KLAIPEDA - Famed for his unmatched court vision and dime-dishing abilities in his playing days, former Lithuania great Sarunas Jasikevicius has captured the hearts of basketball fans around the world once again.

This time, however, it wasn't a classic no-look assist or a clutch three-pointer, but rather a perfect response to an ill-timed question about the absence of Brazilian star Augusto Lima from the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) Play-Offs that turned everyone's heads.

Asked about why his starting big man was missing a game due the birth of his first child, Jasikevicius gave the unsuspecting journalist more than he possibly bargained for in a gripping exchange.

In his second season as the head coach of Zalgiris Kaunas, the 41-year-old playcaller stood up for Lima and stole the spotlight with an inspiring lesson in life.

"Do you have kids?" Jasikevicius, himself a father of two, asked. "When you have kids, youngster, you'll understand. Because that's the height of a human experience. Wow, that's a good question, really. Do you think basketball is the most important thing in life?"

In spite of playing without their starting center, Zalgiris thumped their Semi-Finals opponents Neptunas Klaipeda by 23 points and proceeded to finish off the series 3-1 in the following game with Lima back in the lineup.

"It feels great that the coach has got your back. Now I need to return the favor with good play on the court," the 25-year-old big man from Brazil said after his return.

Having won the last six editions of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), the legendary Kaunas club will be going  for their seventh consecutive Lithuanian championship title, facing Lietkabelis Panevezys in the best-of-seven Finals. 

FIBA