Obradovic, thrilled to be in Belgrade again

In a recent wide-ranging interview with DAZN, the broadcasting partner of Euroleague Basketball in Spain, coaching great Zeljko Obradovic explained why he is so thrilled to be back where he started his career, with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

"Serbia is a country where there's a lot of passion for basketball," Obradovic tells the DAZN interviewer, Piti Hurtado. "I'm very proud how our fans have been this year and last year. The arena is always full; it's a tremendous help. In 32 years as a coach and 15 as a player before that, I haven't seen anything like this year in Partizan."

His own passion for European basketball, in which he is the undisputed heavyweight champion with nine continental crowns, is among the reasons that Obradovic says he has not pursued a coaching position in the NBA.

"One time, my manager called me because one NBA team wanted to have an interview with me. And I said, 'Look, interviews I give to journalists. If someone doesn't know who I am and what I can do, this isn't serious.' I said it like that. Maybe I made a mistake. Maybe. But I am who I am, and I am very, very happy in Europe," Obradovic says. "And after returning to Partizan and Belgrade after all my adventures in Europe, living practically 27 years out of Belgrade and Serbia, I don't think I can ask for more in life."

Obradovic also explained that the greatest decision of his life was to stay at Partizan after his first year as a coach ended with the team winning the EuroLeague, so that he could continue learning from the late, great Aca Nikolic, who was at his side that season for his transition to the bench. Obradovic had previously played for Nikolic and even studied under him at university to learn from the master.

"He was my professor. He taught me everything," Obradovic said. "I was a point guard but a scoring point guard. After talking with him I understood the game more and became a real point guard. We always had a special relationship... I didn't want to leave [Partizan] because I wanted to work with him one more year."

Many of Obradovic's own players have gone on to become successful head coaches, with names like Pablo Laso and Sarunas Jasikevicius, not to mention his former assistant Dimitris Itoudis.

"I spoke to someone who counted that more than 100 players I coached became coaches themselves," he said. "More than 100, at different levels."

One thing remains the same along his 32-year-career, Obradovic said: talent by itself is not enough.

"Talent is nothing if you don't work. It's only useful if you understand you have to work and improve. That's your opportunity," he said.

"Alongside the players, there are a lot of people: many friends, family, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, fans, media. And everyone, when they make an important shot, says 'Man, what a talent. They need to play more.' But it's not like that. To reach a certain level, you have to work a lot, very hard, and know it's not easy."