The Benas Podcast

Benas Matkevicius
  • 4.6 (5)
  • BASKETBALL
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

My name is Benas and I'm passionate about traveling, sports and coffee. In this podcast I will aim to combine all three of them by 'zooming' around the world and talking to sports professionals and coffee savants around the world while having nuanced conversations about different topics within their profession. If you're interested in hearing the stories and lifestyles of high achievers, the biggest lessons throughout their life, their mindsets within their respective sports then please subscribe to this podcast, buckle up, get your cup of coffee and 'come fly with me'. Thank you :)

  1. EP#86 | Mindaugas Kuzminskas (LT): Atvirai apie Jono Kazlausko aurą, karjeros iššūkius ir ateities tikslus

    3D AGO

    EP#86 | Mindaugas Kuzminskas (LT): Atvirai apie Jono Kazlausko aurą, karjeros iššūkius ir ateities tikslus

    NAUJAS EPIZODAS! (EP#86) Jeigu norite palaikiti ši podkasta (Ačiū!!): Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke  Svetaine: www.bmatke.com Remejas: www.proballers.com "Kuze": Mindaugas Kuzminskas – vienas universaliausių savo kartos Lietuvos krepšininkų, galintis žaisti tiek lengvojo, tiek sunkiojo krašto puolėjo pozicijose. Profesionalo karjerą pradėjo Lietuvoje, vėliau ryškiai atsiskleidė atstovaudamas Žalgiris, su kuriuo tapo LKL čempionu ir įgijo svarbios Eurolygos patirties. Didelį karjeros šuolį padarė Ispanijoje, rungtyniaudamas Unicaja Málaga – ten tapo vienu komandos lyderių ir stabiliai žaidė Eurolygoje. 2016 m. išvyko į NBA, kur vilkėjo New York Knicks marškinėlius. Nors NBA etapas nebuvo ilgas, jis tapo svarbia patirtimi tarptautinėje arenoje. Vėliau Kuzminskas rungtyniavo aukšto lygio Europos klubuose, tarp jų – Olympiacos, taip pat atstovavo Lietuvos rinktinei Europos ir pasaulio čempionatuose, pasižymėdamas energija, universaliu žaidimu ir profesionalumu. Šiame epizode atvirai kalbėjome apie trenerio Jono Kazlausko aurą ir lyderystę, sporto psichologijos svarbą aukščiausiame lygyje, ryšį tarp žaidėjo ir trenerių bei aiškių lūkesčių reikšmę, ypač skautingo darbuose....ir daug kitu asmeniniu temu. Epizodo pabaigoje Mindaugas pasidalijo planais po karjeros – svarsto tapti agentu ir likti arti krepšinio, padedant jauniesiems žaidėjams. Temos :00:00 Mindaugas Kuzminskas – Intro 3:40 Karjeros iššūkiai ir „atsidaužimas į sienas“ 7:20 Jono Kazlausko aura ir trenerio lyderystė 12:00 Asmenybės branda profesionaliame krepšinyje 18:30 Sporto psichologija aukščiausiame lygyje 25:50 Spaudimas, pasitikėjimas savimi ir vidiniai pokalbiai 30:40 Žaidėjo ryšys su treneriais ir trenerių vaidmuo 36:00 Taktika, skautingas ir pasiruošimas rungtynėms 48:30 Medicinos personalas ir traumos sporte 50:40 ProBallers.com ir krepšininko įvaizdis 55:30 Karjeros Lietuvos rinktinėje pabaiga 58:10 Sprendimas baigti profesionalo karjerą 1:01:30 Naujos karjeros kryptys po krepšinio 1:04:45 Investicijos ir finansinis raštingumas sportininkams 1:07:33 ATOs 📢 Prenumeruokite mano „YouTube“ kanalą „The Benas Podcast“, jei norite nepraleisti naujausių epizodų! Šį tinklalaidės epizodą taip pat rasite visose garso platformose. 👍 Paspauskite „Patinka“ ir pasidalykite šiuo podkastu su savo tinklu! #MindaugasKuzminskas #LTUrinktine #Krepsinis #NBA #SportoPsichologija  Rasit “The Benas Podcast” čia: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast …arba aspilankykite www.bmatke.com . Komentuokit, spauskit 'like' & dalinkites 'social media' kanaluose: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3 www.bmatke.com

    1h 19m
  2. EP#85 | James Gist: Life After Pro Basketball, Mentorship & the Next Generation

