When Karlo Matkovic rejoined Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana during the off-season, it was more than just a talented big man preparing to make his 7DAYS EuroCup debut. It was also the story of a former Cedevita prospect coming home to where it all started.
Matkovic had a big summer in 2022: He was selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round of the NBA Draft; played at his first major international competition, EuroBasket 2022; and agreed to go back to the club that signed him to his first pro contract way back in April 2019.
The 21-year-old Matkovic penned a long-term deal with Cedevita almost four years ago and spent the last three seasons on loan - 2019-20 with Serbian side OKK Belgrade and the last two with Mega Belgrade.
"It feels great of course," Matkovic said about coming back to Cedevita, where he came up in the youth ranks. "When you start there as a kid, let’s say, you want to get to that big stage as soon as possible. And over the course of these three years I had with OKK Belgrade and Mega, it really paid off nicely.
"I moved on loan to develop myself as a player. I went to Belgrade to improve and after some time to be ready for the bigger stage and the next step in my career. And I think that was a great step for me to take."