Competitive-minded Ivanovic determined to keep China 2019 dream alive for Montenegro

PODGORICA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - There has been plenty for Montenegro basketball fans to celebrate of late and national team guard Nikola Ivanovic is determined to keep the mood upbeat at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers.

Having played a major part in KK Buducnost conquering their maiden ABA League title, the 24-year-old playmaker is now counting down the days until the decisive international battles for the national team in June and July after being among the 24 players to be called up by Montenegro coach Zvezdan Mitrovic.

The list also includes Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, Bojan Dubljevic of Valencia Basket and the country's other big-hitters.

"I  EXPECT AN INCREDIBLE CROWD PUSHING FOR A WIN. WHEN YOU PLAY AT HOME, IT FEELS LIKE HAVING A SIXTH MAN WITH US." IvanovicIvanovic

FIBA.basketball caught up with Ivanovic to talk about the upcoming do-or-die games against Belarus and Slovenia that will define the Qualifiers campaign, his personal growth and the historic achievement with KK Buducnost at the club level.

With a 1-3 record after the first two windows, Montenegro is in third place in Group A of the Qualifiers. Your last two games are against Belarus and Slovenia. First up is hosting the Belarusians in Niksic. What do you expect from that game?
I expect an incredible crowd pushing for a win. When you play at home, it feels like having a sixth man with us. It is great to have the fans pushing you for the win. We must do everything to win this one, as it is a do-or-die game. We will be able to count on some players that couldn't play during the first two windows. That is going to be very good for us too.

We have to take advantage of playing at home and put Belarus in fourth place, so we can play the last game in Slovenia with less pressure. We will have to bring our A-game against Belarus, because they were able to win against Slovenia earlier in the campaign, which proves they can play well. Their confidence level is probably high, so we have to play very well and win that game. We don't have a choice, we have got to win.

After Belarus at home, you'll be taking on reigning European champions Slovenia on their own soil...
It's going to be a tough battle, but we will be ready for it. Over the last couple of years, Slovenia have proven to be one of the most competitive teams on the continent and winning the last EuroBasket has helped them gain confidence and get to the next level. It's going to be a very intense game, but the kind of game that every player wants to play: there will be a lot of competitiveness and it's going to be a very important one for the rest of our qualifying campaign. Slovenia has plenty of talented players, but we have a great team too and we will play at our highest level to try to win there.

Ivanovic is averaging 9.5 points and a team-high 5.5 assists in the World Cup Qualifiers

You are in a really tough group with Spain, Slovenia and Belarus. What can you say about the level of competition in these European Qualifiers?
It's very high and a lot of teams are very competitive. The level of competitiveness in Europe is getting higher and higher year after year and I'm not really surprised to see some of the teams, who weren't fighting for qualifying spots in the past, now being able to compete for spots in the Second Round (of the Qualifiers) and for the World Cup. You could tell at the last EuroBasket that some teams, like Latvia for example, are growing fast and it will be interesting to see the games in June and July because some teams have the potential to surprise a lot of people and make it to the next round.

Can you talk about the last two games in February against Slovenia and Spain?
Those were two tough losses but we have to bounce back and we will. The game at home against Slovenia was very intense, while in Spain we had a tough time. We lost because of some details. We didn't lose by a huge margin and we know what we missed during those two games. At the highest level, wins are built on details, on not having turnovers in money time and making the right play every time you can. We made some mistakes, but we are going to learn from it, I'm pretty sure of this. Now we have two games to win to reach the Second Round. We want to be playing for a spot for the World Cup in the next round.

It's a long way away, but what would qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 mean for Montenegro?
Playing on the world stage and competing in a competition like this would be amazing. I truly believe that the main reason, the best reason, to play basketball is to compete against the best in the world. Qualifying would be amazing, that's for sure. The Road to China is still very long and hard, but we will keep believing and fighting hard in order to try and get a spot to compete in this tournament.

Do you have a favorite memory or most vivid memory from the previous editions of the World Cup?
I will never forget when Yugoslavia won the title in 2002 in Indianapolis. That was an awesome game and a moment I will never forget. I was a kid and I remember that we all watched it on a small TV in front of the building I was living in at the time with my parents. There were cables everywhere and everyone was very excited about how the game went. I was a kid, but that is a memory that I will have in mind forever. It was a very inspiring moment and one of those that pushed me to work harder to be a basketball player.

"PLAYING ON THE WORLD STAGE [AT THE FIBA BASKETBALL WORLD CUP 2019] AND COMPETING IN A COMPETITION LIKE THIS WOULD BE AMAZING. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE MAIN REASON, THE BEST REASON, TO PLAY BASKETBALL IS TO COMPETE AGAINST THE BEST GUYS IN THE WORLD." IvanovicIvanovic

Changing the topic a little bit, it's been a very successful season for your team KK Buducnost and for you, on a personal level, as well. How do you feel about it?
I feel great and happy to be here and also happy with my season on a personal level. I play mostly as the sixth man and I enjoy being one of the guys with the most responsibilities on the team. We're having a great season and I'm happy to be on a team that has been making history in the last couple of months. Winning the ABA League isn't easy, but we fought hard and we did it. My coach has helped me a lot this season to become a better player and I feel that I have improved a lot in the last couple of months.

Talking about growth… At youth level, you were considered one of the top prospects in Europe. Now that you are 24 years old, what do you think about your progress?
I'm not a kid anymore (laughs). I grew up a lot, I learned a lot in the last couple of years. I'm satisfied with the way I have been improving, but I know I still have a lot of room for improvement. I see the game differently. When you get older, you become calmer and more in control of your emotions. Experience is the key and I think I've gained so much of it in the last couple of years. I'm still pretty young and I'm looking for more. I always want to improve and learn each and every day.  

Montenegro reached the Final of the FIBA U16 European Championship last summer. With the senior national team growing year after year and the young guys coming up and knocking on the national team's door, how do you see the future of basketball in your country?
It's hard to predict the future. From my own experience, we never know if things are going to go your way if you plan too much in advance. But by putting effort and great energy in basketball, we can build something interesting for the future. We have potential, a lot of potential, but we need to keep gaining experience. That is very important in order to keep growing and to compete at the highest level.

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