of a franchise.
Vardon and Vorkunov also note that James would have to retire as a player before he could pursue an ownership opportunity. He hasn’t stated publicly if he plans to return next season, and with the new franchises targeted to possibly begin playing in 2028, there will be a limited window for James to round up new investment partners and submit a formal bid.
The authors state that James viewed FSG as his path toward ownership. He’s an equity stockholder in the company and became a partner in 2021, giving him partial ownership in the Boston Red Sox, Roush Fenway Racing and the firm’s other properties. His longtime friend Maverick Carter is also an FSG partner, and they were given more equity in 2023.
Lakers Notes: Luka, Reaves, LeBron, Smart, Ayton, Playoffs
Several members of the Lakers contributed in key moments down the stretch during Saturday’s thrilling overtime victory over Denver, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Austin Reaves was at the foul line with Los Angeles down three and 5.2 seconds remaining, and after making the first free throw, he intentionally missed the second, grabbed the offensive rebound, and converted a floater to send the game to an extra period.
Reaves’ heroics set the stage for Luka Doncic, who converted a step-back jumper to put the Lakers up two with a half-second remaining. The star guard then blocked Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s three-pointer to seal the win, McMenamin notes.
“Just a big-time shot by a f—ing generational player,” LeBron James said of Doncic. “He’s just a big-time player, man. … We wanted the last shot. We wanted to put the ball in our guy’s hands. … It’s going to be just the first of many game winners like that for him in a Lakers uniform.”
According to McMenamin, head coach JJ Redick told the Lakers he wanted them to treat the game like it was a playoff matchup. He was pleased with the team’s effort after the game.
“Is ‘coalesce’ a word? Is that the right word? For coming together?” Redick asked. “I think it feels like we’re coalescing right now in a really nice way. Still got a long way to go, still got a long way to go, but certainly optimistic with how we handled this stretch of games. … It’s big time.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Including Monday’s victory over Houston, Los Angeles has now won six straight games. As Law Murray writes for The Athletic, the Lakers have beaten three potential playoff opponents (the Wolves, Nuggets and Rockets) over that span and have secured the regular season edge over both Minnesota and Denver. The Lakers spent most of the first half of the season looking pretty underwhelming despite having a solid record, Murray states, but they’re hitting their stride at the right time and are showing they should at least be considered a tough playoff matchup, with Doncic, Reaves, James, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton all making big plays in crunch time.
- Prior to Monday’s game, Redick discussed the challenges Doncic, Reaves and James have faced trying to find a rhythm when they’re sharing the court together, largely due to injuries to James and Reaves, per Benjamin Royer of The Southern California News Group (Twitter video link). Redick acknowledged James’ current role isn’t one he’s ever played before. “The best thing for our team is (LeBron) being the third-highest-used player,” Redick said in part.
- In a feature story for ESPN, McMenamin details how Smart nearly lost his basketball career by punching a framed photo in his hotel room after missing a potential game-winning three against the Lakers as a member of the Celtics in January 2018. He had a five-inch piece of glass in his hand and said he was rushed to the ER and passed out from blood loss. “The doctor looked at me in my eye and told me, ‘I don’t know how you still have use of your right hand,’” Smart said. “‘You should honestly be thanking God every day.’ … They said it laid perfectly in between every tendon in my hand without damaging anything. And they had to leave the extra piece in, because they said it will cause more damage if we go get it out.” Smart required 20 stitches and missed 11 games, but the glass stuck in his hand continued to bother him years later, he told McMenamin. “For six years after the incident with the glass, I still had glass in my hand and I played with it,” Smart said. “And there would be times where because of that, my hand would go numb. A lot of times, a lot of games, I couldn’t control it. I had to play and there were a lot of times when I’m shooting the ball and just, I had no feeling in the arm, the hand.”
- Smart was determined to turn his career around after a couple of injury-plagued season-and-a-half in Memphis and a short stint with Washington to end 2024/25, McMenamin writes, and the Lakers had a major need for a strong point-of-attack defender who could slow down top perimeter scorers. Smart had 21 points and five steals on Saturday and helped limit Jamal Murray to five points on 1-of-14 shooting in 36 minutes. “He competes every night,” Reaves told ESPN. “It’s not always pretty, but his competitive level’s going to be at an all-time high every single night. And you need guys like that. I think he’s the one that sets the example for us on the court to go out there and play as hard as we possibly can, because you know he’s going to do that. When he’s doing that, every single night flying around, it makes you be accountable to the effort that you bring.”
