By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Speaking to “Sportski Zurnal” the newest member of the Sacramento Kings, Nemanja Bjelica, spoke, like many other players did, about the awkward conditions of the FIBA Windows.
According to Bjelica, the players, the fans and also the sport is losing: “It’s a very complicated topic. For that many reasons. Honestly, we have to look the situation first of all from the angle of the players who were able to respond to calls. I do not want anyone to think that somebody is taking their place. Especially because these guys showed how much pride they had for what was given to them. And it’s a shame when someone tells them that they are a second or third rate team. All this window story should be also viewed from the angle of the fans who are not given the best possible product. I’m always sure that all the teams would love to have their strongest roster. Thus, basketball suffers. And that does not bring anything good. I understand that this is how some other players get a chance to play for the national team, but that also means losing. At the end of the whole story, this system of competitions does not help the player’s burden. Just look at how many of them have been seriously hurt lately“.
That’s why Bjelica believes that currently there are no winners in the debate: “It’s not for me to deal with these topics, but I do not see who is on the winning side. Players are not protected, quality falls, and fans do not see the best that each country has. Basketball suffers and I hope that the best solution for players, clubs, and FIBA will be found. But now the situation is what it is and there is nothing left for us to do in order get out of this position. What can we do? We are facing a very difficult match against the Greeks and we must be focused, not just to talk about who and why he can not play“.
Serbia will not have three of its best players, Milos Teodosic, Nikola Jokic and Boban Marjanovic on the roster. Bjelica believes that it was not their choice to be absent: “What I know is that none of the players said “I will not play” and he was in a position to choose. Everyone needs to know this and we need to make this clear. There was already too much talk about who and why he canceled. There are two important matches ahead of us, we need to see who can play and make the most of it. Everything else should be put aside“.