    FEB 2

    EP#85 | James Gist: Life After Pro Basketball, Mentorship & the Next Generation

    Former EuroLeague standout James Gist joins The Benas Podcast to talk honestly about life after pro basketball, chasing the NBA dream, and preparing for basketball retirement. Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs and stashed in Europe, James built a high-level career with elite clubs like Partizan and Panathinaikos, winning titles across Europe. He shares what it was like balancing NBA aspirations while fully committing to a professional career overseas — and why mentorship played a key role in his development. James also opens up about his transition into coaching high school players, passing on lessons from his career, and helping the next generation prepare for life both on and off the court. This episode offers valuable insight for players and coaches thinking about retirement and what comes next after basketball. Topics: 00:00 Intro 1:00 Rookie in Europe & mentorship 9:55 NBA dreams 19:10 Fan bases & Cultures 33:20 Euro coaching vs US coaching 40:20 ⁠ProBallers.com⁠ 45:15 Retirement Process & Identity 52:15 Next Generation Mindset 1:01:40 Unlearning habits 1:05:15 New realizations as a coach 1:16:10 ATOs 📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well. 👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network!  #JamesGist #Panathinaikos #LifeAfterBasketball #BasketballRetirement #ProBasketball #EuroLeague #Mentorship Finding “The Benas Podcast”: Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4⁠  Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3⁠  Stitcher: ⁠https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast⁠ …or visit ⁠www.bmatke.com⁠ to find more info. Comment, Like & Share here: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/bmatke3⁠ ⁠www.bmatke.com⁠

    1h 28m
  3. EP#84 | Tomas Balčėtis (Žalgiris Kaunas): NBA Champion on Draft, Trades, AI Analytics & Culture

    JAN 12

    EP#84 | Tomas Balčėtis (Žalgiris Kaunas): NBA Champion on Draft, Trades, AI Analytics & Culture

    In this episode of The Benas Podcast, I sit down with Tomas Balčėtis — former Denver Nuggets front office member, 2023 NBA Champion, Harvard University graduate, and CEO of Confluence Valley (Tesonet Group). Tomas spent 20 years in the United States, worked inside the NBA, and now connects Žalgiris Kaunas and London Lions, leading AI, analytics, and technology integration in professional basketball. This conversation goes deep into NBA decision-making, Draft and trade processes, basketball analytics, and cultural adaptation in elite sports organizations. 🎙 Topics covered in this episode: - Inside NBA communication and front office decision-making - NBA Draft evaluation and trade discussions - Cultural adaptation in the U.S. and professional sports - Building trust with players and coaches - AI tools and analytics at Žalgiris Kaunas - The connection between basketball, data, and mathematics This is one of the most in-depth and insightful NBA-focused conversations on The Benas Podcast. ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:40 U.S. culture & Boston 06:15 Heart issues 10:20 NBA communication 17:20 Trade discussions 21:15 Draft, Roster fit vs top talent 26:15 Learning from Tim Connelly 28:45 Connecting with players & coaches 32:20 Gold medal syndrome 39:00 ProBallers.com 42:30 Basketball, math, and data 44:30 "CEO of Confluence Valley"  46:40 Old Experience & new lessons 50:00 Žalgiris AI statistical tool 55:40 10 year plan 56:55 ATOs 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more NBA, basketball analytics, and sports leadership content. 🎧 Listen on all major podcast platforms 🌐 https://www.bmatke.com

