SASSARI. “When you are born in Šibenik, there are two things in your DNA: basketball and Drazen Petrovic.” From Šibenik (Sibenik, in Italian) the adventure of Miro Bilan also began, who for two seasons has been showing off in the colored area with the Dinamo shirt and in these days has been included in the five candidates as Mvp of Serie A.
Are you the best player in the league?
“It’s not for me to say. I’m old enough not to be upset by certain things, it sure feels great to be included in the list. Of course I would like to win, but since I don’t decide, the only thing I can do is keep playing. In any case, all the nominated players would deserve this prize and any of them can win it ».
She was born and raised in Šibenik, the city of Drazen. Is the presence of this world basketball legend still felt almost 30 years after his death?
«The first time I went for a training session was in a huge building, and it was the field where he trained and played at the beginning of his career. There is still his shirt hanging there, everyone talks to you about him, his matches, his stories, and they are all first-hand stories ».
What stories are they?
“There is the old man who coached him as a child, the old teammate who remembers how he went alone to train at 6 in the morning, the fan who was there when the team from our city, which is a small town, won the Yugoslav title thanks to two free throws by Drazen. With us when you start playing basketball you already know everything about him and his incredible games, you have him inside and you want to become like him. It represents an example and a motivation. It is a myth, a legend for our nation and I am pleased that it is also well known in Italy ».
Are you satisfied with your career?
“Yes definitely. I have played many important competitions, I have won a lot of trophies, also in France and in Italy. There is one thing I miss: a medal with the national team. I’m almost 32 years old, I don’t know if I’ll have the chance, but I still have this dream to realize ».
Let’s go to the present: after a very complicated period, Dinamo is back in motion.
“There were a few weeks after we got back from quarantine where we really struggled. It was tough, with 7-8 games in a tight time frame and we didn’t have time to train together on the trips. Then Spissu and Katic needed some time to pick up the pace. We have lost many games, we were all nervous, we left the Champions League. We just needed time and a little patience, training again all together was fundamental. But even in the most difficult moments I always thought positive. And now I would say that we are back to those of 2-3 months ago ».
During the season you went through a thousand hardships. What was the secret to starting again every time?
«It was not an easy path: we had serious injuries, we changed players and every time you add a new element, the chemistry must be found. It takes time to fix things, everyone has to adapt. A great challenge, every time, but the atmosphere in the locker room, the relationship with Poz and the staff, the fact that we all love being together and training, made the difference in the difficulties ».
After two years in Italy, what is your opinion of the championship?
«Serie A is not bad at all. There are many foreigners, many Americans and there are never easy games. Even teams apparently in difficulty must be approached carefully, it is no coincidence that surprise results are never lacking. I think that despite the general difficulties, an interesting season has come out, with many teams fighting for the playoffs and just as many not to be relegated. It is a pity that there are no fans to appreciate the show, but we knew it would be like that ».
Who will win in the end?
«Milan has a budget, organization and players, but it is not the only one. There is Virtus and there are other good teams, including us. It is still all to play ».
How is it in Sassari?
«I miss the fans at matches so much, last season I was able to appreciate their warmth. But I must say that the support feels the same, here in the city wherever he goes there is always someone who has a good word towards the team and even in complicated moments there is never a lack of encouragement. It is very nice to be in a place where basketball is experienced in this way ».
Will he be there again next year?
«This is the part of the season where everyone begins to wonder about the future, the fans talk about who they would like to keep and who they would take. But in the end the agreements are not made now, it is possible that we speak with the club but until the end of the season it will not be possible to make a concrete reasoning. So at the moment it doesn’t make sense to think about it too much, let’s enjoy this season finale and then we’ll see ».
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