The three-year coexistence between Platha and Kuzminskas led the Lithuanian to the NBA

AEK made a great transfer move bringing Mindaugas Kuzminskas to Ano Liosia to dress in yellow and black, adding quality and experience to their squad with the acquisition of a great player.

The Lithuanian international striker has… plowed the European fields, with Union becoming the 11th club from the old continent to compete. Among the many clubs he has served, he has also worn the shirt of Unijaja Málaga, a club that shares the Yellow-Blacks’ newly acquired player and his coach Juan Plata.

Living together in the Spanish team for three years (2013–16), the two men knew each other well and are ready to reunite, this time away from the Iberian Peninsula and specifically in Greece on behalf of AEK.

Platha’s partnership with Kuzminskas brought numerous benefits to the veteran forward, who, under the Catalan coach’s tutelage, improved his performance and secured a chance in the ‘magical’ world of the NBA with the New York Knicks.

The market launch that takes place every three years

Mindaugas Kuzminskas has steadily improved under the Spanish coach year after year, which is easy to see when looking at his stats over the three years 2013-16.

Typically, in the 2013/14 season, their first year together, in the EuroLeague, the Lithuanian played a height of 14’14 inches and averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 rebounds.

In the 2014-15 season, his playing time increased to 21’47”, as did his power, with Kuzminskas averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds.

In their third year together at Unicaja Málaga (2015-16), the Lithuanian striker recorded 12 points and 3.4 rebounds with an involvement of 21’15”.

If we compare his performance in his first season in Spain to his last, Kuzminskas found his playing time increased by around seven minutes while doubling his productivity and recovering in Europe’s top club competition.

Thanks to the work of both the player himself and his coach, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, he made the big leap into the NBA, crossing the Atlantic for the first time to wear the New York Knicks jersey.

His old art…

It’s worth noting that during his presentation at AEK on June 27 in New Philadelphia, Juan Plata listed the names of players whose careers have skyrocketed under his tutelage, a mark of his ability to get 100% out of every player he gets his hands on.

“TheWhen I was at Real I signed a young player nobody knew, Sergio Yul. Then when I went to Seville I signed Satoransky, Porzingis and Balvin, who had great careers. In Zalgiris I also coached several players who later went to the NBA.

In Malaga there were athletes like Sabonis, who went to the NBA, and Alberto Diath, who played for the Spanish national team. During this process, some teams played the first European final in their history, others won European championships, some won championships, so at the same time I knew how to do this process.”

With these words, Juan Plata demonstrated his plan in player production and at the same time proved that he does not neglect goals and winning titles, having accomplished this mission many times.

AEK is also based on this, which has invested in the Greek element and talent, but also has the ambition for awards and achievements.