In the afterglow of the VTB United League final, Unics Kazan’s Marko Popovic briefly spoke with Lithuanian media after his team’s loss to CSKA Moscow in Friday’s third-place game. Popovic thanks the ever-devoted Zalgiris Kaunas fans, who gave him a rousing ovation when announced as a member of the all-tournament team (named so despite a final-game performance of just 10 points and eight turnovers).
Nearly eighteen months after winning a Lithuanian championship with Zalgiris, only to be denied a proper contract offer, Popovic stated that the Kaunas fans tempt him to look beyond difficulties with the front office and consider a return to Lithuania when his contract with Unics in up after 2011.
In his English-language comments, Popovic contended that Zalgiris officials “disrespected me in the media and said I wasn’t a good enough player because they wanted to avoid paying me.”
Concluded Popovic on the matter: “That’s the only thing that hurt me in Lithuania.”
Video runs below the break.
