Listen to some of the top prospects on the continent as they experience the 2022-23 ANGT Finals.
ANGT ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary is out now!
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The Adidas Next Generation Tournament provides a platform for the superstars of tomorrow to showcase their talents, with Gen Z taking center stage during last year’s ANGT Finals in Kaunas, Lithuania. In ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary, presented by SKWEEK, you can follow the players’ progress through the tournament as they discuss the importance of the event, what it means for them moving forward, and the lessons they have learned.
Thanks to the support of Adidas and SKWEEK, this documentary provides an opportunity to get inside the mindset of what makes an elite prospect in Europe during the ANGT Finals. In addition to hearing the thoughts of 2006-07 MVP Donatas Motiejunas (now of AS Monaco) and 2012-13 MVP Alberto Abalde (now of Real Madrid), FC Barcelona guard Rokas Jokubaitis also talks about the impact of being on the big stage for the first time.
A couple of stars from last year’s ANGT Finals – who feature prominently during this documentary – have already been given a chance to shine on the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague stage this season, with Nikola Topic of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Kasparas Jakucionis of FC Barcelona both making their debuts in the 2023-24 campaign.
Other players to feature in the documentary include: Mantas Laurencikas (U18 Zalgiris Kaunas), Neoklis Avdalas (U18 Panathinaikos Athens), Urban Kroflic (U18 Mega MIS Belgrade), Illan Pietrus (U18 Next Generation Select Team), and Mohamed Diawara (U18 Next Generation Select Team).
Petteri Koponen, the head coach of the U18 Next Generation Select Team, and Roger Grimau, the ex-U18 FC Barcelona head coach and now Barca first-team boss, offer their insights on this new generation and also how pivotal a tournament like the ANGT can be in a player’s development.
Over four days in May 2023, ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary captures the highs and the lows of the players as they go in search of the ultimate prize: winning the ANGT trophy and cementing themselves as one of the top prospects in the world.
Plenty of current and former stars were in attendance across the tournament, too, such as: Real Madrid’s Abalde, Vincent Poirier, Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez, Walter Tavares and Felipe Reyes; Monaco’s Motiejunas; ex-London Lions head coach Ryan Schmidt; ex-Zalgiris boss Kazys Maksvytis; Zalgiris assistant coach Tautvydas Sabonis; Barcelona legend and current director Juan Carlos Navarro; Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga; and Zalgiris legends Paulius Jankunas and Arvydas Sabonis.
With so much star power both on the court and in the stands, it’s no surprise that the ANGT continues to grow and grow. Don’t be surprised to see some of the names in ‘The Future Stars of Gen Z’ documentary feature on EuroLeague and NBA courts in the years to come.