Sireika criticizes both Kurtinaitis and critics

Former European champion Antanas Sireika has voiced strong criticism regarding the Lithuanian national basketball team's recent performance, pointing fingers at both players and management.

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I am a free person, so I don't have to flatter anyone. Neither the association, nor the national team, nor the media. I say what I think.

Sireika, who led Lithuania to a European Championship in 2003, stated that while players and coaches have personal responsibility, the organization's leadership also bears blame. He suggested that a deeper analysis of opponents and team composition was lacking, leading to an underestimation of rivals. "It seemed to me that the coaches and team leaders lacked a deeper approach to team composition and opponent analysis," Sireika said.

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It seemed to me that the coaches and team leaders lacked a deeper approach to team composition and opponent analysis. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems to me that we looked at the opponents a little from above. As if we are the favorites of the group and will easily defeat them.

He specifically addressed the team's struggles, citing early setbacks against Iceland and Great Britain, and the subsequent matches against Italy. Sireika noted a lack of tactical adjustments and a failure to adapt to the playing styles of NBA players on the team. He advocated for more improvisation and freedom on the court, contrasting it with what he perceived as rigid adherence to European basketball frameworks.

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The responsibility of the players has also not been canceled. It was not Kurtinaitis or Balčiūnas who missed the basket. They did not defend.

The veteran coach also rebuked calls for players to boycott the national team, labeling such actions as a "crime against Lithuania." He stressed the cultural significance of basketball in the country, describing it as a "religion" and a "backbone of the nation" that once helped Lithuania gain freedom from Soviet rule. Sireika urged for a collective responsibility and open dialogue among players, coaches, and association leaders to address the issues and move forward, warning that further poor results could jeopardize their participation in the World Championship.

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Encouraging a boycott of the national team is a crime! You can hate the national team coaches, the association leaders, but you cannot hate Lithuania. Basketball is our religion, the backbone of our nation...