“Fenerbahçe is the favorite for the Euroleague”

Bogdan Bogdanovic (Belgrade, Serbia, 08-18-1992) does not lie. His last name, his education, his origins give him away, Balkan genes that manifest themselves on all four sides, one of many projects that emerged from the rich and famous Serbian school, forged in the partisan, molded the now player of the Atlanta Hawks in the discipline and wisdom of Zeljko Obradovic at Fenerbahce. “If this is a good year to aspire to the ring? There is always the opportunity to win it. Everyone wants to win it, the question is to find out how ”, he assures, emphatically, the escort to MD. His first answer already warns of that unmistakable feature of Serbian identity: obsession to win

‘Bogey’ achieved the most in Europe with Fenerbahçe’s 2017 Euroleague and wants to do the same in America. He was able to achieve it in 2021, after his first three-year spell in the Sacramento Kings (2017-2020). But it was he who ended up with the tricks of the Milwaukee Bucks, that he was signed as a restricted free agent in late 2020 before free agency opened.

The Wisconsin franchise was ‘caught’ red-handed and had to undo the operation despite the fact that it was said that Giannis Antetokounmpo she was dying to have him by her side and insisted on it. Bogdanovic, who finally signed with Atlanta, was the one who ended up as the biggest victim: that course the ring would go to the Bucks. “I don’t think about it. I don’t think much about it, honestly,” says the escort, also blunt, reluctant to think about what could have been because the past cannot be undone.

“I feel very good at this point in my career, every year is a different challenge, different opportunities, different motivations. I feel good and I’m happy to be improving every day”, says Bogdanovic, essential today in these Hawks of the showy pair of bases that form Dejounte Murray y Trae Young, who is united by a deep friendship. The escort of 30 years is one of the few guarantees of the Atlanta bench, pointing out the inconsistency of the second unit as one of the problems of the team Nate McMillan according to his lofty ambitions.

‘Bogey’ records this season 15 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3 assists in 30 minutes with a remarkable 36.5% in triples with a high volume of shots -7.6 per game-, boasting of that versatility that will always ensure a place in the NBA, which dazzled the very Gregg Popovich already in his year as a ‘rookie’, in which he did not allow himself to be conditioned by the fact of having arrived somewhat late to the best league in the world, already 25 years.

“More difficult to score in the NBA than in the Euroleague? The rules are different”

“He innately understands the game, he’s just built for it, whether it’s shooting or spacing the court. He understands who he’s playing with, what’s a good shot, what’s not, how to play with his teammates, has a very high basketball IQ. Also, he has good skills, he handles the ball, passes, shoots. He is not afraid, he is not intimidated by the NBA”, said ‘Pops’, in statements collected by the NBC Sports portal, in the 17-18 season. With everything that the most veteran coach has experienced and most victorious of the NBA. And without having played the Serbian in the Spurs.

Just as Popovich is to American basketball what Obradovic is to European basketball, it is because of impeccable speeches like that that Zeljko takes out so much chest from ‘his’ Partizan and from the Serbian cradle, with the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, as current maximum exponent. Bogdanovic does not forget the impact of his teacher. It is already perceived before answering that he loves to be asked about him. His words sound like a warm hug from a distance.

“Zeljko’s influence on me was enormous, I learned a lot from him, he is one of the best coaches in the world and also a fantastic mentor, he taught me to be a professional and how to make my companions better. I feel blessed and happy to have shared part of the career he’s had as a coach with him, winning the Euroleague with him was one of the most brilliant moments of my career, for sure”, highlights Bogdanovic, who has perfected straight discipline and exuberant board of the legendary and award-winning Balkan coach before leaving for the NBA.

He arrived and stayed to add now 6 years in the best league in the world. But since he does not forget his origins in any way, he does not take his eyes off ‘his’ Fenerbahçe or the Euroleague, which included him in the ideal team of the maximum continental competition of the last decade, also present in him Juan Carlos Navarro, Rudy Fernandez and Luka Doncic.

“Obradovic taught me to be professional”

“Yes, I follow the Euroleague, I watch a lot of games whenever I can, especially Partizan and Fenerbahçe, which are my two teams. I hope you come back Whitefishthey will be better with him”, highlights Bogdan Bogdanovic, who does not detach himself from television to watch the maximum continental competition, nor has a Luka Doncic who assured that he watched more Euroleague than NBA, although ‘Bogey’ does not get wet in that sense, although he did in betting on a favorite.

Despite the extremely even nature of this Euroleague and the slowdown of a Turkish team that started out thrown, he is convinced by the proposal to Dimitrios Itoudis and the luxury of staff that it has. Nemanja Bjelica has not yet been able to make his debut due to his injury but there are many other reasons to repeat the success of 2017, Scottie Wilbekin and Johnathan Motley among them, as well as the ex-Barça players Nick Calathes y Nigel Hayes-Davis, with much more confidence the American than last year at Barça.

And in Europe another Serbian phenomenon follows, also reigning double MVP as Jokic of the Euroleague, Vasilije Micic, still postponed at 29 years his jump to the NBA, in which Oklahoma has its rights. “He could come, there is room for him. He also needs to have a financial motivation, a role motivation to come. He is number one there but it is difficult to take this step in your career. But of course he has the quality to play in the NBA ”, he stands out about his compatriot and friend Bogdanovic.

Following the theory of Doncic, ‘Anteto’ and Jokic -according to which it is more difficult to score in Europe than in the NBA-, in the American league it could even further increase its records outside the Anatolian Ephesus. To further fuel the debate on the increasingly productive attacks of the best league in the world: “More difficult to score in the Euroleague than in the NBA? The scorers always find a way to score. But the rules are different and, obviously, more minutes are played here”, points out a Bogey in this regard, who also speaks about the difference in level between the two continents.

“When they have played each other, there have been times that the NBA teams have won and others that of the Euroleague. But it’s a party which says nothing.” says a Bogdan Bogdanovic who remains neutral on the matter. Be that as it may, he is a more than worthy representative, the paradigm of the intelligence of the European player who is valued so much in the NBA, of the fierce competitiveness of the Serbian school and the disciples of Zeljko Obradovic. Live to win and only win without looking back even having seen a train like the Bucks go by. Valuable commitment for any franchise to the ring.

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