By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
Bogdan Bogdanovic returned to Istanbul with a silver Olympic medal on his bags and a chip on his shoulder. The Serbian sharp shooter is ready for the challenge of the new season and in order for him to take the next step, he should first win the Euroleague.
As he explained to Eurohoops during the club’s media day: “I thought a lot about staying in Fenerbahçe or going to NBA. When you make a career choice, there is no way back. You need to be sure that’s the best thing for you, you need to believe in your choice. Going to NBA is a big dream for me.
I know how much I love basketball and going to NBA is the goal for every basketball player. But I rejected Phoenix Suns’ offer because, let’s be honest, I don’t want to go to NBA without a Euroleague trophy.
I am not saying I will stay in Europe until I win the trophy. We lost the trophy just for a rebound with two seconds on the clock. Of course, a basketball game is not only about a possession but we were down by 20 in the first half, if we could have played better in that half… In the end, we lost the trophy for a detail. I am not that kind of a person who can quit on something like that. I want to try one more time, maybe two more… I don’t know yet. But I know I want to try again”.
His personal performance in tha last Euroleague final is also one more thing that will make him push himself more: “I missed some shots in the final, it’s true, but I forget them easily. I am more focused on the next thing. I don’t think I can play worse than the last year’s final. I really think, I can’t play worse than that (laughs)”.
The fact that the Final Four will be played in Istanbul doesn’t change things much for Bogdanovic. After all, his goal is clear: “I don’t think Final Four in İstanbul is extra motivation.
You don’t need extra movitation to get to the Final Four. As long as you are in the final, it can be an open court with no fans and you can be motivated.
But I also think there must be a Turkish team and it must be us because we are the one who lost in Berlin. We want to win it this time. But there is a long way to the final. Now, we have to work hard. First, we need to have a great regular season, repeat last year’s success. Maybe it sounds natural to people, us being in the Final in İstanbul, but it actually causes extra pressure on us. But we are okay with that. We enjoy the pressure, getting ready to compete”.
And Bogdanovic competed in the biggest stage in the summer, playing against Team USA in the Rio final. The Serb guard speaks about the difference of facing the Americans in the final, compared to the group stage: “The Olympics were a very important goal for our national team. It was amazing to be a part of such a huge organization, being in the Olympic village. We waited for other athletes to complete, so it was very different atmosphere. It was great to get to know other athletes from other Olympic teams, hang out with them. It was a great experience.
Still every time we go to such a tournament, we think about USA. Everybody says we were really close to defeat them but it is really different to play them in the final and in the group stage.
Maybe they weren’t motivated in the group game but it’s different in a final”.
And that’s why it’s a good thing for him to be back in familiar ground, we the Fenerbahce fans having his back. “Of course we missed the fans. I watched videos on the internet. They are still hyped, they are still crazy about the team. We miss them a lot. Personally, I miss them a lot”.