Finally fifth in the competition, Latvia was the great story of this 2023 World Cup, and Arturs Zagars undoubtedly the big revelation. Yesterday, for his team’s last match, the leader made another mark by erasing Toni Kukoc from the shelves, to take the record for passes (17) in a match!
“I was just passing the ball, and my teammates made shots. It’s that simple “, he reacted.
With his 12.4 points and 7.4 assists per match, at 55.6% success rate including 41.7% at 3-points, in just 25 minutes of play, the 23-year-old player achieved a superb World Cup, asserting himself after the injury by Dairis Bertans.
This is because Arturs Zagars was able to express himself, for the first time in a long time, without having to deal with physical problems. Enough to boost his rating, he who is currently without a club…
His coach, Luca Bianchi, also launched an appeal to recruiters after the victory against Lithuania.
“He had a solid tournament with great responsibilities. Lots of pressure… In the second game we lost our captain, but he continued to produce good basketball to help the team stay level, proving that he can help Latvia compete with the best teams in the planet » recalled the coach.
“I am old and I need to rest. He is young and needs to play. Let’s hope he finally finds work…”
“But this is only the first step. The next step is to find him a job, because I think he deserves it. He’s not like me, he’s young. I am old and I need to rest. He is young and needs to play. Let’s hope he finally finds work…”
It shouldn’t be too complicated as several Euroleague teams are now interested in his services. According to BasketNews, some NBA franchises have also started inquiring about the player.
However, it is difficult to imagine him taking the plunge directly, but Arturs Zagars is certainly a name that the Great League clubs will keep in mind and follow in the coming months.
“Honestly, he has the potential to play in the NBA” assured Davis Bertans. “I think he has a good chance. It’s all about timing, luck and opportunity. Anything can happen if you find yourself in the right place at the right time. He has all the tools to achieve this. He’s fierce, as you can see. They put their best defender on him every night, and he continued to perform for us.”
Photo credit: FIBA.com
