An Exclusive Conversation with Paulius Motiejunas during the 2026 DLD Sports Conference
How did you get started in the sports world?
I started playing since I was six. I was supposed to be a professional player but the coaches did not see my talent and I ended up working in sports. Every time I picked up that ball, something magical happened. I forgot the time, the place, and so on; so it's been my passion since I was little and it stayed till these days.
After you stepped away from the court, you started your journey in the world of sports communications as a communications direction. When did you make that jump?
After 22 years of playing…I was 28 (years old). The GM of the club was the head of the Under-16, Under-18 national team—which I was on—and he knew I was always managing basketball and learning. He always had me on the radar. You know, he said I was an okay basketball player (*laughs*), but also should try to go the path of learning things and finishing university. So that's how I got the call and was offered a job.
After your time as a communications director, you then went to the GM position. Could you share more with us about that journey there?
So after a couple years, as many clubs in Europe, we lost the sponsorship. The main sponsor, the shareholder, wanted to give away the shares and we had a huge financial crisis. The board resigned and they put me in interim. They said it was for three days until the new investor came in, and (then) the new investor never came in. I ended up working a full season, going through all the players leaving, being suspended, and so on and so forth. Eventually, we found an investor and he kept me there working with him for another four years. Then, he put the club in debt and I was called again to clean up. It was two big (crises) and eventually I just had this idea that: “We know how to make it work.” I didn't want to do the mistakes that the previous owners and the GMs were making in our club, and that's how we got to where we are now.
How do you think your journey as an athlete helped you in the business side of the industry—whether it was during your time as a communication director or when you were running the club and managing players?
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