The Benas Podcast

NAUJAS EPIZODAS!

(EP#86)

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"Kuze":

Mindaugas Kuzminskas – vienas universaliausių savo kartos Lietuvos krepšininkų, galintis žaisti tiek lengvojo, tiek sunkiojo krašto puolėjo pozicijose. Profesionalo karjerą pradėjo Lietuvoje, vėliau ryškiai atsiskleidė atstovaudamas Žalgiris, su kuriuo tapo LKL čempionu ir įgijo svarbios Eurolygos patirties.

Didelį karjeros šuolį padarė Ispanijoje, rungtyniaudamas Unicaja Málaga – ten tapo vienu komandos lyderių ir stabiliai žaidė Eurolygoje. 2016 m. išvyko į NBA, kur vilkėjo New York Knicks marškinėlius. Nors NBA etapas nebuvo ilgas, jis tapo svarbia patirtimi tarptautinėje arenoje.

Vėliau Kuzminskas rungtyniavo aukšto lygio Europos klubuose, tarp jų – Olympiacos, taip pat atstovavo Lietuvos rinktinei Europos ir pasaulio čempionatuose, pasižymėdamas energija, universaliu žaidimu ir profesionalumu.

Šiame epizode atvirai kalbėjome apie trenerio Jono Kazlausko aurą ir lyderystę, sporto psichologijos svarbą aukščiausiame lygyje, ryšį tarp žaidėjo ir trenerių bei aiškių lūkesčių reikšmę, ypač skautingo darbuose....ir daug kitu asmeniniu temu.

Epizodo pabaigoje Mindaugas pasidalijo planais po karjeros – svarsto tapti agentu ir likti arti krepšinio, padedant jauniesiems žaidėjams.

Temos :
00:00 Mindaugas Kuzminskas – Intro

3:40 Karjeros iššūkiai ir „atsidaužimas į sienas“

7:20 Jono Kazlausko aura ir trenerio lyderystė

12:00 Asmenybės branda profesionaliame krepšinyje

18:30 Sporto psichologija aukščiausiame lygyje

25:50 Spaudimas, pasitikėjimas savimi ir vidiniai pokalbiai

30:40 Žaidėjo ryšys su treneriais ir trenerių vaidmuo

36:00 Taktika, skautingas ir pasiruošimas rungtynėms

48:30 Medicinos personalas ir traumos sporte

50:40 ProBallers.com ir krepšininko įvaizdis

55:30 Karjeros Lietuvos rinktinėje pabaiga

58:10 Sprendimas baigti profesionalo karjerą

1:01:30 Naujos karjeros kryptys po krepšinio

1:04:45 Investicijos ir finansinis raštingumas sportininkams

1:07:33 ATOs

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#MindaugasKuzminskas #LTUrinktine #Krepsinis #NBA #SportoPsichologija 

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Former EuroLeague standout James Gist joins The Benas Podcast to talk honestly about life after pro basketball, chasing the NBA dream, and preparing for basketball retirement.

Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs and stashed in Europe, James built a high-level career with elite clubs like Partizan and Panathinaikos, winning titles across Europe. He shares what it was like balancing NBA aspirations while fully committing to a professional career overseas — and why mentorship played a key role in his development.

James also opens up about his transition into coaching high school players, passing on lessons from his career, and helping the next generation prepare for life both on and off the court. This episode offers valuable insight for players and coaches thinking about retirement and what comes next after basketball.

Topics:

00:00 Intro

1:00 Rookie in Europe & mentorship

9:55 NBA dreams

19:10 Fan bases & Cultures

33:20 Euro coaching vs US coaching

40:20 ⁠ProBallers.com⁠

45:15 Retirement Process & Identity

52:15 Next Generation Mindset

1:01:40 Unlearning habits

1:05:15 New realizations as a coach

1:16:10 ATOs

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#JamesGist #Panathinaikos #LifeAfterBasketball #BasketballRetirement #ProBasketball #EuroLeague #Mentorship

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In this episode of The Benas Podcast, I sit down with Tomas Balčėtis — former Denver Nuggets front office member, 2023 NBA Champion, Harvard University graduate, and CEO of Confluence Valley (Tesonet Group).

