Nico Laprovittola: Jasikevicius is the best coach I’ve ever had

Barcelona point guard Nico Laprovittola was a guest of Basquet Plus. Here are some of his statements.

On SARUNAS JASIKEVICIUS

“It changed my career. My way of playing. I’ve already said that. He’s the best coach I’ve ever had, but he also had his things, not so good, like everyone else, and I’m very grateful to have met him in my career at the right time. I think I needed someone like him, someone to push me around a bit, someone to shout at me. I have a very calm character, sometimes I don’t put up with a lot of things, but I took it as a challenge when I arrived, because there were doubts that I would put up with a guy like him, and in the end I was the one who put up with him the best. I think I have hardened my character a bit and being a father has also given me other priorities in life. As a person he is totally different off the field and I am grateful to have known him.

ON TODAY’S BARCELONA

“Today we are doing very well, and I’m telling you this 48 hours after a defeat. It is true that very high-profile players have left, people who raise the hierarchies, respect, etc. But beyond that, the club has been able to get back on its feet, and it may be that in some games we suffer more than in others, but we are playing a more entertaining game, we are getting results, we are doing very well in the Euroleague, and we must continue with this mentality. Today the biggest difference is that, because we don’t have such a high profile in some players, we are more all on the same line and make decisions horizontally. This helps coexistence.

ON ROGER GRIMAU

“In the end it is the players who make the decisions on the pitch. We have to execute what the coaches tell us. Giving us the freedom to make decisions does not take away Roger’s authority. He is still one of the leaders of this project and the person who decides the game plans and who gets on the court. And I think he is doing that excellently. We haven’t reached Christmas yet. We know when and where we have to arrive. We have to continue like this.

On the pressures

“Let’s see. No, it’s not less. It’s Barcelona. Just like Madrid. Ideally we would like to reach the F4, although we are not favourites, but with our cheerful way of playing we could become a very dangerous team.”