    1h 8m
  4. EP#83 | Tomas Balčėtis | NBA, „Draft“, kultūra & žmoniškumas

    JAN 10

    EP#83 | Tomas Balčėtis | NBA, „Draft“, kultūra & žmoniškumas

    Šiame epizode – pokalbis su Tomu Balčėčiu, kuris praleido 20 metų JAV, studijavo Harvarde, dirbo Denver Nuggets organizacijoje ir tapo NBA čempionu (2023). Šiuo metu Tomas yra CEO of Confluence Valley („Tesonet“ grupė) ir dirba su „Žalgirio“ bei „London Lions“ klubais, vystydamas duomenų analitiką, AI sprendimus ir technologijų integraciją. Kalbame apie: NBA organizacijų vidų „Draft“ ir „trade“ procesus Kultūrinę adaptaciją Amerikoje Ryšį su žaidėjais ir treneriais AI ir duomenų svarbą šiuolaikiniame krepšinyje 👇 Laiko žymos (chapters): 00:00 Intro02:05 Bostono ir JAV kultūra08:00 Vidinė NBA komunikacija15:00 „Trade“ pokalbiai18:40 Žmogiškas ryšys organizacijose23:30 Ribos su žaidėjais26:45 Pozityvinis ir negatyvinis treniravimas31:20 Investicija į talentą35:00 Aukso medalio sindromas40:00 ProBallers.com46:25 „Žalgirio“ AI įrankiai56:00 Matematikos ir krepšinio jungtis1:01:30 NBA žinių ateitis Gilus, atviras ir labai vertingas pokalbis apie sportą, kultūrą ir sprendimų priėmimą aukščiausiame lygyje. 🎙 The Benas Podcast 🌐 www.bmatke.com

    1h 21m
  5. EP#82 | Regev Fanan (Maccabi Tel Aviv) - Connection between Performance staff & Coaching staff

    12/29/2025

    EP#82 | Regev Fanan (Maccabi Tel Aviv) - Connection between Performance staff & Coaching staff

    NEW EPISODE! (EP#82) If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!): Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke  Homepage: www.bmatke.com Sponsor: www.proballers.com "Reggie": Reggie is currently the strength&conditioning coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv. After his playing career came to an end he became the athletic trainer at Bnei Hertzliya in 2009 and has been with Maccabi since 2013. He became the Euroleague champion as a player in 2005 and champion with Maccabi as the athletic trainer in 2014. Today, I Reggie & me talked mostly about the connection between him and the coaching staff. After having worked for so many different coaches at Maccabi Tel Aviv, he learned various ways to bring his message across and connect his job with the coaching staff. Reggie also opened up about the ins&outs of gaining the trust of players. This episode has a heavy focus on communication and coordination of his work with the rest of the team. Topics: 00:00 Intro 3:45 Logistics & Chemistry 11:15 Evolution of Science 14:40 Lifting after games 20:00 Gaining trust of players 24:00 Staff & Relationships 28:00 Communication with Head Coach 31:40 Watching practice & load 35:30 Injury & chain of commands 41:00 Adjusting to new coaches 45:20 Playing time & load 49:20 Trust of players / Information 54:00 Advice for young coaches 58:30 Health of staff 1:02:10 ATOs 📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well. 👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network!  #RegevFanan #MaccabiTelAviv #Israel #Euroleague #Champion #Reggie #Strength&Conditioning #Performance Finding “The Benas Podcast”: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast …or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info. Comment, Like & Share here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3 www.bmatke.com

    1h 14m
  6. EP#81 | Mario Fioretti (Derthona Tortona) - 22 year journey from Assistant to Head Coach

    12/02/2025

    EP#81 | Mario Fioretti (Derthona Tortona) - 22 year journey from Assistant to Head Coach

    NEW EPISODE!  (EP#81) If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!): Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke  Homepage: www.bmatke.com Sponsor: www.proballers.com "Mario": Mario Fioretti is a first time Head Coach after spending 22years at Milano as an Assistant coach under various Head Coaches, most notably Ettore Messina the last 8years. He also spent one season as an Assistant Coach under Bobby Knight at the University of Indiana and learned from one of the best early on. After winning countless domestic titles with Milano he finally decided it was time to take on a new challenge and became the Head Coach of Derthona Tortona in the Italian 1st division.  Today, Mario and me talked about his journey as an Assistant coach and the lessons he learned working under various coaches, the essence of video scouting, the discussions about Post spacing and many more angles to look at. Obviously, we also talked the adjustment of becoming the main decision-maker, mentoring his staff and creating a bond. Topics: 00:00 - Intro 1:20 Memories of Ettore Messina 6:30 Obvious vs Non-obvious 11:40 Working under Bobby Knight  16:00 22years at Milano20:40 Incremental Improvement 23:30 How to handle information 28:30 Agree to disagree 34:10 Video Scouting Philosophy  39:15 ProBallers.com 46:00 First summer as Head Coach 49:00 Appreciation for Assistant Coach job 55:55 Handling a loss as Head Coach 59:00 Organizing Video Sessions  1:06:20 ATOs 📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well. 👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network!  #MarioFioretti #DerthonaBasket #Tortona #ItalyBasketball #AssistantCoach #HeadCoach #Coaching Finding “The Benas Podcast”: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast …or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info. Comment, Like & Share here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3 www.bmatke.com

    1h 9m
  7. EP#80 | Dan Shamir (Hapoel Jerusalem) - Showing willingness to change roles and grow!