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Doncic, Reaves, Ayton, Injuries
LeBron James returned Thursday after missing three games with foot, elbow and hip injuries, but it was mostly in a supporting role as the Lakers defeated Chicago for their fourth straight win, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James posted 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but he took just 13 shots as Luka Doncic (51) and Austin Reaves (30) dominated the scoring. According to McMenamin, L.A. is 8-3 this season when James isn’t one of the team’s top two players in field goal attempts.
“LeBron and I, we talked, we had a great conversation over the last couple days,” coach JJ Redick said. “He wants to do everything possible to help his team win, and he understands the importance of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best. And you know, that’s incredible with him. It speaks a lot to just how much he cares about this team and his teammates, and how much he wants to win.”
Although James is still capable of huge scoring nights, he has become more of a complementary player at age 41. He called Doncic and Reaves “magical and dynamic” on offense and said he’s willing to do whatever is needed to help the Lakers succeed.
“I mean, if it benefits others, it benefits the team. The team is most important,” James said. “Everybody’s successful when we win. So yeah, it is a sacrifice. I know what I’m capable of still doing as an individual, but what’s important for this team, I’m able to adapt to. … And that’s the only thing that matters. And the win is the only thing that matters.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Doncic celebrated his first 50-point game with the Lakers and his highest scoring total since being traded last February. Reaves topped 25 points for the third straight game, which McMenamin notes is his longest streak since suffering a calf injury in November that led to an extended absence. “I obviously have delusional confidence in myself when it comes to basketball,” Reaves said. “But when the game’s over and I’ve got to go home and think about it, I don’t really think of myself in the category of some of these other guys. But I just enjoy playing basketball, playing the right way and continuing to get better.”
- Deandre Ayton is averaging 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds over the last three games after being sidelined by knee soreness last week, McMenamin tweets. “Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said. “You know, I finally caught up with the team.”
- Before the game, Redick told reporters that Maxi Kleber is expected to miss more time with a lumbar issue, McMenamin adds (Twitter link). The team is waiting for results after Jaxson Hayes underwent imaging on his back, while Marcus Smart, who sat out Thursday’s contest with a hip issue, may be able to return Saturday against Denver.
Pacific Notes: James, Kennard, Melton, Warriors Youth
LeBron James is missing his third straight game for the Lakers on Tuesday as he works his way back from arthritis in his left foot, as well as a left elbow contusion. James went through his pregame shooting routine prior to the Lakers’ matchup against the Wolves, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (via Twitter), but ultimately decided that he needed more time before he’ll be ready to return to action.
According to coach JJ Redick, James was a participant in the team’s film session on Monday, but he did not take part in the on-court practice (Twitter link via McMenamin).
After the 22-time All-Star missed the first 14 games of the season due to a sciatic nerve issue, James has been quite durable. Prior to his recent absences, he had only sat out four of the team’s previous 48 games.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Luke Kennard‘s elite three-point shooting is transforming the Lakers‘ attack, writes Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times. Kennard is making 56.1% of his outside shots over the last six games coming into Tuesday’s contest, with the Lakers going 5-1 in that span. Nguyen notes that the Lakers were shooting 34.9% from three prior to trading for Kennard and have bumped that figure to 39.2% since bringing in the sweet-shooting guard. Kennard, for his part, is grateful to be able to play with play-makers like James and Luka Doncic. “It’s definitely something you think about like, ‘Man, I wish that was me there getting those open looks,'” Kennard said. “But now it’s a reality.”
- De’Anthony Melton is set to play in his first back-to-back set of the season on Tuesday as the Warriors take on the Bulls, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic (Twitter link). Melton played just 20 minutes in Monday’s loss to the Jazz in order to ensure he’d be ready for tonight’s game, according to coach Steve Kerr. Melton, who is officially listed as questionable, has scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games.
- The Warriors have one of the NBA’s oldest and most expensive rosters, which is why team-friendly deals for players like Moses Moody and Gui Santos are particularly valuable to the club, Dalton Johnson writes for NBC Sports Bay Area. In a conversation with Spotrac’s Keith Smith, Johnson outlines how these deals that young players can outplay can be crucial for building sustainable teams around superstars, with Smith pointing to Miles McBride‘s three-year, $13MM extension with the Knicks as another example.
Lakers Notes: Reaves, Defense, Ayton, Hayes
Austin Reaves is starting to look like the player he was early in the season, which could make the Lakers far more dangerous as the playoffs near, writes Melissa Rohlin of The California Post. Reaves’ scoring has been down since he returned from a strained left calf in early February, but he was aggressively looking for his shot in Sunday’s win over New York. He wound up with 25 points, marking just the third time he has reached the 20-point mark in the past 15 games.
