Star forward Mario Hezonja had a stellar 2021-22 season at UNICS Kazan and during the summer of that year joined Real Madrid, the winningest team ever in European basketball. In his first season with Los Blancos, Hezonja has staked out a solid role among a star-studded roster and feels right at home.
"When I look at my teammates, they also have this hunger for winning," Hezonja says. "That's very important for me."
When building the team for the new season, Real head coach Chus Mateo tried to bring a couple of new names to the core of a team that has been playing together for several years now, in order to keep injecting new life into a roster that has one of the highest average ages in the league. So far, the bench boss is pleased with the results.
"I think he's a great, young player," Mateo says. "We expect him to contribute all his virtues to help this team grow."
Hezonja is one of 13 players in the modern era to have switched sides in the archrivalry between Real and FC Barcelona. He started his career as a youngster in the Catalan team and after returning from the NBA to play for Panathinaikos Athens and then UNICS, he landed in the Spanish capital.
"It's an honor to be part of the best team in history in Europe," Hezonja says. "It shapes your mindset. You just want more. You don't want to stop."
In the prime of his career at age 28, Hezonja is ready for the challenge of becoming one of the cornerstones that will take Real Madrid into the future.