Tomas spent 20 years in the United States, worked inside the NBA, and now connects Žalgiris Kaunas and London Lions, leading AI, analytics, and technology integration in professional basketball.

This conversation goes deep into NBA decision-making, Draft and trade processes, basketball analytics, and cultural adaptation in elite sports organizations.

🎙 Topics covered in this episode:

- Inside NBA communication and front office decision-making

- NBA Draft evaluation and trade discussions

- Cultural adaptation in the U.S. and professional sports

- Building trust with players and coaches

- AI tools and analytics at Žalgiris Kaunas

- The connection between basketball, data, and mathematics

This is one of the most in-depth and insightful NBA-focused conversations on The Benas Podcast.

⏱ Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:40 U.S. culture & Boston

06:15 Heart issues

10:20 NBA communication

17:20 Trade discussions

21:15 Draft, Roster fit vs top talent

26:15 Learning from Tim Connelly

28:45 Connecting with players & coaches

32:20 Gold medal syndrome

39:00 ProBallers.com

42:30 Basketball, math, and data

44:30 "CEO of Confluence Valley" 

46:40 Old Experience & new lessons

50:00 Žalgiris AI statistical tool

55:40 10 year plan

56:55 ATOs

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Šiame epizode – pokalbis su Tomu Balčėčiu, kuris praleido 20 metų JAV, studijavo Harvarde, dirbo Denver Nuggets organizacijoje ir tapo NBA čempionu (2023).

Šiuo metu Tomas yra CEO of Confluence Valley („Tesonet“ grupė) ir dirba su „Žalgirio“ bei „London Lions“ klubais, vystydamas duomenų analitiką, AI sprendimus ir technologijų integraciją.

Kalbame apie:

• NBA organizacijų vidų

• „Draft“ ir „trade“ procesus

• Kultūrinę adaptaciją Amerikoje

• Ryšį su žaidėjais ir treneriais

• AI ir duomenų svarbą šiuolaikiniame krepšinyje

👇 Laiko žymos (chapters):
00:00 Intro

02:05 Bostono ir JAV kultūra

08:00 Vidinė NBA komunikacija

15:00 „Trade“ pokalbiai

18:40 Žmogiškas ryšys organizacijose

23:30 Ribos su žaidėjais

26:45 Pozityvinis ir negatyvinis treniravimas

31:20 Investicija į talentą

35:00 Aukso medalio sindromas

40:00 ProBallers.com

46:25 „Žalgirio“ AI įrankiai

56:00 Matematikos ir krepšinio jungtis

1:01:30 NBA žinių ateitis

Gilus, atviras ir labai vertingas pokalbis apie sportą, kultūrą ir sprendimų priėmimą aukščiausiame lygyje.

🎙 The Benas Podcast
🌐 www.bmatke.com

NEW EPISODE!

(EP#82)

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke 

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Sponsor: www.proballers.com

"Reggie":

Reggie is currently the strength&conditioning coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv. After his playing career came to an end he became the athletic trainer at Bnei Hertzliya in 2009 and has been with Maccabi since 2013. He became the Euroleague champion as a player in 2005 and champion with Maccabi as the athletic trainer in 2014.

Today, I Reggie & me talked mostly about the connection between him and the coaching staff. After having worked for so many different coaches at Maccabi Tel Aviv, he learned various ways to bring his message across and connect his job with the coaching staff. Reggie also opened up about the ins&outs of gaining the trust of players. This episode has a heavy focus on communication and coordination of his work with the rest of the team.