“I think the messaging to him has just been to be himself,” coach JJ Redick said. “And I think sometimes when you miss time and there’s circumstances going on with the team that you can kind of be a little passive. … We want him to be aggressive. Every time he gets the ball, we want him to be aggressive and have a mentality to touch the paint.”
Reaves played like an All-Star as the season began, looking worthy of the five-year, $241MM contract that he’ll be eligible to collect this summer (if he declines his $14.9MM player option, as expected). If he can return to that level, the Lakers will be in position to challenge anyone in the West.
“Have fun,” he explained to reporters about his approach to the Sunday afternoon contest. “Woke up, early game, I was tired when I got here. I just told myself to have fun. I don’t feel like I’ve played bad, I just haven’t made a lot of shots. I feel like I’ve done a lot of other things well. Just continuing to play the game the right way, and I feel like good will come to good.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- With LeBron James sidelined by elbow and foot issues, the Lakers turned up their defense in Sunday’s blowout win, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Defense has frequently been an issue for L.A. throughout the season, but the team was in top form against New York, holding the league’s third-most efficient offense to 42.7% from the field and forcing 19 turnovers. Redick singled out Reaves, Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart for their willingness to take charges. “That’s a sacrificial play,” Redick said. “You got to put your body on the line. Our guys have been motivated to do that all year.”
- Deandre Ayton‘s up-and-down play has been an issue, but the Lakers haven’t lost confidence in him, McMenamin tweets. He played 20 minutes on Sunday after sitting out most of the past two games with knee soreness. “We’re hopeful and optimistic that we’re going to get a consistent version of him down the stretch of the season,” Redick said.
- In a subscriber-only story, Benjamin Royer of The Orange County Register examines the connection that Doncic has formed with Jaxson Hayes and looks at how getting him easy baskets can unlock the rest of the Lakers’ offense.
Injury Notes: Murray, Gordon, LeBron, Cunningham, Giannis
Nuggets fans can breath a sigh of relief: Jamal Murray‘s left ankle sprain isn’t serious. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), the star point guard is expected to be listed as questionable for Monday’s matchup in Oklahoma City and is considered day-to-day.
Murray sustained the injury in the second quarter of Friday’s blowout home loss to New York and was unable to return. Head coach David Adelman said after the game Murray was “really sore” but typically bounces back quickly from ankle injuries, which proved prescient in this case.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- While Aaron Gordon wasn’t happy with his performance in his return to action on Friday, he’s “grateful” to be playing again and says he’s in a good spot physically after missing 17 straight games with a right hamstring strain, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Gordon has actually missed 36 total games as a result of right hamstring issues — he originally strained it on November 21, returned for 10 games, then aggravated the injury on Jan. 23. “I’ve gotta stay on top of it. But I play without worry,” Gordon said when asked about the risk of re-injury. “When you’re worried about an injury out there, that’s usually when it happens. So I feel great. My body feels good. It’s just the timing and the pace of the game that needs to come back to me now, but I feel good.”
- Lakers forward LeBron James missed his second consecutive game on Sunday vs. New York due to a left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays. ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported (Twitter video link) during the game that James’ absence was more due to the foot injury than his bruised elbow. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is considered day-to-day, per Andrews. Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber are both active Sunday after previously being sidelined with knee and back injuries, respectively.
- After missing Saturday’s loss to Brooklyn with a left quad contusion, Pistons star Cade Cunningham has been upgraded to probable ahead of Sunday’s contest at Miami, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham, a fifth-year guard, has played in 55 of Detroit’s 62 games so far this season. Caris LeVert (left wrist sprain) has been ruled out for the second of a back-to-back, Patterson adds.
- The Bucks will be without their best player on Sunday, as Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf injury management) won’t play against Orlando on the second of a back-to-back, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Forward Kyle Kuzma is questionable to suit up due to a thoracic spine contusion.
Los Angeles Notes: Doncic, James, Signature Wins, Lopez
The Lakers were shorthanded on Friday but it didn’t matter thanks to Luka Doncic. He had 44 points during the first three quarters of a 128-117 win over Indiana.
Doncic joined Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West as the only players in Lakers history to score at least 40 points 10 times in a single season, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“I felt great,” Doncic said. “I felt like I had my legs working. But definitely needed to win this game, so we came out aggressive.”
Doncic added five assists in the Lakers’ fourth win in five games.
