Former Rockets big man Donatas Motiejunas led the way for the Shanghai Sharks with 27 points (12/23 FG) and 11 rebounds in Monday’s preseason opener at Houston, and he says he hopes his old team wins the NBA championship this season.
In a collage of gameday pictures posted to Instagram on Wednesday, Motiejunas wrote:
What a good feeling to be back to my second home and visit my old friends! Best of luck to the Rockets in upcoming season! [Clint Capela] @ccapela15 keep on killing it! Wishing and hoping nothing less then a chip for these guys!
Motiejunas finished the post with hashtags including #htown, #secondhome, and #rocketsalltheway.
Over four seasons in Houston from 2012 through 2016, Motiejunas averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game. He played multiple seasons with Capela and franchise cornerstone James Harden during that run.
The seven-footer is only 29 years old, which means that even though he’s currently playing in China, there’s still plenty of time for an eventual return to the NBA. After Monday’s game, he told The Athletic‘s Kelly Iko that he’s still interested in that option:
“Hopefully I’ll get a chance to prove myself again,” Motiejunas told Iko. “I love Houston and all the fans here. There’s a warm feeling.”
It remains to be seen whether the sentiment leads to a deal anywhere in the NBA, let alone Houston specifically. But it’s clear the Lithuanian big man remains very open and hopeful to the possibility.
