Mothers’ Day: USC basketball Lithuanians’ moms finally see their sons play

The in-state players are used to it. The out-of-state guys can count on their parents attending several games per season, no matter the distance.

Even as crowds at Colonial Life Arena have swelled over the past two seasons, Laimonas Chatkevicius and Mindaugas Kacinas have been able to hear their teammate’s parents cheering and encouraging their sons. Their words are louder, reaching above the praises and shouts of fans and friends.

The two Lithuanian natives hear them the most because they don’t get any of their own.

At least, not until recently.

The corner opposite South Carolina’s bench these days is occupied by Laima Chatkeviciene and Rita Kaciniene, the duo’s mothers. They’ve seen their sons play collegiately for the first time in person the past two games, and they’ll be back at CLA Thursday as the two are honored during Senior Night.

They’re easy to spot, Kaciniene wearing a scarf in her country’s colors over her garnet T-shirt, with Chatkeviciene also clad in a USC shirt and waving the Lithuanian flag. Chatkevicius and Kacinas have finally been able to taste what most of their teammates take for granted. And it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that the two have turned in two of their strongest SEC performances since Mom(s) showed up.

“It was something else, you know,” Kacinas said. “Running out on the court, and seeing, finally, my mom here in person, was like, ‘I can’t believe it! I’ve been here four years and this is the first time seeing my mom in the stands.’

“You miss your family so much and you see everyone’s family make it to the games, and yours isn’t. Since our moms came, everyone is happy for us.”

The trip was a year in the making. The two mothers were used to flying, having traveled all over Europe, and used to logging online at 3 a.m. to watch their sons play nearly 5,000 miles away. Of course it’s tradition to have players’ families come to Columbia for Senior Night, but what if these two moms could come for a couple of other games?

“We walked them step by step, the whole travel. It wasn’t too hard,” Chatkevicius said, although the two mothers speak no English. “They’re staying with my fiancé.”

The barrier has been overcome by “a lot of sign language” and the two seniors have tried to show their mothers everything about the campus and state that they could. A day trip to Charleston last week, a visit to Riverbanks Zoo this week, and of course the games.

The mothers don’t need to know the words to clap along with the fight song, and they lead the cheers and wave the flag as Kacinas goes up-and-under for a bucket and Chatkevicius swats a shot. They’ll be welcomed onto the court before Thursday’s final home game against Georgia, walking arm-in-arm with their sons.

“My Lithuanian has to get a lot better in the next couple of days so I can communicate with Laimonas’ and Mindaugas’ families,” coach Frank Martin joked. “Their families don’t get to see them play as much as some other guys. That’s a dynamic that we had to make sure we never lost sight of.”

The family aspect of the Gamecocks’ locker room isn’t coach-speak. The homegrown players “host” the four international players during the holidays. Kacinas and Chatkevicius have been fixtures at the dining-room tables of fellow senior Brian Steele during Christmases past, each mixing some Lithuanian cuisine into the standard Southern turkey and fixins.

It’s not an easy life for Lithuanian players, who commit to a basketball career early. Youths enroll in hometown basketball academies around age 7, then suit up for a club squad around 17 or 18.

Kacinas and Chatkevicius each came to the U.S. for part of their high-school careers, playing in Kansas where they caught the eyes of Martin and his staff. Martin’s move to USC didn’t affect them – they each still wanted to play for him, and they knew of USC from former Gamecocks Marius Petravicius and Evka Baniulis.

The basketball was fine, but each had to adjust to being here nearly year-round. Columbians P.J. Dozier, Marcus Stroman and Justin McKie can go home any time they want for a good meal, fresh laundry or mom’s TLC. There was only so much Chatkevicius and Kacinas could do with Skype or a telephone call.

“(I go home) once a year, either May or August. Two to three weeks at a time,” Chatkevicius said. “I wish I could go home more often, but two to three weeks is better than nothing.”

The players said that each mother was excited and appreciative of their sons’ opportunity to play American basketball, citing education and the like, but of course it was tough on each side. The moms are their biggest fans, watching every interview, photo op and game online, but it’s hard to hug a computer screen.

Following every home game, USC’s players sing the alma mater and then walk the length of the court, slapping hands with students and fans. Chatkeviciene and Kaciniene will be in that end corner, waiting one more time on Thursday.

Long journeys should always end in a mother’s arms.

This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Mothers’ Day: USC basketball Lithuanians’ moms finally see their sons play."