By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Dragan Bender had his first meeting with the local media of Arizona via a teleconference after being picked at no4 by Phoenix Suns, as he is getting ready to leave Tel Aviv for the NBA.
The first question was comparison with other European players, in which he replied with grace. “People will always put comparison between European talents because of our very much same stories. Media will always do that, but I just need to take focus, stay on the ground, and be able to do everything in accordance to what coach and the team needs from me,” the 18-year-old big man said.
Bender is the highest drafted Croatian player ever and he is ready for the new challenge. “I’m excited and happy to be part of this organization and start something new. It’s an amazing thing for me and my family and for the people who are supporting me. It’s a great accomplishment and I’m very happy about it”, he said.
Bender is also hoping to follow the footsteps of Croatian legend Toni Kukoc as he starts his NBA career in Phoenix.
“He was a role model for me when I was growing up,” he noted. “He was playing in the same park in Croatia so I was watching a lot of him even when he went to the NBA and won championships in Chicago.”