Fullcourt Passport: Donatas Motiejūnas on Red Star’s surge, EuroLeague vs. NBA, and the CBA

Longtime NBA analyst Ric Bucher and former NBA forward Bostjan “Boki” Nachbar welcome Donatas Motiejūnas—Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) power forward, 6-year NBA veteran and former AS Monaco big—to break down Red Star’s six-game EuroLeague win streak, the locker-room standards driving it, and why “lead by example” still wins. D-Mo opens up on Belgrade’s fan culture, joining mid-season, and how veteran voices align egos for a true team identity.

Motiejūnas gets candid about an NBA career interrupted by injury, what recovery and reinvention taught him, and the real differences between EuroLeague and NBA—from daily pressure and roles to practice habits and player development. He also shares rare stories from the China CBA (Shandong Golden Stars): how local teammates embraced him like family, and why adapting to culture matters as much as adapting to a playbook.

What you’ll learn

Why Red Star clicked: leadership, accountability & players-only talks

EuroLeague vs. NBA: game style, rotations, pressure, practice & development

Belgrade atmosphere vs. everywhere else D-Mo has played

CBA insights: thriving as a foreign player in China

Players’ rights, professionalism, and sustaining a long career

Guests & Hosts

Guest: Donatas Motiejūnas (Crvena Zvezda / Red Star Belgrade; ex-NBA, AS Monaco)

Hosts: Ric Bucher & Bostjan “Boki” Nachbar

Chapters (suggested)

0:00 Intro & international hoops focus
1:40 Donatas Motiejūnas joins
4:10 Red Star’s six-game surge & leadership standards
12:45 Belgrade fan culture vs. Monaco/Lithuania
18:20 Switching teams mid-season in EuroLeague
25:10 NBA injuries, recovery & reinvention
32:50 EuroLeague vs. NBA—pressure, roles, practice
40:15 China CBA: fit, culture & teammates
48:30 Players’ rights & professionalism
55:00 Closing thoughts

Keywords: Donatas Motiejūnas, Red Star Belgrade, Crvena Zvezda, EuroLeague, Ric Bucher, Bostjan Nachbar, AS Monaco, NBA vs EuroLeague, Belgrade fans, China CBA, Shandong Golden Stars, players’ rights, leadership, team culture, international basketball, United WeCast Network

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