Jonas Kazlauskas: Holden and Langdon brought continuity to CSKA

15.09.2011
Jonas Kazlauskas and Jon Robert Holden (photo from archive)
The series of interviews by army team coaches about honorable veterans JR Holden and Trajan Langdon who left the team in the offseason is opened by the words of current CSKA coach Jonas Kazlauskas.

Jonas Kazlauskas, CSKA head coach (02.2011 - now):
I can’t say I know them good enough, as good as previous coaches. I came to the team just in February and worked with them for only end of the season. The year was tough, we passed through a lot of difficulties… Holden’s and Langdon’s careers weren’t at their prime, I did not work with them in their best years but I coached against them in the clubs and National Teams. I can just state that both are great players who brought a lot of victories, winning continuity to CSKA. The luck which followed the army team all these years just proves my words right. Eight Final Fours in a row, a number of other victories – Holden and Langdon deserve most of the credit for that. And I had a chance to assure myself in that last season. I was critical towards the team, I wanted to estimate the perspective and to win here and now simultaneously. So when the playoffs time has come our veterans switched the gears, tried hard, showed that they know how to win the key games. They demonstrated their best, their huge desire to play and win. It is enough to recall the last game of the Final series against Khimki played tremendously by J. We started to understand each other better and better in the end of the season, but the time to part our ways has come unfortunately…