Shaquille O'Neal, a four-time NBA champion and 2000 MVP, recently visited Lithuania as part of his role as an ambassador for NordVPN, a well-known cybersecurity company. During his trip, he had the chance to watch a high-stakes basketball game between Zalgiris Kaunas and Olympiakos in the Euroleague, a top-tier European basketball competition. The event took place in the second round of the tournament, drawing attention from fans and players alike. The match was a close and intense contest, with both teams showing strong performances. In the end, Olympiakos emerged victorious with a final score of 91-93, thanks to standout contributions from Sasha Vezenkov, the reigning Euroleague MVP, and Evan Fournier. The game was a prime example of the competitive nature of European basketball, where every game is considered crucial, as reflected in the Euroleague's slogan: "every match counts." Before the game, Shaquille O'Neal spoke to the press and praised the intensity of European basketball, contrasting it with the NBA, where he believes some players may not play as hard during the regular season. "I know the European game is a little bit better than the NBA game," he said. "Guys over there, everybody plays hard all 36 games. You know, we got guys in the NBA, they kinda chill out to the All-Star game..." In other basketball news, the G League United team from the United States defeated Rytas Vilnius, the previous winners of the BCL (Basketball Champions League), in a closely contested match with a final score of 86-89, securing the trophy for themselves.