LAS VEGAS – While discussing his childhood hero, Kasparas Jakučionis’ eyes lit up and his smile widened.
The Miami Heat rookie already appeared in a good mood when he discussed overcoming early shooting struggles in the California Classic with strong performances in Las Vegas Summer League. When he reflected on watching LeBron James growing up, it seems that Jakučionis will most look forward to when the Heat play the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024-25 season.
“When I was little, he was my hero,” Jakučionis told Sportskeeda about James. “He’s a complete basketball player. He does everything for the team to win. He’s a winning guy. He’s involving other players in the game. He can score whenever he wants. He defends. Basically, he is the true leader.”
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Jakučionis will also look forward to that matchup because of Lakers guard Luka Dončić, whom Jakučionis also idolized since playing for Real Madrid. Jakučionis spoke to Sportskeeda about those two players, Udonis Haslem’s mentorship and his performance with the Heat (1-2), which play against the Detroit Pistons (2-1) on Thursday (10 am ET).
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Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and posted.
How would you evaluate Summer League?
Jakučionis: “I think we’re playing pretty good basketball. Obviously, the last two games, we let them offensive rebound us. [Atlanta] got 20 offensive rebounds. Then in the next game [against Cleveland], they got 22. So that’s the key on why we lost [both games] with the rebounds, a little bit in transition too and not taking care of the ball a lot. I think [against Boston], we played great. We played with a lot more energy. We boxed out a lot better. I think we faced the mistakes that we had from the other two games. We won against the Boston. It’s an important win.”
How about your play?
Jakučionis: “It’s a process for me. I’m adapting to the game. It’s a little bit different. I’m just trying to control what I can control to give my 100% for the team and work on the defensive end. I’m trying to get the rhythm back.”
What explained your improvement with your shooting from the Cali Classic to the games in Vegas?
Jakučionis: “It’s basketball. One day, you miss. Another day, you make. I’m working on that. That is one of the keys for me to improve. I’ve been working every day on it.”
It’s Summer League. But Spo said the other day that he felt encouraged because you showed a lot of mental tougnness through this early challenge. What’s the key in having that mindset?
Jakučionis: “There are things in life and in basketball that you can control and there are other things that you cannot. I think everywhere in the process, every time if you work the right way and have the right mindset, I think if you are improving every day no matter what. Every day cannot be a good day. But from every bad day, you can take a lot more and learn a lot more. I’m just trying to be myself, be positive and do what I can do and control what I can control.”
You’re known as having an all-around game as a scorer, passer and defender. What’s been the message from the staff and others on the key to blend all of that together at the NBA level?
Jakučionis: “Just to be myself is the key and to keep stacking days and to keep working. I love the process with getting better at basketball. No matter how you are now, even if you’re not doing well, you’re still going to go to the gym the next day. If you’re doing well, you’re still going to go to the gym the next day. That’s part of it. You cannot hide from that.”
What has UD helped you with during this process?
Jakučionis: “He’s the legend. He has a lot of experience. He’s been sharing his knowledge about the game. More than anything, it’s about the mental part and the mental approach to the game than anything skill wise. It’s mostly about the mental part and what to focus on going into a game. What you can give to the team is the biggest keys from him.”
What do you take away from how he did that during his career?
Jakučionis: “Just the mentality and the work that he put in. He was undrafted. So he was showing where you start really doesn’t matter. The most important part is where you finish and what you become at the end. It’s a long process. I think if you stick with it and never give up, you’ll be fine.”
You’ve said that LeBron was the main guy that you watched growing up. Amid all the various stars, why did he resonate with you the most?
Jakučionis: “When I was little, he was my hero. He’s a complete basketball player. He does everything for the team to win. He’s a winning guy. He’s involving other players in the game. He can score whenever he wants. He defends. Basically, he is the true leader. It’s also his mental approach to the game and how he takes care of his body and how he works out. All of those things matter. I think that’s why he is who he is. Without that work, he wouldn’t be where he is now.”
What’s your favorite performance of his when you watched him growing up?
Jakučionis: “I liked his block against Golden State [in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals]. That was an iconic one. That was the first game that I watched live. I woke up at 3 am with my friend [in Lithuania] and we watched that game. That was the most memorable moment for me. I was hyped. We were cheering for him. He was my little hero. I was so happy.”
What will that be like now to go against him this season?
Jakučionis: “It’s crazy. His approach and how he takes care of his body lets him play almost the same as it was 10 years ago. It was crazy. It was crazy.”
You’re also very familiar with Luka [Dončić] with watching him growing up in Real Madrid. What do you remember?
Jakučionis: “I watched him when he was Madrid and he was 17 years old and playing in the Finals. He was a Euroleague Final Four MVP and in the championship before the NBA. After the Draft, I just followed his journey when he was playing and just starting in the league. He was already dominating.
I like his playmaking and his shot creation. You could see how he plays. He was playing in a similar way that he is playing now. Obviously, there were some different things. But the playmaking and the stepbacks were the same. He was being aggressive on that end. That has been the same.”
Who were your hoops influences from Lithuania?
Jakučionis: I would say Šarūnas [Jasikevičius] is the guy. I had the blessing to be coached by him for a little bit in Barcelona. He coached me a little bit. I didn’t see him live when he was a player. I was born a bit too late. But I saw some highlights and all of that kind of stuff. The leadership he had as a player is the same leadership that he had as a coach. He inspires me a lot.”
What did playing in Barcelona do for your development?
Jakučionis: “Spain helped me a lot to grow as a basketball player and as a person, too. I learned a lot of things there. I met great people there. I made great connections that I have now. My best friends are from the same team, and we lived together. So with the basketball part, they have a great program there. It meant a lot for me to be a part of Barcelona for three years.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
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