Topics:
00:00 Intro

3:45 Logistics & Chemistry

11:15 Evolution of Science

14:40 Lifting after games

20:00 Gaining trust of players

24:00 Staff & Relationships

28:00 Communication with Head Coach

31:40 Watching practice & load

35:30 Injury & chain of commands

41:00 Adjusting to new coaches

45:20 Playing time & load

49:20 Trust of players / Information

54:00 Advice for young coaches

58:30 Health of staff

1:02:10 ATOs

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#RegevFanan #MaccabiTelAviv #Israel #Euroleague #Champion #Reggie #Strength&Conditioning #Performance

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NEW EPISODE! 

(EP#81)

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

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Homepage: www.bmatke.com

Sponsor: www.proballers.com

"Mario":

Mario Fioretti is a first time Head Coach after spending 22years at Milano as an Assistant coach under various Head Coaches, most notably Ettore Messina the last 8years. He also spent one season as an Assistant Coach under Bobby Knight at the University of Indiana and learned from one of the best early on.

After winning countless domestic titles with Milano he finally decided it was time to take on a new challenge and became the Head Coach of Derthona Tortona in the Italian 1st division. 

Today, Mario and me talked about his journey as an Assistant coach and the lessons he learned working under various coaches, the essence of video scouting, the discussions about Post spacing and many more angles to look at. Obviously, we also talked the adjustment of becoming the main decision-maker, mentoring his staff and creating a bond.

Topics:
00:00 - Intro

1:20 Memories of Ettore Messina

6:30 Obvious vs Non-obvious

11:40 Working under Bobby Knight 

16:00 22years at Milano20:40 Incremental Improvement

23:30 How to handle information

28:30 Agree to disagree

34:10 Video Scouting Philosophy 

39:15 ProBallers.com

46:00 First summer as Head Coach

49:00 Appreciation for Assistant Coach job

55:55 Handling a loss as Head Coach

59:00 Organizing Video Sessions 

1:06:20 ATOs

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#MarioFioretti #DerthonaBasket #Tortona #ItalyBasketball #AssistantCoach #HeadCoach #Coaching

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NEW EPISODE!

(EP#80)

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke 

Homepage: www.bmatke.com

Sponsor: www.proballers.com

"Dan":

Dan Shamir always grew up wanting to be a coach until he became one working his way up from being an Assistant Coach with the arguably the best Euroleague team of all time at Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2003-2006. He successfully became a Head Coach multiple times most recently for the New Zealand Breakers 2019-2022 but was also able to switch back and forth to be an Assistant Coach again for Ettore Messina at CSKA Moscow 2013-14 & Milano 2022-23. He is currently the General Manager at Hapoel Jerusalem, switching roles yet again.

Today, I drilled Dan with different questions from the different avenues of his career, especially his mindset of becoming a Head Coach and switching to being an Assistant several times. We also talked about how to build a culture as a GM and what communication as well as standard of integrity has to be set internally. 

Topics:
00:00 - Intro

1:13 Memories of working together

3:00 Willingness to change roles

6:00 Assistant as Maccabi Tel Aviv

9:30 Learning from Players / Pressure

18:00 Realization as a Head Coach

21:41 Staff as a team / Cultivating Trust

29:40 ProBallers.com

37:09 GM vs Coach

46:00 Cultivating a culture

54:10 Communication & Club Values

1:00:35 Dealing with Agents / Market

1:04:45 ATOs

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#DanShamir #HapoelJerusalem #Eurocup #Israel #Basketball #GeneralManager #Executive #Coaching

Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

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www.bmatke.com 

NEW EPISODE!

(EP#79)

If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!):

Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke 

Homepage: www.bmatke.com

Sponsor: www.proballers.com

"Alan":

Alan Ibrahimagic, the interim Head Coach of Germany's basketball National Team who took over the team during Eurobasket 2025 while Coach Mumbru was battling unique health issues and lead the team to a gold medal. Alan is a household name in Germany and now he's known as the coach who stepped up and lead the already established National Team to gain another gold medal. He also coached the u19 team of Germany to a silver medal in the World Cup the same summer and has been an integral part of Germany's youth development in the last 15years.

