Darius Songaila exclusive conversation with Eurodevotion

Darius Songaila, Coach of BC Siauliai, is a simple story of Lithuanian basketball greatness.

Born in Kapsukas on eb 14th 1978, he started his playing career with Lietuvos Rytas Marijanpole in 1995 in the national second division.

He then attended High School in New Hampshire at New Hampton School before moving to NCCA at Wake Frest where he spent 4 years between 1998 and 2002.

#50 in the 2002NBA Draft, selected by the Celtics and promptly traded to the Kings, he moved to Russia to play with CSKA fro one season.

In June 2003 he signed for Sacramento where he played for two years before moving to the Bullas where he spent his best season. Then Washington, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

In 2011 he came back in Europe with Galatasaray, then Valladolid, Donetsk and back home to Rytas before playing his last year as a player with Zalgiris in 2015/16 season. 

He immediately started his coaching career after his retirement as an assistant, three seasons with Zalgiris where he finally made it to the Euroleague Final 4 with Saras Jasikevicius as Head Coach. Then again as an assistant but back to the NBA, 2020 to 2024 in San Antonio, return to Europe with Manisa and first job as an HC with Siauliai signed during 2025 summer.

This is the second season on Siauliai Basketball bench.

We had a conversation with the Coach just after the shootaround of his team on the day of the Eurocup game in Venezia.

Coach, first of all is a great honor for us to meet you, so let's start from a one memory that for sure will last forever in your heart… 

The medal in the Olympics and Lithuanian basketball

What about the Olympic bronze medal in Sydney in 2000?

«Very fun memories. It was my first time playing with the national team coming out of college, nobody expected we could do so well and finally with the medal we won it was very, very fun».
 

Moving to Lithuanian basketball which is your opinion about maintaining a high status in international basketball despite the generational change?

«Basketball is the national sport in Lithuania, young guys watch Zalgiris and now even more clubs in the european competitions and because of that you get a lot of attention, you get a lot of role models, kids are growing looking up to the players if they play in the NBA or in Europe».

«We are a small country and not enough of us to divide between all the sports and basket ball is numeber 

 

How an organization like BC Siauliai manages competing in national tournaments against a powerhouse like Zalgiris?

«Competing against a powerhouse like Zalgiris kind of shows you where you are, it's just the level of measure where you are as an organization, how well you are doing so it's a good indicator». 
 

NBA memories and working under Jasikevicius

You played 8 years and 5 team in NBA teams between 2003 and 2011: how is different your NBA compared to the actual one?

«When I played it was a different era. The three point era and the analytics, you know it's now more about the rym or threes, more tempo, more possessions, the physicality definitely changed. When I played we were allowed to be very physical, now players are taking advantage of little contacts, it's more abut getting to the free throw line. I think it's a bit exagerated, it might be entertaining, it might be fun, it might be a lot of more points scored in 48 minutes but I thinks the quality is not the same as it was back in the days».

«I thins that was the goal, it was all bout the fans. Basketball is a product and obviously you have to make it enjoyable for the fans, more possessions, more points, more freedom, more showmanship  

You work with Sarunas Jasikevicius and the team made it to the F4 in Belgrade 2018. How was working with a legend like Saras who then confirmed himself as one of the greatest on the bench too?

«I knew Saras as a player, he was so intense while playing exactly as he is on the bench. E's tata una bellissima esperienza triennale per me fino a quelle Final ».

«I learned a lot of things about how to approach any game, the attention to all details and how demanding he is, no matter if it's about a leader or a role player. So very fun memories of that experience»

 

Siauliai ambitions in LKL and Eurocup

What about Siauliai ambitions in LKL and Eurocup?

«The main goal is being competitive. It's not a secret we have a very small budget and it' s the first time in 19 years we are back in european competitions so being competitive, staying true to ourselves and to our identity, and fight in every game».

«I think in Lithuanian league isa little bit different. It's very challenging because of the Eurocup. It's different when you only play your local league, but when you travel, when  fatigue sets in, you have different emotions and you have to keep your players motivated so it's important to realize that our league is very important for us and we cannot get the level down in those games»

Euroleague and Eurocup competitions

Which is you opinion about Euroleague and Eurocup competitions?

«I can't say anything about Euroleague since I'm not in that competitions but they are doing great. Now they are talking about divisions, different from the past so, again, they are doing very good».

«Eurocup is now with 4 groups of 8 teams, the level is increasing, the budgets are increasing and everybody is excited to be in the competitions, as a coach as well as a player».