There were a lot of expectations when Ignas Brazdeikis joined Zalgiris Kaunas and he has lived up to them as one of the best and most fun-to-watch newcomers in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague this season. Brazdeikis has an unusual story that has led him all the way back to his hometown to become a EuroLeague star.
Brazdeikis was born in Kaunas but his parents, Diana and Sigitas "Sigis", soon emigrated to America along with Ignas's older sister Ema. They moved to Chicago, USA, before relocating to Winnipeg, Canada, and then settling in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto. That's where Brazdeikis started to play basketball at the age of 6.
Of course, Brazdeikis doesn't remember much about his childhood in Kaunas.
"I was really young, so it's difficult to really remember anything. I do remember being around a lot of family, which was nice. And then the old castle in Kaunas downtown area. I remember visiting there a lot with my family, so not too much," Brazdeikis said. "I came back only a couple of times. It was tough to come back for a whole family, just financially, everything. It's a big trip. So it definitely wasn't easy. But we kept in touch through Skype, FaceTime, any way that we could."
Like every proud Lithuanian basketball fan, Brazdeikis kept track of Zalgiris's EuroLeague results, long before he ever considered playing professional basketball.