Cool
Coach Gives Best Answer To Journalist's Question About Letting Star Player Attend His Child's Birth
Coach Jasikevicius, a father of two, allowed Augusto Lima to go attend the birth of his first child, and their club Zalgiris still won the game, gaining a 2-1 lead in the best-of-three series. During the press conference, however, one "youngster" reporter, who is not a father, persisted questioning Jasikevicius about Lima's absence. The coach defended his player from criticism and perfectly schooled the reporter about family values.
This is how their conversation translates:
Reporter: Coach, what do you think about Augusto Lima going away in the midst of a series to attend the birth of his child?
Jasikevicius: What do I think about it? I allowed him to go.
Reporter: But is it normal for a player to leave the team during the semifinals?
Jasikevicius: Do you have kids? When you have kids, youngster, you'll understand. Because that's the height of human experience. Wow, that's a good question really. Do you think basketball is the most important thing in life?
Reporter: No, but a semifinal is important...
Jasikevicius: To whom is it important?
Reporter: The team.
Jasikevicius: Which one?
Reporter: Zalgiris.
Jasikevicius: Did you see the number of fans at the game? Important? When you see your first child, you will understand what the most important thing in life is. Because nothing can be more majestic in the world than the birth of a child. Not titles, not anything else. Augusto Lima is now in heaven, emotionally. I'm really happy for him.
This is how their conversation translates:
Reporter: Coach, what do you think about Augusto Lima going away in the midst of a series to attend the birth of his child?
Jasikevicius: What do I think about it? I allowed him to go.
Reporter: But is it normal for a player to leave the team during the semifinals?
Jasikevicius: Do you have kids? When you have kids, youngster, you'll understand. Because that's the height of human experience. Wow, that's a good question really. Do you think basketball is the most important thing in life?
Reporter: No, but a semifinal is important...
Jasikevicius: To whom is it important?
Reporter: The team.
Jasikevicius: Which one?
Reporter: Zalgiris.
Jasikevicius: Did you see the number of fans at the game? Important? When you see your first child, you will understand what the most important thing in life is. Because nothing can be more majestic in the world than the birth of a child. Not titles, not anything else. Augusto Lima is now in heaven, emotionally. I'm really happy for him.
