SRB - Krstic commits to Serbia for EuroBasket 2007

BELGRADE (EuroBasket 2007) - Nenad Krstic has left behind his controversial summer with Serbia & Montenegro and announced he will play for his national side at next year's EuroBasket in Spain.

The 23-year-old turned down a chance to represent the Blues at the FIBA World Championship, where the Serbo-Montenegrins reached the knockout round before losing to eventual gold medalists Spain.

Krstic's decision angered the country's basketball federation, but now the center is ready to come back and play for the Blues.

"I needed a break," Krstic, a center with the New Jersey Nets in the NBA, said in Serbian newspaper Sportski Zurnal.

"The forthcoming NBA season is crucial for my new contract and I really needed this summer to get over some minor injuries and to prepare for the Nets' challenges in the championship.

"I have had many bad experiences since my decision to skip the World Championship, but now all of that is behind me. I don`t want to talk about it anymore.

“If the head coach of our national team calls me for EuroBasket 2007, I will be the first guy at training for the competition."

The make-up of the team will change following Montenegro's decision to become independent.

Montenegrin basketball's governing body was recognised as the 213th basketball federation at the FIBA Congress which was held in Japan during the FIBA World Championship.

"We have our own new state, we have a Serbian anthem, a new flag. I`ll accept the call with pleasure," Krstic said.

Coach Dragan Sakota had Darko Milicic and a hard-working group that advanced from Group A along with Argentina, France and Nigeria, but they were no match for Spain.

Although not in Japan, Krstic saw Serbia & Montenegro's games and was encouraged by what he saw despite the disappointing result.

"We couldn`t do anything against Spain," he said, referring to their 87-75 defeat in the last 16.

"But if we had defeated Nigeria at the start of the tournament, we would have had an easier schedule in the later rounds."

Nigeria upset Serbia & Montenegro 82-75 on the opening day of the tournament.

"Still, many of the players were playing for the national team for the first time so we have begun to create a new platform for the future.

"All of my friends told me there was a great atmosphere during the preparations and the tournament, and that`s one of the reasons we can be satisfied with how everything has started."

Krstic is now preparing to join up with his New Jersey Nets team-mates at a training camp, and will see one familiar face among the incoming rookies with the arrival of Serbia international Mile Ilic, a draft pick of the Nets last year.

Ilic, a 22-year-old 2.15m reserve center in Japan, made three appearances for the Blues.

"I'm glad Mile will be there,” he said.

"Club management have succeeded in keeping all of the starting five, and with Ilic they've brought in four more rookies.

"I think the Nets will be stronger this season than in previous years."

From Darko Nikolic
PA Sport, Belgrade