By Bugra Uzar/ info@eurohoops.net
After nine years in the NBA, Boban Marjanovic signed with Fenerbahce Beko.
The Serbian center, a fan favorite across the NBA, especially with his former teams, remains positive from the top of his spell with the team based in Istanbul.
Marjanovic, 36, talked to Eurohoops about penning a deal with Fener and several outsiders impacting his decision.
“It has been incredible so far,” he described his first days as a player of Fenerbahce, “I had to find a house. I had to pass medical tests. I had to meet my teammates. Everything was new to me. You go through this transition and have to enjoy the moments. I still have to find schools for the kids. Fun things like that. But basketball is my life. I am excited for what comes out of it.”
“Everything is happening very fast. We have to be fast because the season is about to start,” the Serbian giant continued, “I am very happy here in this great team and great organization. Let’s get started!”
Tipping off the 2024-25 edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, his side welcomes Olympiacos in Ulker Sports Arena on Friday. He will resurface in Europe’s premier club continental competition following 48 games played early in his career, before moving his talents to the NBA in 2015.
Zeljko Obradovic and more
A surprise to many, but for the native of Boljevac, a town in eastern Serbia, it was an easy decision to sign with Fenerbahce.
“To be honest, I did not think too much. I knew where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do,” he told Eurohoops, “When this offer was on the table, I did not really have to think too much. When I saw the offer, I said, ‘OK. I accept. I will be there. I will see you in Istanbul’. Of course, I knew the coach. I knew the players. I also knew some people who have been here like former head coach Zeljko Obradovic. I actually saw him at the airport. He mentioned, ‘You will be very happy there. Enjoy it. They have great fans and a great organization there’. Bogdan [Bogdanovic] called me too. Marko [Guduric] and I talked a lot. I really did not have to think at all after the offer came.”
“Of course, I talked to him too,” he added on the current head coach of Fener, Sarunas Jasikevicius, “I am a positive person, but when it is time to play basketball, things change. My state of mind is different when I am off the court and when I am on the court. I try to be with my teammates as much as possible off the court. That is who I am. That is who I am as a person. I am very happy to be part of this team.”
“Nothing is closed”
Playing for the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs, Marjanovic spent the last nine years in the NBA. A veteran of 362 appearances, he has not ruled out a return to the league based in North America.
“I do not completely close any doors,” he replied to a question about the NBA, “I look for different options. I do not think, ‘I do not want this anymore. It is over for me’. Life is not like that. If you have an option, you either choose it or not. You do not actually close anything. You just look for another option.”
“I went to the option that was best for me,” he explained to Eurohoops, “In conclusion, I can say that nothing is closed. I tell everyone to follow their dreams.”
“I am always positive,” he added, “That is life.”
Jumping into the action
Bouncing back into the EuroLeague, Marjanovic projects top-notch competition from the biggest stars of the Old Continent.
“You can not go to the EuroLeague thinking, ‘Everything will be very easy for me’,” he talked about players returning to Europe from the NBA during the offseason, “There are really high-level players. There are very good names, regardless of where they are coming from. It is very important to devote yourself to practice. Everyone is doing their best. Your opponents will do their best to beat you. You must do your best to stop them. You have to respect every player.”
“The team chemistry is really great,” he went into the situation at Fener, “There is a really good vibe in the locker room. As I said, I have not been here for a very long time but what I have seen so far is great. Everyone is so nice, kind, and helpful.”
Viral NBA moments
Wrapping up the interview, the seven-foot-four center opened up on various off-court bits stemming from his NBA career.
“I think all of them,” he said falling shy of selecting a specific favorite viral moment, “There were a few videos. All were spontaneous, by the way. They were not things I planned.”