SER – Serbia’s Perovic: ‘As long as the team is winning, everything is good’

VALENCIA (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Serbia will travel to Turkey this summer looking to show that their silver-medal winning performance at EuroBasket 2009 in Poland was no fluke.

Against all expectations, Dusan Ivkovic’s team upset heavily-favored Spain in their first game and ended up making it all the way to the Final.

The Spaniards avenged the tournament-opening setback by beating the Serbians to the title, but there was no chance that that disappointment was going to spoil the celebrations back home in Belgrade.

“For the people of Serbia,” Kosta Perovic said to FIBA.com, “it was like a gold.

“I'm proud. Before the EuroBasket, no one thought that we were going to do anything.

“But that was a team with potential, a young team, with a great wish to prove the energy, to prove the basketball work from Serbia, and of course with the coach Ivkovic, who put all things together. Everything worked great. I was really proud to be a part of that to win a medal.”

Perovic, a 7ft 1in center, was one of many players to blossom under Ivkovic.

In the Quarter-Final victory over Russia that clinched a spot at the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Serbia, he had 13 points and then in a thrilling overtime triumph against Slovenia in the Semi-Finals, Perovic scored 18.

As magnificent as Spain were at the EuroBasket, Serbia may have had the most impressive tournament of all because they had the youngest of the 16 sides.

The Ivkovic Factor

Serbia succeeded because everyone bought into the philosophy of their coach.

The most revered of all the national team bosses at the EuroBasket, Ivkovic was a combination of all things good.

Though he had already won titles as the former coach of Yugoslavia, he remained humble and made sure his players did, too.

He treated everyone as equals.

No one cared about who got the most minutes or who scored the most points.

His goal, which was shared by the players, was to win enough games to reach the FIBA World Championship.

Perovic, 25, said: “He's a great coach. He proved that in his career so many times, coaching great teams and the national team.

“At the moment, when we were between generations changing of the national team, some other coaches tried to put things together. He came with a different philosophy.

“It was great for him, to select a certain amount of players and to put all things together. For me, he's one of the best coaches ever.”

One of the consequences of Serbia’s great run is that the players returned to their clubs feeling more upbeat about their careers.

Milos Teodosic, the point guard, earned a spot on the all-tournament team in Poland and went back to Olympiacos where he has helped the Reds win the Greek Cup and reach the Euroleague Final Four.

Perovic travelled back to Spain to play for Power Electronics Valencia and has been a pivotal player for Neven Spahija, helping the club qualify for the Eurocup and actually reach that competition’s Final Four.

Success with a national team can help make a player feel very happy.

Perovic arrives at practice every day with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

“I feel really great with this club and this city,” Perovic said.

“It's a great environment. Everything around me, great people - we're in good shape right now.

“We're in the Eurocup Final Four and have a chance to go into the Euroleague next year. I'm really satisfied with my game, and the game of my team.”

Valencia’s team, Perovic says, has a lot in common with Serbia’s national side.

"It doesn't matter if you are going to be the big scorer one day, and not the other day,” he said.

"If someone is going good, the ball goes to him.

“There is no jealousy. As long as the team is winning, everything is good."

Euphoria in Belgrade

Because the people in Serbia care passionately about basketball, no one should be surprised by the reemergence of the national team.

Too many people care for this group not to be successful.

Serbia and Montenegro crashed out of EuroBasket 2005 in the Elimination Round against France, and at EuroBasket 2007 in Spain, Serbia lost all three of its games did not advance from the group stage.

The fans were disappointed, but never lost heart.

The basketball federation’s successful wooing of Ivkovic before the EuroBasket 2009 qualifying campaign seemed to reenergize an entire nation.

Ivkovic decided to show faith in the country’s young players.

Instead of having stars in his team, he wanted to have a team that would make stars.

The Division A games at Belgrade Arena against Italy, Finland, Hungary and Bulgaria were played before huge audiences.

In the opening Group A game against Hungary on August 27, 2008, 18,000 fans watched Serbia roll to a 94-60 victory.

Thousands of fans poured into the venue to watch the qualifiers that followed.

It was ironic because at EuroBasket 2005, fans had expected to see a star-studded Serbia and Montenegro reach Belgrade and win the gold medal.

Well, the Blues finally made it, but with a younger side and one that was a lot hungrier.

The Partizan phenomena

After Poland, fans can’t seem to get enough basketball.

In the months that have followed, Belgrade has had to be content with club basketball.

The love affair that the city has for hoops can be seen in the unbridled passion of Partizan fans, who make a home-court advantage at the Pionir that is second to none.

There was so much demand for tickets to watch the recent Quarter-Final games against Maccabi Tel Aviv, however, that the games were held at the Belgrade Arena.

More than 20,000 fans filled the venue and watched Partizan beat Maccabi in Games 3 and 4 that claimed a spot in the Final Four.

“If they wanted, they could play in a football stadium in front of 60,000 to 70,000 easily for one basketball game,” Perovic said.

“I know so many guys who couldn't even get into the arena that wanted to go to the game.

“Everybody wanted to be there, even the President of Serbia was up there. They were showing him on TV.”

Headed to Turkey

Serbia’s basketball fans will now get a real treat.

Eight years ago, the former Yugoslavia crossed the Atlantic and won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis.

They faced the biggest teams in the world, beating the United States in the Quarter-Finals and then edging Argentina in overtime in the Final.

This summer, Serbia’s young guns will get to face many of those same Argentina players like Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni and Fabricio Oberto, stars that captured an Olympic gold in 2004 and bronze in 2008.

Serbia, Argentina, Australia, Germany, Angola and Jordan will all compete in Kayseri in Group A.

“Right now, people are going to expect something from us because of that silver medal from the EuroBasket,” Perovic said.

“We'll have to work hard this summer to prepare ourselves as well as possible and go over there and play our game.

“It's again going to be a young team, and a team willing to show something."

It will be an incredibly tough group to play in, but Perovic and Serbia have no reason to doubt themselves.

“We saw in the EuroBasket from a very strong group with Slovenia and Spain and Britain, that we can go further,” Perovic said.

“Three teams (Serbia, Slovenia and Spain) from that group played for the medals.

“I think we have the experience to go there (Turkey) and fight for something.”

Jeff Taylor
FIBA