Three days ago, 25-year-old Augusto Lima was absent from the EuroLeague semi finals.

He wasn’t injured. He wasn’t in any trouble. He, instead, decided to attend the birth of his first child.

Following the playoff round, which his team Žalgiris Kaunas won, coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius was called into a press conference.

A male reporter asked, “Coach, what do you think about Augusto Lima going away in the midst of a series to attend the birth of his child?”

Stunned and somewhat confused, Jasikevičius asked, "What do I think about it? I allowed him to go..."

"But is it normal for a player to leave the team during the semifinals?" the journalist pressed.

Jasikevičius paused for a moment, and composed himself. "Do you have kids?" he asked the reporter. "When you have kids, youngster, you'll understand. Because that's the height of human experience."

"Do you think basketball is the most important thing in life?" Jasikevičius questioned the reporter.

"No," he replied. "But a semifinal is important..."

"Semifinal? To whom is it important?" Jasikevičius asked.

Mia Freedman, Monique Bowley and I discuss how the face of fatherhood is changing on Mamamia Out Loud. Post continues below.

"The team..." the journalist replied.

After a deep breath, Jasikevičius concluded, "Did you see the number of fans at the game? Important? When you see your first child, you will understand what the most important thing in life is. Come and have a chat with me then.

"Because nothing can be more majestic in the world than the birth of a child. Believe me, not titles, not anything else. Augusto Lima is now in heaven emotionally. I'm really happy for him."

Since the video was uploaded to Reddit, it has received more than 85000 upvotes, and attracted more than 4000 comments, almost all of them in support of Coach Jasikevičius.

This incredible testament to fatherhood might represent a broader shift in what it means to be a dad in 2017.

In sport in particular, which was historically been an insulated world of hypermasculinity, fatherhood has become front and centre.

When men win grand slams, or football grand finals, they thank their kids and proudly embrace them in front of cheering crowds. This, simply, was not happening 20 years ago.

Being a dad is central to their identity.

The exchange between the reporter and Coach Jasikevičius is almost like a dialogue between the old world and the new world.

And in the new world, the family isn't a feminine space. And having more involved fathers, who want more than anything to be present for their birth of their children, will ultimately produce happier, more fulfilled men.

You can watch the full video, here.