    11/02/2025

    EP#80 | Dan Shamir (Hapoel Jerusalem) - Showing willingness to change roles and grow!

    NEW EPISODE! (EP#80) If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!): Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke  Homepage: www.bmatke.com Sponsor: www.proballers.com "Dan": Dan Shamir always grew up wanting to be a coach until he became one working his way up from being an Assistant Coach with the arguably the best Euroleague team of all time at Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2003-2006. He successfully became a Head Coach multiple times most recently for the New Zealand Breakers 2019-2022 but was also able to switch back and forth to be an Assistant Coach again for Ettore Messina at CSKA Moscow 2013-14 & Milano 2022-23. He is currently the General Manager at Hapoel Jerusalem, switching roles yet again. Today, I drilled Dan with different questions from the different avenues of his career, especially his mindset of becoming a Head Coach and switching to being an Assistant several times. We also talked about how to build a culture as a GM and what communication as well as standard of integrity has to be set internally.  Topics: 00:00 - Intro 1:13 Memories of working together 3:00 Willingness to change roles 6:00 Assistant as Maccabi Tel Aviv 9:30 Learning from Players / Pressure 18:00 Realization as a Head Coach 21:41 Staff as a team / Cultivating Trust 29:40 ProBallers.com 37:09 GM vs Coach 46:00 Cultivating a culture 54:10 Communication & Club Values 1:00:35 Dealing with Agents / Market 1:04:45 ATOs 📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well. 👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network!  #DanShamir #HapoelJerusalem #Eurocup #Israel #Basketball #GeneralManager #Executive #Coaching Finding “The Benas Podcast”: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-b-podcast/id1558492852?uo=4  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bw5UJNSQLKo0wUybEIza3  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-benas-podcast …or visit www.bmatke.com to find more info. Comment, Like & Share here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3 www.bmatke.com

    1h 12m
  8. EP#79 | Alan Ibrahimagic (DBB) - Winning Eurobasket 2025, Cultural Diversity & Youth System

    10/19/2025

    EP#79 | Alan Ibrahimagic (DBB) - Winning Eurobasket 2025, Cultural Diversity & Youth System

    NEW EPISODE! (EP#79) If you want to support this podcast (Ačiū!!): Support: https://www.patreon.com/c/bmatke  Homepage: www.bmatke.com Sponsor: www.proballers.com "Alan": Alan Ibrahimagic, the interim Head Coach of Germany's basketball National Team who took over the team during Eurobasket 2025 while Coach Mumbru was battling unique health issues and lead the team to a gold medal. Alan is a household name in Germany and now he's known as the coach who stepped up and lead the already established National Team to gain another gold medal. He also coached the u19 team of Germany to a silver medal in the World Cup the same summer and has been an integral part of Germany's youth development in the last 15years. Today, we obviously talked about this magic summer and how the process of coordinating the reversed roles went down. We also talked about his background and multi-cultural life experience and how it helps him in his job. Alan also told us about his role with the german federation and how the youth development in Germany has changed over the last 15-20 years...what were the big moves that helped Germany to becoming the driving force? Topics: 00:00 - Intro 1:30 - Role-transfer & Trust 9:00 Handling a winning streak 14:45 International Background 22:30 Balancing negativity vs positivity 27:36 ProBallers.com  34:05 Germany's basketball system 43:00 Key for youth coaches 48:30 Developing coaches 55:40 ATOs 📢 Subscribe to my YouTube channel The Benas Podcast, if you want to stay updated! You'll find this podcast on all audio platforms as well. 👍 Press „Like“ ir and share this podcast to your network!  #DBB #eurobasket2025 #eurobasket #Alanibrahimagic #fiba #Basketball #Champion  Comment, Like & Share here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmatke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmatke/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bmatke3 www.bmatke.com

    1 hr
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About

My name is Benas and I'm passionate about traveling, sports and coffee. In this podcast I will aim to combine all three of them by 'zooming' around the world and talking to sports professionals and coffee savants around the world while having nuanced conversations about different topics within their profession. If you're interested in hearing the stories and lifestyles of high achievers, the biggest lessons throughout their life, their mindsets within their respective sports then please subscribe to this podcast, buckle up, get your cup of coffee and 'come fly with me'. Thank you :)

Information

  • Creator
    Benas Matkevicius
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Benas Matkevicius

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