“Pafbet” Latvian-Estonian Basketball Leagues team “Liepāja” defender Dāvis Geks, who was recognized as the most valuable player of November, has returned to Latvia because he did not want to be abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic, but during his years in Spain he also received offers from top league (ACB) teams, in an interview with Latvian Basketball Union (LBS) range player.
–
Content will continue after the ad
Advertising
–
BC “Liepāja” attacking defender in November helped his team to win two games out of three, including hitting important shots at the top of matches. On average, 30 minutes were played on the field, 18.3 points were scored, 2.3 assists were made, 3 rebounds were won and 4 opponents’ fouls were provoked. In October, Maris Gulbis (BK “Ventspils“).
Geks last played in Latvia in 2016/2017. representing the “Barons Quarter” unit. For the last three seasons, he played for the Oviedo CB team of the second Spanish Premier League (“LEB Oro”), as well as represented the Lithuanian Premier League club “Siauliai” in ten matches.
How satisfied are you with the course of the season?
For now, everything is fine. The very beginning of the season was not as good as I wanted to, but gradually I played. We are a new team, we improve performance individually and all together. The coach is confident, gives opportunities and then is easy to play. There are no sports surprises. We have won the teams that were supposed to win and lost the favorites.
Almost defeated one…
Yes, we got caught up in the first match with “Ventspils”, but we didn’t keep the victory at the end. Little luck, the leaders of the opponents played well at the top.
You have previously played in Valmiera, Jelgava, “VEF Rīga”, “Barons kvartāls”. What makes Liepāja team special?
Team levels, goals, and my status varied. Liepāja has a higher level of responsibility – I know that I am expected and demanded from me. This puts some pressure.
Was it about your status on the team when you signed the contract?
Of course. With the management of the club we talked about what is expected of me, from the whole team. That previous seasons have failed to meet targets, and this year it must be done. Glad that spectators came to the games at the beginning of the season – with each game more. Now the support of the stands is sometimes lacking, but it is a pleasure that we can play at all. In these times it is not small.
He returned to Latvia after three years in Spain. What was the legionnaire’s experience?
Positive. Of course, also difficult. The team looked at me like a legionnaire – waiting for the result and not weaving, if for some reason I couldn’t show what was expected of me in a game. The first year was especially difficult in everyday life. English didn’t help much in Spain, shopping and ordering food was a big challenge. When I learned the language, everything was fine. As a basketball player, I gained a lot – the nuances of individual mastery, experience.
The goals were probably not limited to playing “LEB Oro“ in the league…
Not limited, but… On average, playing 10 points seemed to be a good indicator, but obviously not enough to catch the eyes of ACB league club leaders. Both by my own feelings and the coaches’ assessment, I can be useful at both ends of the field, but perhaps more attention should have been paid to the statistics. There were signals of interest from several ACB teams, but there were no real offers.
Were there any alternatives to Liepāja’s offer?
Due to the pandemic, they wanted to play this season closer to home, in Latvia. In the spring, when the previous season was half-hearted, I was forced to live at home for a month and a half, without the opportunity to go for a walk, because in Spain the quarantine rules were very strict. I didn’t want to experience it again.
What place of “Liepāja” in the tournament table will you be satisfied with at the end of the season?
The third. I thought so myself, we also talked about it in the team locker room.
–
