By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
The head of basketball operations of BKT EuroCup outfit Bahcesehir Koleji, Nemanja Bjelica discussed post-retirement goals.
Bjelica, 36, sat down with Eurohoops. A Q&A including his options leading to a ‘dream job’ and interesting rewind to his playing days.
The Belgrade native was revealing about several career decisions such as retiring, leaving Fenerbahce, and moving his talents to the NBA.
EH: Nemanja, you could have easily started a role like this with an NBA or EuroLeague team, perhaps even a Serbian EuroLeague team. After all, you’re a legendary player who has already proven yourself. Why Bahçeşehir?
“Yes, I was thinking the same way. But I was very fortunate and grateful, talking with my ex-teammates who are retired about all these stories like ‘Once you stop playing basketball, people will forget you.’. And that’s normal. It’s not a big deal, that’s life. I was very happy with what I accomplished (as a player). Of course, I could’ve been much better, but it also could’ve been worse. So, I’m very grateful. Everything just happened. When I was at Fenerbahçe, Bahçeşehir was playing their games at Ülker Arena. I met some people there, but I didn’t know what this club is about. This club was actually right in front of my face, but I never really paid attention to that. I was planning to stay in the States.”
EH: In front offices?
“Actually, I wanted to work in the NBA as a coach for development, to be kind of in and out, on and off the court. But this opportunity is a dream job. Having this opportunity, one more time, I’m grateful and thankful for these people here for their trust in me and what we are trying to do there. I can’t take it for granted. I believe that I’m in the right place. Being in the NBA, in America, is a long shot. Now I’m here, and I’m totally focused and super motivated. We’ll see, you can never know what is going to happen in life. The same is what happened here with this team. There is a lot of work we gotta do. We just need to be patient. We need to have commitment. We need to be consistent. We have to believe in what we’re doing.”
EH: After the new management took over the club, I’ve noticed that the word ‘vision’ has been used a lot. You’ve also mentioned what the vision is here. I guess becoming a permanent EuroLeague member is part of that vision, right?
“Yes, it is.”
EH: To make it into the EuroLeague, two things have to happen. First, you need to win the EuroCup, and then, to stay in the EuroLeague for another season, you have to make the playoffs. Wildcards are given to clubs that achieve the second, but it’s usually only valid for one or two years. So, how do you expect that to happen?
“It is pretty simple. If we win the EuroCup this year, we’ll be in the EuroLeague. But as I said, we need to be consistent, we need to put in a lot of work. We can’t just go to the EuroLeague and say, ‘Hey, we want to compete. Give us a wildcard.’. We need to deserve it. We need to deserve respect. First of all, we have to respect ourselves. We need to treat all the people here the same. We need to respect our opponents in the EuroCup. We need to look professional. We need to look at a basketball club or basketball organization. Those small things matter. As long as we do that and remain consistent, people will recognize it. This team wants to compete in the EuroLeague one day.
EH: Maybe five years, right?
“We don’t know what’s going to happen. It is all about the big picture. It is very important for us to be on the same page. I believe we are on the right path. Of course, we will lose some games, and I’d like to see us struggle because…”
EH: Struggling is part of growing, right?
“Yes, that’s normal. That’s the beauty of sports. You don’t know what is going to happen. At the end of the day it is basketball, it is sports. Sport is a relative thing. One thing I know, what I’ve learned that we need to believe and we need to be consistent. If we finish this season let’s say in third, fourth, fifth, or sixth place, what have we done? Nothing? If we win the title, it is going to be really hard, right? Do you think we can win the title next year?”
EH: We’ll see.