Today, we obviously talked about this magic summer and how the process of coordinating the reversed roles went down. We also talked about his background and multi-cultural life experience and how it helps him in his job. Alan also told us about his role with the german federation and how the youth development in Germany has changed over the last 15-20 years...what were the big moves that helped Germany to becoming the driving force?

Topics:
00:00 - Intro

1:30 - Role-transfer & Trust

9:00 Handling a winning streak

14:45 International Background

22:30 Balancing negativity vs positivity

27:36 ProBallers.com 

34:05 Germany's basketball system

43:00 Key for youth coaches

48:30 Developing coaches

55:40 ATOs

📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well.

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#DBB #eurobasket2025 #eurobasket #Alanibrahimagic #fiba #Basketball #Champion 

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www.b8summit.com

Šis epizodas – paskutinis B8 Summit 2025 renginio pokalbis, suvedęs Lietuvos sporto lyderius! Per visą round-table diskusiją buvo paliesta daugybė temų, kurias aptarė Tomas Okmanas, Jonas Valančiūnas, Paulius Motiejūnas ir Rimantas Kaukėnas, taip pat pasidalijo savo įžvalgomis. Išgirdome daug įdomių minčių apie komunikaciją ir žinučių valdymą.

Tomas Okmanas išsamiai pasakojo apie dirbtinio intelekto (AI) įtaką sportui ir tai, kaip AI galės keisti @Žalgiris statistikos analizę ateityje. Paulius Motiejūnas atvirai kalbėjo apie NBA įtaką Europai ir Emiratų vaidmenį krepšinio kontekste. Jonas Valančiūnas pasidalijo asmenine patirtimi iš NBA, atskleisdamas, kaip svarbi yra komunikacija su komandos draugais ir treneriais. Rimantas Kaukėnas prisiminė savo laiką „Vilkų“ komandoje, pabrėždamas glaudų bendradarbiavimą su vyriausiuoju treneriu ir jo gilesnį supratimą apie Lietuvos krepšinio kultūrą.

Pokalbio temos:
3:00 – Laisvalaikis ir poilsis11:30 – Žinučių valdymas20:30 – Vidinė komunikacija39:50 – Moderni komunikacija46:40 – Statistika ir AI įtaka59:20 – Europos žemėlapis ir NBA įtaka1:14:10 – Emiratų įtaka1:17:00 – Q&A

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#b8summit #roundtable #Euroleague #Tesonet #CyberCity #Vilnius

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www.proballers.com

"Giannis":

Giannis is a highly accomplished Head Coach in the Euroleague who was at the helm of Olympiacos Piraeus & Maccabi Tel Aviv and currently is the head coach of Red Star Belgrade. He has won numerous domestic titles with each team and has also experience as an Assistant Coach with the Greek National Team.

Today, you will hear/watch Giannis and me having a conversation about his experiences as a head coach in different cultures and the challenges of finding common ground. We also talked about leadership and what it means to Giannis as well as career-advice, managing coaching staff and much more!

Please Share with friends & colleagues...comment & like this episode on YouTube as well as other platforms!

This is another live video from the B8 Summit in Vilnius from July 8th 2025.

Topics:

0:00 Intro

1:10 Creapure

6:10 Professionalism & Role of Assistants12:00 Normal vs Exceptional 15:57 Cultural Communication22:00 Managing Management26:30 Relationship with Fans33:30 Career Advice38:30 Managing Coaching Staff

45:30 Video Responsibilities

49:50 Leadership54:45 Freedom vs Structure

#RedStarBelgrade #Euroleague #Champion #HeadCoach #Leadership #Communication #Cultures

Finding “The Benas Podcast”:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3 

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