By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
The FIBA U17 World Championship concludes today, however one of the best 16 years old in the world was not present in that stage. Croatia’s Dragan Bender had the chance to shine some weeks ago in Eurobasket U18, despite being one of the youngest players of the tournament.
After all his talent is already well known in the basketball world, even outside the European borders, and despite getting the bronze medal, Bender told to Eurohoops that he is satisfied by his overall performance: “Yes I do. I am very satisfied about that and about my team. I am very thankful to my teammates and my coach, because he gives me minutes and my teammates make me a better player”.
And as he still works in his game, he can be even better, or even the best in Europe: “I am still sixteen and I am the youngest guy here on my team. So I don’t know. Maybe I can be the best, but I am still the youngest and the next years we will see”.
He is compared to Croatian legend Toni Kukoc and this makes he smile, as he likes this comparison: “Sometimes I do. Kukoc is my idol. I like to watch him, how he played. He is my one and only idol”.
For now he is being mentored by Euroleague legend Nikola Vujcic, currently the team manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv: “Niko is like second father to me. He is too good for me, he is in Maccabi Tel Aviv with me, I am in his Academy for the past four years. I am very happy because I have that guy”.
Despite being already a member of Maccabi, Bender doesn’t expect to get minutes next season in Euroleague: “It’s too hard, because it’s a Euroleague team, they won the championship and I am too young for that. Maybe in next years, but for next season I don’t think so. Maybe in some practices and something like that, but in a game I don’t think so”.
However his future is bright and the NBA is expected to be his final destination: “It’s my dream to go in the NBA and I need to work hard to improve all aspects of my game. I need to improve everything. Mostly I need to improve my defense, my shot needs to be more consistent and I need more toughness”.
So where he imagines himself to be after five years: “Maccabi’s first team, after that I don’t know. Maybe in the NBA, maybe somewhere else, but for now Maccabi Tel Aviv”.