“Yes, we’ll see. I think it is going to be hard. But next season, if we finish 12th in the league, it means that we didn’t do anything. We’ll need to follow the criteria to be in the EuroCup again next season. So far, we want to do whatever it takes to be consistent. As someone in this position, I’m ready to learn from everyone, listen to everyone, and talk to everyone. For instance, I spoke with Derya (Yannier, Fenerbahçe Beko General Manager). I talked with Alper (Yılmaz, Anadolu Efes General Director), and he helped us a lot about our team. He didn’t need to help us, but he saw what we needed. That’s why it is great. That’s more than basketball. If every team is on the same page, if we respect each other, teams, club members... I think that’s very important for this league to grow. I believe that this league can be the best in Europe.”
EH: Nemanja, I’d like to go back to your playing days a bit. In 2013, Fenerbahçe wasn’t the powerhouse as it is right now. Also, Barcelona wanted you. So, why did you choose Fenerbahçe?
“It was pretty simple…”
EH: Of course, there was one man, wasn’t there?
“Yes, there was one man, Zeljko Obradovic. He was that person. Actually, I rejected Barcelona twice.”
EH: Twice in one summer?
“No, when I was in Red Star. I had always wanted to play for Barcelona. I mean I didn’t reject. In sports, you cannot just talk about ‘what-ifs’. Zeljko Obradovic changed my career. He totally changed my career. I learned a lot from him. Do I regret that I didn’t stay at Fenerbahçe? Every day. Every day I regret it. But I wanted to go to the NBA, and I don’t regret that I was in the NBA. If I hadn’t gone to the NBA, I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t be working for this team. You don’t know what is going to happen. Like I said, I could’ve had a much better career. I made a lot of mistakes also as a player, but I also could’ve had a worse career. So, I’m happy, I’m very grateful for what I did, what I accomplished as a player. I’m also grateful for the many good things I learned from all my coaches. And now, I understand them more.”
EH: Nemanja, of course, I know it’s not right to live with regrets, and I’m not asking if you regret it or not. But sometimes, do you ever wonder, ‘What if I had gone to the NBA earlier? Maybe you should have.
“I should have. But I have to be honest with you, I wasn’t ready. I figured out later that basketball was changing, and I needed to work a lot on my body. Basketball is my first love and it gave me so much. So, I’m thankful, but it is what it is. I went to the NBA late, at 27. I should’ve gone earlier, but I wasn’t ready. I knew that I wasn’t ready, especially mentally. I was still a ‘crazy kid’ who loved basketball. When I say I regret some stuff; that’s normal. That’s how I got better and I learned from that. And I cannot be in a couple of places at the same time. So I’m okay.”
EH: That’s a great answer. So, what happened in your second stint with Fenerbahçe? Things didn’t go as planned.
“I gotta be honest with you; I have a lot of respect for the people and the fans in Fenerbahçe. I love Fenerbahçe. Fenerbahçe gave me everything, I’m very thankful for that. I’m not the kind of person… What can I say after two years… It is what it is. Nobody is more important than any team. Fenerbahçe is a huge organization and a huge team. Life is like that. It’s normal. I have a great relationship with Fenerbahçe, I love the club and the fans. I was the EuroLeague MVP while playing for that team. They helped me to grow, and I helped them with my team that year to reach the Final Four. So, it’s all love. Some stuff, you need to keep for yourself.”
EH: Yes, I respect that. So, at what point in your career did you say, ‘Okay, that’s enough. I’m done?’
“I actually ended my career when I was maybe in the best physical shape of my life and career. I was 35, but I could’ve more, for sure two more years. But, I wanted to be honest with basketball. After winning the NBA championship with Golden State, I felt like I could stay in the NBA. I wanted to see if I could still compete at a high level. Like I said, I still don’t regret it, that’s life. I just wanted to be honest with basketball and to be loyal. I didn’t want to be in a situation where I was 50%-50%. If I cannot contribute… For us, players, we need to know when should we stop. Even in the NBA, I wasn’t ready to play 10-15 minutes in my head. I was always struggling with that. I never made a problem because of that, I always wanted to play. But sometimes, you have to be realistic. Nobody wins against time. It’s all good.