The former Partizan ace was an important player for Baskonia in the victory against Zvezda. He was warmly welcomed and sent off by the stars. Here’s what he says about it.
Source: MONDO
Ace of Baskonia and representative of Serbia Vanja Marinković he was one of the best players of the Spanish team in win against Crvena Zvezda in Stark Arena. He scored 18 points, with five three-pointers from nine shots, and many noticed that before the game, Marinković signed the jersey Red stars. Given that Vanja is the former captain of Partizan, it is not quite a common scene, but Marinković is above those divisions among Serbian basketball fans.
“Young guys want the signature of a player they probably like, I didn’t even look at the jersey. The fact that it was Zvezda’s… It could be anyone. Every time I will meet young people who want my signature. That is the greatest reward , which we are not even aware of, that we are someone’s idols, that we have fan groups, that we are someone’s favorites… We are not aware of that,” he said. This is how Marinković signed the jersey to the kids who support Zvezda:
Applause from stars? It’s because of that summer! Vanja Marinković: Of course I will sign the Zvezda jersey
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After the match and his great performance, Vanja Marinković was applauded by Zvezda fans, although he fought battles against the red and whites as a Partizan basketball player for years. “I didn’t hear that applause from the field. I think it’s mostly because of what happened this summer, and I haven’t been here for a long time, so maybe it’s not so fresh for them (if he played in Parisan, cf. newspaper). I don’t know what to say.” , said Marinković, alluding to the success with the national team at the Mundobasket in Manila. Check out that scene too:
Is all this a consequence of his success with the national team and the fact that the national team unites basketball fans and leaves club divisions aside? “I think so. And the applause you mention… I think it really is, that it means a lotVanja said.
Looking back at the match, he said that Baskonia will be strengthened after such a victory in the crowded Štárk Arena. “It was a good match, a good match for the players who have never played in this kind of environment to see what it’s like to strengthen as a team in difficult moments. Anyway, it was interesting, very intense and I think we could have loosened up a bit earlier and to bring the match to a calmer end, but it goes like that, sometimes it doesn’t”.
What’s it like playing alongside the magical Marcus Howard? Against Zvezda, he scored 32 points, of which only six in the first half of the match, and 26 in the rest. He finished the match with as many as seven 3-pointers from 10 attempts. “Everyone focuses on him. The best scorer in the Euroleague, we all know how he plays, they are used to him, it was a bit difficult for us in the first year, some shots are not in the zone, but that’s him. It’s much easier when you play with him, because everyone focuses on him, so I have more space. Markus is a really great player and a great shooter.”
Of course, Marinković was also inevitably asked about the death of Dejan Milojević. “Very sad news, I heard yesterday when we landed, I’m very sorry, I can only send a message of support to his relatives and say that we lost a great man, a great person, and then a very great personality in the world of basketball”.