Rytas Vilnius fans have a special opportunity to get to know their playmaker like never before. “ME2U” presents the latest episode of the “1-ON-1” series, where host Paulius Ambrazevičius sits down with one of the LKL’s most charismatic players, Kenneth Speedy Smith.
In a candid conversation, the American guard cleared the air regarding his controversial visit to Panevėžys, reminisced about the painful (quite literally) 2022 championship celebrations, and revealed the true story behind his famous nickname.
To start the show, Speedy surprised the host by revealing that his nickname wasn’t earned on the basketball court—it was given to him on his very first day on Earth.
“Speedy was given to me at birth by my grandmother. Instead of me being born in an actual laboring room, I was born in the hallway of a hospital on the way to the laboring room. So I didn’t make it to the laboring room, so I was given the nickname Speedy. So that’s how I got it,” the point guard explained with a smile.
Furthermore, the playmaker admitted that basketball wasn’t even his first love growing up in Florida.
“Honestly, football is probably my favorite sport. Not probably, but it is… The decision making in a football game—that’s my sport. Basketball just gradually became a little bit better and it just took me a little bit further. I’d rather watch a football game than a basketball game, to be honest,” Speedy confessed.
Later, the conversation turned to a recent photo that stirred up discussion among the fans—Speedy spotted in the stands at a Lietkabelis game. Knowing the fierce rivalry between Rytas and the Panevėžys club, he didn’t mince words when setting the record straight.
“I want to be quite clear… I am not a Lietkabelis fan. Nowhere, nowhere on this earth am I a Lietkabelis fan. Jamel Morris is my best friend. We’ve been best friends for years… So if my best friend is having a game, I just want to check it out. But you know what it is when you’re playing against Lietkabelis. There’s no friends… especially like 3-4 teams that, you know, they can kiss my ass,” the Rytas guard stated bluntly.
One of the highlights of the interview was the recollection of the 2022 LKL title. Speedy shared a memorable mishap from the celebration when the current team captain, Arnas Butkevičius, accidentally injured him with the trophy.
“He accidentally hit you with the cup… In the head, I remember that, yes. I remember, it was on the baseline when he hit me… That shit hurt, but it was so much celebration going on though. It didn’t even matter, man. Listen, I was trying to celebrate with these guys, man. We worked hard for that,” he recalled.
Reflecting on his career, Speedy emphasized that the 2021-2022 Rytas squad was the turning point that taught him the true meaning of a winning mentality.
“I feel like that team, to me, was really where I learned how to really win, to be honest. If I’m not on that team, I don’t learn how to win in Europe. That team showed me how to win,” Speedy concluded.
Watch the full “1-ON-1” episode with Speedy Smith to hear more untold stories, his thoughts on European basketball, and his career journey on the YouTube channel: