By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
Former EuroLeague champion and All-Team member Dejan Tomasevic wants to use his role as one of the Ambassadors of the 2018 Final Four to help his native Serbia have two representatives in the competition next season.
“As a Final Four Ambassador I have the opportunity two enjoy this tournament. But, the most important role for me and other Serbians is to talk and promote the idea that Serbia deserves two teams in EuroLeague next season,” Tomasevic told Eurohoops. “And I think that people from EuroLeague will understand that.”
Right now, Crvena Zvezda and Partizan Belgrade, the two major Serbian powerhouses, are competing in the ABA League semifinals. One of them can have a spot in the upcoming EuroLeague season all but secured if they win the title since the ABA champion gets a strong priority for an annual wild card.
One of the two Serbian powerhouses (Crvena Zvezda and Partizan Belgrade) can have a spot in the upcoming EuroLeague all but secured since the ABA League champion gets a strong priority for an annual wild card.
Tomasevic believes that one team from Serbia, a country that is identified with basketball, is not enough. And that’s an opinion echoed by many around Europe.
“I hope next season when we’ll talk like that, there’ll be two Serbian teams in EuroLeague,” Tomasevic said.
Back in his playing days, Tomasevic was renowned for being one of the best passing centers in Europe. Now, another Serbian big man who drops dimes like a wizards is the back-to-back NBA MVP.
“It’s very difficult to explain it wtih words,” Tomasevic said Eurohoops when asked about Nikola Jokic being named NBA MVP for a second straight season. “It’s great and special for us, especially because he’s very connected with Serbia, with Serbian people and his hometown. He always promotes Serbia and our history and anything Serbian. I just want to say a big thank you to Nikola. To stay focused on basketball.”
“It’s not just that he’s an MVP and a great passer. His attitude is very good. He’s very humble. And that’s very important.”