By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ Boban Marjanovic has always towered his opponents – and teammates – with the height of 7’3” (221 cm). People might assume he comes from crazy-tall parents as well but, as in the case of many other ‘giants’, that’s not it. His parents are at 5’6” (168 cm) and 5’9” (175 cm) which isn’t even close, so, how did it happen? ‘The Bobinator’ has got that covered:
“Basically, I come from another planet. Like Superman from Krypton. I don’t show my power because I want to play basketball. I will fly off when I retire”, Marjanovic told Bleach Report’s David Gardner... while making a whistling flying noise.
Sometimes, being an ‘alien’ can be hard. From everyday stuff like finding the right size of shoes and wardrobe to fitting – literally – into various places (buses come to mind). Fans can also be quite imposing and do inappropriate things but Marjanovic welcomes all positive and fun interaction:
“I’m honest. I’ve always been a fan favorite. Everyone wants to shake my hand. People give me high-fives. I start to meet my friends like that. I think I have shaken more hands in my life than anyone else.”
There has been many talk and analysis about how do the ‘big men’ fit into the picture of basketball that is becoming faster and faster with a lot of running and three-point shooting. Boban agreed but also believes there will always be a place for the big guys:
“You say basketball has really changed but it hasn’t changed in one way: You have to put the ball in the net. And that will never change. You just do it in different ways. For me the easy way, because I’m tall, is a layup. You can still miss some three-point shots. But layups? Maybe only one out of 100. That’s why big guys exist. It’s our job to protect the paint. It’s our job to rebound. And it’s our job to get the easy points.”
Whatever the case may be and whether the times have changed, Marjanovic doesn’t ponder on it too much. He just steps on the court and does his job the best way possible:
“Maybe another time would have been better for me to play. Only I don’t live in that time. I live now. Other guys make big decisions, but when I step on the court, I think it is my time. I make every time my time”, Boban said.