By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Nemanja Nedovic won’t be in Manila with the Serbian national team, as officially announced by the Serbian basketball federation. After playing the four preparation games with Serbia, including the Acropolis Tournament, he left the roster.
In the Serbian basketball federation’s press release stated to announce Nemanja Nedovic’s departure, he talked about his decision. “My attitude towards the jersey, the country, and the national team for which I played with pride and without any reservations throughout my career – has never been disputed. Therefore, and so that there are no mystifications in the public, I feel obliged to explain why I will no longer be part of the national team going to the World Cup”, he first said.
“I always set the highest goals for myself, but as the preparations progressed, which I welcomed as always with joy, I saw that I was far from the desired level of form, necessary for this kind of competition and for our team. With all that, unfortunately, I did not manage in the role that was assigned to me and therefore I could not make the maximum contribution to the national team. Since the interest of the national team and the majority is ahead of any individual interest, I honestly communicated my thoughts to the coach Svetislav Pešić, to whom I am very grateful for the trust shown”, Nedovic added.
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Dragan Tarlac, director of the Serbian national team, also addressed the situation. “After the Akropolis Cup, Nemanja Nedović informed coach Pešić and me about his decision. With mutual understanding and acceptance of the arguments he presented, we accepted Nedović’s decision and it will be a big handicap for our national team in the challenges ahead. We are grateful to Nemanja for everything he provided to the national team both this summer and in the past. His commitment to the jersey with the national crest was never in question”, he stated.
While he never played in a FIBA World Cup, the current Crvena Zvezda shooting guard had 6.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game at FIBA EuroBasket 2022. Before moving back to Serbia, the 32-year-old also played with Panathinaikos, Milan, Unicaja Malaga, Valencia, Golden State Warriors, and Rytas Vilnius.