Dovydas Buika will be one of the leaders for U18 Zalgiris Kaunas at the NextGen Finals
Individual training with EuroLeague vet Seibutis helps Buika become star of own movie
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There were 2:30 minutes left in Zalgiris Kaunas’s Turkish Airlines EuroLeague home game against ALBA Berlin in Round 25 when it was time for Dovydas Buika’s moment. Time for the 18-year-old talent to make his EuroLeague debut – and receive the confirmation of all the work he has been putting in.
Buika will never forget February 4 when he entered that game at Zalgirio Arena and ended his first EuroLeague appearance with one missed three-pointer, 1 assist and 1 steal.
“I feel amazing, a dream come true. I was close to tears,” Buika was quoted on social media after the game.
“I vividly remember the EuroLeague debut to this day. It felt like being in a movie, having the chance to step on the court in front of 15,000+ home fans was truly unforgettable experience,” he told the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague website.
Two days earlier, Buika had actually made his Lithuanian League debut against BKT EuroCup side Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius. He has since played in another EuroLeague game as well as amassing six appearances in the Lithuanian LKL, practicing with the pro team almost every day.
“The biggest thing I learned is that you have to be a team player, and you have to sacrifice your own priorities for the team’s needs,” said Buika, who is averaging 3.7 points in 11 minutes in Lithuania’s top flight.
“If the team needs you to go out there for a few seconds and make a foul, you have to do it, because it helps the team to win the game. Every single guy on the team has to have the same mindset and only then the team can succeed.”
Buika says he has been helped by all of Zalgiris’s pro players, adding: “They are always there to help if you have questions, and they try to mentor me as much as possible, which I am really grateful for.”
But it’s actually been former Zalgiris player and long-time Lithuanian international Renaldas Seibutis who Buika gives the most credit for his recent improvement.
“I’ve been training individually with him in the regular season every week. He helped me to work on my game a lot,” Buika said of Seibutis, who played 97 EuroLeague games for Olympiacos Piraeus, Rytas Vilnius and Zalgiris and played at two Olympics, three FIBA World Cups and two FIBA EuroBasket tournaments.
Buika also said playing for Zalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri has been very rewarding.
“Coach Trinchieri has a really deep understanding of the game. He sees the things on the basketball court from the angles that are hard to comprehend and he demands effort, selflessness and thinking on the court,” he said.
“Playing for him you have to give it your all on the court all the time; and you have to enjoy the game, play with the flow, add your own touch to the game without being robotic.”
Buika is thrilled that he will have a chance to show the world what he can do on the big youth stage now that U18 Zalgiris Kaunas received a wild card for the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals later this month in Abu Dhabi.
“When I found out that we got the wildcard to this year’s Finals I was extremely happy, especially after not getting it last year,” he said. “It is another great opportunity and an honor to showcase our team and our organization in such a tournament."
Zalgiris was given the wild card after finishing second at the NextGen EuroLeague Ulm tournament, losing 91-89 to U18 FC Barcelona in the first-place game. Buika was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals for an average performance index rating of 22.2.
“I remember the loss to Barcelona like it was yesterday. That game was a very intense battle between two really good teams and I believe that in the end the luck wasn’t really on our side,” said Buika, who collected 26 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists for a PIR of 30.
“We learned that we have to stay focused and ready for 40 minutes straight without relaxing and that we have to fight for every loose ball until the very end. Of course, losing the first place game adds extra motivation for Abu Dhabi and we will go there with clear intentions to win,” Buika said.
Zalgiris is one of six clubs with two NextGen titles (2003 and 2007) and also played in three NextGen Championship Games (2005, 2006 and 2011).
“I believe that the Zalgiris organization is one of the best youth systems in all of Europe, and the two championships prove exactly that,” Buika said. “Our team will give it our all, go into every game like it’s the final and try to add one more trophy to the two we have already brought home. To do that we will need to support each other all the time. It doesn’t matter how tough things get, and we will have to leave it all on the court.”
These lessons have been pivotal in Dovydas Buika's journey as he made his dream come true by debuting in the EuroLeague.