By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Svetislav Pesic talked about the future of Serbian basketball, foreseeing a downfall once more.
In an interview with the Croatian outlet Index, he compared the international projects of Croatia and Serbia, reiterating his opinion about Serbia struggling to avoid the negatives of its neighbor.
Pesic, 75, guided the senior national team of Serbia to bronze medals in the 2024 Olympic Games and silver medals in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, in his latest stint as head coach. Earlier success at the international level extends to gold with Serbia in the 2001 EuroBasket and 2002 World Cup, and gold with Germany in the 1993 EuroBasket.
“Honestly, I prefer to be appreciated and respected than loved. I am not interested in that,” the native of Novi Sad rejected any kind of disappointment from his ambiguous status in Serbian basketball.
“I am very blunt and can often say what many people do not like to hear,” he explained, “I often used to warn people in Serbia that we are well on our way to follow Croatia in basketball. And that means we are on track to hitting rock bottom just like you. If some people leading Serbian basketball do not change their approach, we will eventually be happy to simply qualify for the European and World championships. We can forget the Olympic Games. People do not like to hear that. That is why it is not surprising that I was never fully accepted into Serbian basketball.”
Photo Credit: FIBA