Interview with Bogdan Bogdanović (English and Serbian)

Bogdanović: «It’s important that we stay healthy for the Eurobasket»

Serbian national basketball team gathered on July 20th at Crown Plaza hotel to start with preparations for European championship. Bogdan Bogdanović, the new member of Sacramento Kings, is among the best that Serbia has.

Bogdan signed a three-year contract with the NBA club a few days ago.

“The deal is officially worth $27 million. I really didn’t keep the score if I am the highest payed in NBA history, but people in the club know that I am not real “rookie”, 18-19 years old boy without experience. I think I have a huge experience that can help me there, said ex-member of Turkish league club Fenerbahce.

The Serbian shooting guard came on national team gathering as the winner of the most elite European basketball club competition, but he still believes that it will mean nothing in the NBA league. He has to earn respect even though he will have support from Sacramento’s General Manager Vlade Divac and the director of player personnel Peđa Stojaković.

“Peđa told me one thing. Everything will be new for me there, that I have to begin from scratch. They don’t follow European basketball and Euroleague at all. I knew that in one way, but he told me that I wouldn’t be so appreciated and that I have to impose myself with my skills. That is actually a new basketball career. No matter how much you built your reputation anywhere in the world, it means nothing in the USA”, said Bogdan.

Even though the NBA “rookie” had a successful and also difficult season, he thinks he is ready for new challenges with the national team.

“This was really difficult season, even though I didn’t play for 2 months because of the injury. I managed to have some vacation and work on my recovery, I went to USA, came back on time and now I’m ready, said Sacramento’s player, who thinks that the most important thing for the team is that all players stay healthy and to reach desired shape at the right time.

“Besides good relationships in the team we have a lot of confidence. We all came here after good seasons in the clubs, and that is important for results in the national team. But most important thing is to stay healthy, to carry out the preparation process without problems and to be in great shape in the right moment”.

Bogdanović: „Najvažnije da budemo zdravi za Eurobasket“

Košarkaška reprezentacija Srbije okupila se 20. jula u hotelu „Kraun plaza“ na startu priprema za Evropsko prvenstvo. Među najboljim košarkašima koje ova zemlja ima našao se i Bogdan Bogdanović, novi član Sakramento Kingsa.

Bogdan je pre nekoliko dana potpisao trogodišnji ugovor sa NBA klubom.

„Ugovor zvanično iznosi 27 miliona dolara. Nisam vodio statistiku da li sam najplaćeniji u istoriji, ali znaju i oni da ja nisam baš pravi „ruki“ od 18-19 godina, bez iskustva. Smatram da imam ogromno iskustvo koje može tamo mnogo da mi pomogne“, rekao je dojučerašnji bek turskog ligaša Fenerbahčea.

Srpski reprezentativac na pripreme dolazi kao osvajač najelitnijeg evropskog klupskog takmičenja, ali smatra da mu to u NBA ligi neće doneti nikakvu prednost. Moraće da zaradi poštovanje iako će mu veliku podršku pružiti generalni menadžer Sakramenta Vlade Divac i funkcioner te franšize Predrag Stojaković.

„Peđa mi je rekao jednu bitnu stvar, a to je da je tamo sve novo, da se kreće sve iz početka. Oni uopšte ne prate evropsku košarku i Evroligu. Donekle sam to i znao, ali mi je on rekao da neću biti toliko cenjen i da moram da se nametnem. To je bukvalno nova košarkaška karijera. Koliko god da si gradio ime bilo gde u svetu, u Americi to ne znači ništa“, izjavio je Bogdan.

„Ruki“ NBA lige iza sebe ima uspešnu, ali i napornu sezonu, ali smatra da je spreman za nove izazove sa nacionalnim timom.

„Bila je jako naporna sezona, iako sam imao dva meseca pauze zbog povrede. Uspeo sam da odem na more i da radim oporavak, otišao sam u Ameriku, vratio se na vreme i sada sam spreman“, rekao je košarkaš Sakramenta, koji smatra da je najvažnije da svi igrači u timu budu zdravi i da u pravom trenutku dostignu željenu formu.

„Pored dobrih prijateljskih odnosa, krasi nas veliko samopouzdanje. Svi smo došli na pripreme iz dobrih sezona, što je jako bitan faktor za rezultat u reprezentaciji. Ali, važnije od svega je da budemo zdravi, da pripremni proces prođemo bez problema i da u pravom trenutku budemo u formi“.

«Orlovi» u Beogradu ostaju do nedelje, a onda se sele na Kopaonik, gde će početi prave pripreme za Eurobasket, na kome prvu utakmicu igraju 1. septembra protiv Letonije.