By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes made two significant moves recently by signing contract extensions with coach Tomislav Mijatovic for two more years and point guard Shane Larkin for four more seasons.
Therefore, the Croatian tactician will prolong his stay with the Istanbul club, which he joined as an assistant in 2010 and took over the head coaching role from Erdem Can this season.
“I had a conversation with the club executives where the president himself told me that he wants the leadership of the club to be entrusted to me and for things to remain within the ‘family.’ He wanted someone from within, someone who knows the club, and as the club looked in this past period, he wanted it to further develop, strengthen, and become even more competitive in every aspect. For me, that was certainly a great compliment,” Mijatovic said to Basketball Sphere.
He’s been with Larkin since the US player entered the club in 2018, and they’ll continue collaborating for at least two more seasons.
“Shane Larkin is what we like to call a franchise player. That’s the reality. When we started this phase of attacking the EuroLeague Final Four and championship titles, Larkin came into the picture and has been profiled as the player automatically associated with the term franchise player. I simply think that his desire and his expressed interest from the very beginning to stay at Anadolu Efes and to continue here because this is also his home where he feels very good.”
Mijatovic worked under many different coaches in Istanbul and was by Ergin Ataman’s side when Anadolu Efes won back-to-back EuroLeague titles.
The Turkish coach moved on to Panathinaikos and is one win away from leading the Athens side to the Final Four after the Greek giant finished second to last in the previous season.
“I think Ataman has done something extraordinary. First and foremost, he has absolutely revitalized a team that came second in the EuroLeague regular season and is fighting for the Final Four and the highest goals.”
Mijatovic also had a chance to work with Vasilije Micic, another instrumental part of EuroLeague’s successes. The Serbian guard moved to the NBA last summer with the Oklahoma City Thunder and finished his rookie season as a Charlotte Hornet, improving drastically with his second overseas club.
“Before he went to the NBA, I said that Micic is definitely an NBA player. Micic is a player who dominated Europe, but he improved and developed every year, so it didn’t surprise me that he immediately showed what he is capable of in the NBA. Micic is a complete physical and mental player who can play in the NBA on almost any team in a way that makes that team better. Personally, I am very happy and proud of him, and of course, I am convinced that he will continue to progress and reach the top in the coming years because he has such a high basketball IQ, knowledge, and understanding of the game.”
The Croatian coach believes Micic can only be better in the NBA.
“He is a great addition to any team. I expect him to be even better next season. He will become a firmly established NBA name and play there as long as he wants. That’s my view on the situation. I think the sky has always been the limit for him. He is one of the most dominant European playmakers of modern history, who can easily transfer his game across the ocean, both from the European and American sides,” Tomislav Mijatovic concluded.