A former Barça player returns to play after 384 days injured: “Without basketball, I am not the same”

The Lithuanian point guard Rokas Jokubaitis suffered a serious knee injury September 1, 2025 while contesting the Eurobasket with your selection. A long recovery period lies ahead.

Until last Sunday, when, 384 days later, he was finally able to debut with the Bayern Municha team he signed for last season but with which he had not yet been able to play a single minute.

The Lithuanian point guard returned in the Bayern win 108-72 about him Brose Bamberg in the opening match of the German Bundesliga.

Jokubaitis signed for Bayern after the best season of his career in the Euroleague with the Maccabi Tel Aviva team for which he signed after serving three seasons in the Barça (2021-24), but the aforementioned injury kept him off the playing fields throughout the season.

Speaking to Euroleague.net before his return, he described the strange feeling of having spent a year at the club without playing an official match.

“It’s like my second season with Bayern, but officially, no… It was like a one-year rehabilitation and I’m still waiting for my first official game with Bayern.”

The timing of it made the setback especially painful.

“I think it happened at the worst time, because I was playing the best basketball of my career, both in the EuroBasket and the previous season with Maccabi.”

Initially, Jokubaitis hoped that the injury was less serious, but an MRI the next morning confirmed he needed surgery. During his rehabilitation, they told him he would come back stronger. At first, he had a hard time believing them.

“You have to go through that process to understand that you get stronger. Not necessarily my muscles, but my head, my mentality.”

Back on the pitch, Jokubaitis wants to regain his form and confidence, and help Bayern fight for a playoff spot. But, above all, he wants to enjoy playing again.

“I realized that one year without basketball is too much. I felt that basketball is very important to me, and without playing, I am not the same person. So now I have to value it more.”