Aris Barkas / barkas@eurohoops.net
PARIS, France – Svetislav Pesic had done it all before Paris 2024 apart from winning a medal on the Olympic stage. Less than one year after bringing Serbia to the runner-up position in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, he succeeded in something he never experienced: winning the bronze medal at the Olympics.
Following the bronze-medal game against Germany, however, he said that these two national teams should have been fighting for the gold.
“I think it’s very clear now that both teams deserved to play the final of this Olympic games, I don’t want to be provocative but it’s pretty clear, both teams should play tonight at 21.30”, he praised the opponents and his team, maybe implying that other factors prevent them from reaching the final.
Later on, he continued giving his flowers to Germany, whom he coached several years in the past, winning EuroBasket 1993. “I think the coaching staff did an excellent job with defense. Everybody knows that we have a very talented offensive player and it looks very easy in the end. But it was not easy because the German team is one of the best of all time”, he continued.
He summed up the quality of the whole competition. “This is one of the most competitive tournaments of all time, the highest quality of all time. We were very happy to participate in this tournament”, he said.
“I think we played a very solid game like before against USA. I think everybody who follows basketball knows that the targets were Schroder and Franz Wagner. We did a great job against both”, he added.
As for himself and his future on the helm of the Serbian national team, he kept his options open even if his contract has expired: “For the first time in my career I don’t know what I will do the following days, other than spending time with my family. I am always in the disposition of the federation. Either way, this version of the Serbian national team has a great future”.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA Basketball