The son of Predrag Stojaković gave an interview in which he spoke about numerous interesting topics.
Andrej Stojaković is slowly but surely building his name in America.
And while all of Serbia awaits the decision of the son of the legendary Predrag Stojaković regarding which national team he will choose to play for, he gave an extensive interview for Mozzart Sport in which he spoke about numerous interesting topics.
First, he touched upon Illinois and the college for which he now performs.
-This is a completely different level. It is incredible, my first impression was exactly the training gym. The treatments, conditions, availability of the gym 24 hours a day… It is colder, I had to get used to that, but it is a great feeling to be here. The people are incredible here, all the coaches are great and help in every segment of the game, they try to please you in every way. It is a pleasure – Stojaković began the story, then added:
-The most important thing for me was to go to an environment that has a winning culture. The coaching staff emphasizes that every day. Also, it meant a lot to me who I would be playing with on the team. I was especially excited because of Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić. That was the biggest reason.
A lot of players from the Balkans perform at this college, and Andrej Stojaković touched upon this topic as well.
-We are like brothers. It is incredible. Although we grew up in different circumstances, we hang out both on and off the court. We have a great relationship. I love those guys. So far everything has been excellent and I hope that this year we will create many more beautiful memories. I think the other guys, spending time with us every day, have started to adapt. Especially David Mirković has an influence on that. We bring that energy, that ‘madness’ in a positive way. We are becoming more ruthless in our mentality, more aggressive as a team. We go out to games as if nothing else in the world exists. That is truly great.
He also spoke about coach Brad Underwood
-The coach has a stoic approach to basketball. He is tough, he demands mental and physical strength. He needs tough players. I believe that people from the Balkans are among the toughest to work with and that they accept coaching demands well. Our tall players are from the Balkans and are not afraid of anything, which the coach appreciates very much. All of that means a lot.
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Nema razloga mnogo da dužimo: Andrej Stojaković prvi put govorio je za srpske medije. Otkrio je sin… pic.twitter.com/LciG5kYvT3
He revealed what his father Predrag Stojaković told him when he was transferring to Illinois.
-He was excited for me, for the opportunity to have a new experience and to be far from California and my parents. Everyone at home, in Greece and Serbia, calls and asks how it is. It’s a great feeling – he pointed out, and then spoke about what kind of advice his father shares:
-He points out both the good and bad sides of every decision. In the end, he lets me decide for myself, he likes that and always supports me.
He also shared what the biggest lesson he received from his father was.
-That the quality of work is important, not just the quantity or time spent in training. Work ethic is the most important.
He then touched upon the players from the Balkans who dominate the NBA league.
-It is an incredible feeling to have players from our countries among the best in the world. Not only from our countries, there is also Deni Avdija who made a huge step forward this season. Seeing Giannis, Bogdan, with whom I am in occasional contact, how they succeed, gives us confidence that we too can one day be at that level.
Bogdan Bogdanović shared one important piece of advice with him.
-He always says: ‘Shoot. Keep shooting, regardless of the result, even when you miss everything’. That is the only way to get out of a shooting slump.
He also revealed how he follows European basketball, but it is hard for him to say who he roots for.
-I follow Crvena zvezda, Partizan, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, everything. I was born in Thessaloniki, where PAOK is, and PAOK and Partizan are brother clubs. My father played for Zvezda, so the situation is complicated (laughs). However, I follow everything and root for individual players. For example, when Kevin Punter went to Barcelona, it was interesting for me to see how he would fit in there. European basketball today is of much higher quality. Due to the success of Europeans in the NBA league, more and more people follow the EuroLeague, which is great for the sport.
Stojaković says that he would like to see Crvena zvezda or Partizan at the EuroLeague Final Four.
-Since it is played in Athens, I think Olympiacos and Panathinaikos will be at the Final Four. Monaco has a great chance, Spanoulis is doing a great job as a coach. And deep down, I would like Zvezda or Partizan to take the fourth place. I would be happy if one of those two clubs were there. That would be incredible – said, among other things, Andrej Stojaković, and the complete interview awaits you on the Mozzart Sport portal.
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Source: Kurir; Photo: Printscreen YouTube