“He can make every shot,” coach JJ Redick said. “I mean, he can make a step-back, left-wing bank shot that line drives and barely goes above the rim. He can make floaters. He can make floaters going left, right. He’s a shot-maker, but he’s also a playmaker.”
Here’s more on the Los Angeles teams:
- LeBron James did not play after sustaining a left elbow contusion against the Nuggets on Thursday, but Redick expects the star forward to play on Sunday against the Knicks. Deandre Ayton (knee) and backup Maxi Kleber (back) also sat out on Friday but could return to action as soon as Sunday as well.
- The Lakers hold the sixth spot in the West, but they’re just 3-11 against teams that are .600 or better, and only one of those victories has come in the last four months. They could record a statement victory this weekend against the Knicks, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times opines. “You play teams that are playing winning basketball and [have] winning records, it definitely can build some confidence in the group,” guard Luke Kennard said. “But I know even some of the close games we’ve lost just recently, I know we’ve done some really good things. … We know what we have in the locker room and in this group.”
- The Clippers blew a chance to win their fourth straight game and reach the .500 mark on Friday. They led San Antonio by 25 points in the third quarter but lost 116-112, per The Associated Press. They also wasted a season-high 26 points and four steals from veteran big man Brook Lopez.
- In case you missed it, the Clippers lost their rookie backup center for the rest of the season due to a foot injury. Get details here.
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Ayton, Doncic, Smart, Marciulionis
Lakers star LeBron James set another NBA record on Thursday night vs. Denver, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the list of players with the most made field goals in league history, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
While James repeatedly referred to the achievement as “pretty cool” after the game, it was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing night. LeBron, who wasn’t able to lead the Lakers to a victory over the shorthanded Nuggets, injured his left elbow with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter and had to sit out for several crunch-time possessions, as McMenamin notes in a separate article.
“It’s pretty sore right now,” James said after the game, admitting that he’s unsure about his status for Friday’s matchup with Indiana. “It felt like one of those funny bone situations, but like, super more intense. … We’ll see what happens over the next couple of days. Hopefully, I’ll wake up (Friday) and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now. Or, if it feels better, that would be great. So, it’s day-to-day, we’ll see what happens.”
James wasn’t the only Lakers starter to suffer an injury in Thursday’s loss. Center Deandre Ayton exited the game in the first quarter due to left knee soreness, per McMenamin.
“For him, it sucked for him not to be out there in the game,” Marcus Smart said of his teammate. “He tried to go, and it just didn’t feel right for him, and it sucks. We definitely could have used him.
“I know as of lately he’s been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and his play. He understands it. I know it might not seem like it, but he does, and he wants to do, good, and he wants to help this team, and I think that’s what’s more frustrating for him because he’s trying. But the way he’s trying is not working, and he’s still trying to figure it out. But he definitely was down tonight.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Lakers star Luka Doncic was assessed his 15th technical foul of the season on Thursday, moving him within one tech of an automatic suspension, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Crew chief Ed Malloy explained after the game that the technical was a result of Doncic directing profanity toward an official, but the All-Star guard is hoping it’s rescinded. “I yelled at him, I guess. That’s what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn’t get a tech,” Doncic said. “And that’s my problem, you know, I was trying not to talk at all. This is the first thing I said, no warning or nothing. But I heard three other players say the exact same thing and nothing. So it’s just, you know… I don’t know what to say.”
- After a pair of injury-plagued seasons in Memphis and Washington, Smart has enjoyed a bounce-back year with the Lakers, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, who points out that many of Smart’s advanced defensive statistics are in the same ballpark as the ones he posted in his Defensive Player of the Year campaign in 2021/22. “Smart has starred in his role for what we need consistently from him throughout the year,” head coach JJ Redick said earlier this week. “He’s played great basketball for the last five or six weeks and that starts on the defensive end. He’s been tremendous for us defensively.” Smart holds a $5.39MM player option for the 2026/27 season.
- Lithuanian point guard Augustas Marciulionis spent most of last summer and fall with the Lakers and has been playing for Los Angeles’ G League team this season after going undrafted. However, he finalized a buyout of his NBAGL contract this week in order to pursue an opportunity overseas, the South Bay Lakers announced (Twitter link). As BasketNews.com relays, Marciulionis has joined Rytas Vilnius, his hometown club, and explained in an interview this week that he decided to make the move after recognizing that he wouldn’t be called up to the NBA this season. “In Vilnius, I could play for a team that truly cares,” he added (YouTube link). “I missed that feeling – the shivers and excitement the night before a game. When you care, you feel it. In the G League, the priorities are different. So, when Rytas offered me a contract, I didn’t hesitate.”