Donatas Motiejunas joined Crvena Zvezda on loan from AS Monaco on October 2 after the team opened the EuroLeague season with losses to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and FC Bayern Munich. The club replaced head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos with Sasa Obradovic, who previously coached Motiejunas at Monaco.
Under Obradovic’s leadership, Crvena Zvezda won six consecutive EuroLeague games, defeating defending champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Zalgiris Kaunas, Real Madrid, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, and Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv. Motiejunas discussed the streak on the Fullcourt Passport podcast with Ric Bucher and Bostjan Nachbar.
Motiejunas highlighted the team’s unity and leadership changes as key factors. “I think it was a really good group of guys. The guys were really good and they just needed a little push, a little maybe example, you know, someone who comes with the right approach, right attitude no matter what, win or lose,” he said.
The Lithuanian forward also reflected on his impact as a newcomer. “Obviously there’s a lot of experienced guys in the locker room, but they’re there for a long time and for me as being a fresh new voice, really kind of helped them,” Motiejunas noted.
Motiejunas expressed regret over Sfairopoulos’ departure. “Obviously, I didn’t have a chance to play for coach Ioannis who brought me to Red Star who really pushed me to get me to the red star. And I was really upset because I couldn’t change other direction for him.”
Familiarity with Obradovic helped the transition. “But, then in the same time, you know, coach Sasa came, the coach who I spent three and a half years before, so I knew exactly what he wants from me, what he needs from me,” he said. Motiejunas emphasized the importance of controlling egos for team chemistry.
He described his leadership approach: “I always believe that the best way of leading is lead by example and that’s what I was doing in Monaco that’s what I was doing before and that’s what I’m doing now is to lead by example to come in practice to Red Star’s six-game surge and leadership standards practice 100%.”
Motiejunas also challenged his teammates in practice and reminded them of the team’s identity. “Also I told them I said listen guys like every time I used to come to Red Star to play Red Star, Partizan I said it’s a playoff game for me. I knew it’s going to be a war like especially Red Star like they fight like hell to play against Serbian teams.”
Adapting to Belgrade’s environment, Motiejunas compared fan bases and media pressure. “It’s definitely different you know people here they’re living basketball you know same like in Lithuania,” he said, while noting the responsibility that comes with passionate supporters.
Motiejunas linked his passion to early life. He shared, “I was talking a lot with my psychologist about this like why basketball is so important to me and we figure out you know because my like I was born when my parents were really young like 20-21 years old they conceived me. Right now it’s a little bit different. When you look at the people they try to get their kids after they achieve something in their careers when they’re stable. The stability’s first the job the career and then after the kids before. It was right past Soviet Union times it was like still the old school mentality – first kids then let’s figure out. So through that process as young parents there was not so much time for our kids. So tried to figure out what to do in life how to make the family stable and so through basketball I become seen as a person so for me it becomes somewhere where I go, people cheering for me, people supporting me.”
Motiejunas assessed his NBA years without regret. He stated, “I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t regret any institution or anything that happened. Everything led to to this place today who I am right now.”
Motiejunas recalled his move to China. He explained, “I was 26 years old at that time, not I would say not fully developed psychologically or emotionally. And one of the doctors that was checking me he told me straight in the face he’s like you’re not going to play basketball anymore because of your injury because you had two back surgeries L4 L5 disc herniation.”
The veteran formed connections in Asia. He said, “I build a really crazy good bond with the local players in China and they start inviting me to the to the birthdays to their other celebrations.”
The forward favors the EuroLeague over the NBA. He said, “I’m sorry. It’s Europe. In my opinion, the product so far it’s not destroyed. So, it’s the best product.”
In six games this season, Motiejunas averages 9 points and 3 rebounds. Across 166 EuroLeague appearances with Zalgiris, Prokom, and Monaco, he holds career averages of 8.6 points and 3.9 rebounds. The team currently has a 6-2 EuroLeague record and faces Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on Wednesday, November 5.
