Vildoza and head coach Dusko Ivanovic have reunited at Virtus Bologna.
Luca Vildoza: "Dusko made me play my best basketball"
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They say the third time’s a charm, and that’s exactly what Luca Vildoza is hoping for with his move to Virtus Bologna. It’s another opportunity to work with Coach Dusko Ivanovic, following previous player-coach stints at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade.
Ivanovic has always found a way to bring out the best in Vildoza, so their reunion feels natural. This time, however, there’s a twist: working with Ivanovic was one of the main reasons Vildoza chose to join Virtus. When asked, he was clear about it.
"This time, it was my decision to meet him again. I think the first two times I worked with him, he came after a coach cut," Vildoza told EuroLeague.net during Virtus's media day. "He's really important in my career. Dusko made me play my best basketball, so that's why I decided to come here."
Baskonia was Vildoza’s first European club. Fellow Argentine Pablo Prigioni - a two-time All-EuroLeague Second Team guard under Ivanovic at Baskonia - brought him over from Argentina to be the team’s floor general. Before Ivanovic returned in December 2019, Baskonia had hired Pedro Martinez and Velimir Perasovic.
That season ended in style for Baskonia, with Vildoza catching a brilliant pass from Achille Polonara to score a backdoor layup that clinched the 2020 Spanish League championship against FC Barcelona.
"Dusko helped me to get 100% physically and that's what made me play my best basketball. We won the [Spanish] League in 2020, so I owe it to him," he said.
Vildoza is one of many Argentinians who elevated their game under Ivanovic. Prigioni, Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni all earned their first All-EuroLeague honors while playing for him at Baskonia. With Ivanovic as head coach, Baskonia reached the 2005 EuroLeague Championship Game with three Argentine players: Scola, Prigioni, and Roberto Gabini. Scola and Fabricio Oberto were also part of the team that made the 2001 EuroLeague finals.
Vildoza doesn’t see this as a coincidence and points to a current EuroLeague star as an example.
"[Ivanovic] really likes the character and personality of Argentinians. In Crvena Zvezda we also had Facu [Campazzo] and I think he really liked the way Facu plays and his personality on the court. He knows that Facu is a killer on the court. Mentally, he's always at 100%, fighting for every position," Vildoza said.
"With me, I feel that we have a good connection on the court. I feel good playing for him."
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Naturally, Vildoza has spoken often about Ivanovic with members of Argentina’s Golden Generation who also played under him. As basketball has evolved over the past 25 years, Ivanovic has adapted his coaching style to remain relevant and influential in Europe’s top club competition.
"The number of games is not the same, so you can't train the way you used to. There are things that maybe he wants to do today, but we can't because we have games in two days. So it's a bit difficult," Vildoza said.
"I know that despite being a very hard coach in terms of practice, he is also intelligent. And he knows when to push a player and when not. So I think that he also had to adapt to the current league."
When asked about Ivanovic’s greatest strengths, Vildoza echoed what many experts believe. Ivanovic demands intensity and focus from his players, especially on defense. His defensive philosophy has made him one of Europe’s top coaches and influenced the way other teams approach physicality.
"I think his defense allowed him to keep being successful all these years. Defensively, he has some rules that bother the other teams. And then offensively, he always finds a way for the team to work," Vildoza explained.
"Dusko always makes some of his players take a step forward, he always makes some of them work a little more. And that's what I highlight about his process as a coach."
Under Ivanovic’s leadership, Vildoza earned EuroLeague MVP honors in December 2022, averaging a PIR of 17.7 and 15.8 points per game. He shot 63.0% on two-pointers, 42.9% from three, and 94.1% from the free-throw line, while also contributing 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Ivanovic had joined Crvena Zvezda just two weeks earlier, on November 14, 2022.
Vildoza, meanwhile, went on to play for Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, winning the EuroLeague title in 2024, and Olympiacos Piraeus before joining Virtus.
From title-winning moments to standout individual performances, Vildoza has consistently thrived under Ivanovic. As the 2025–26 EuroLeague season begins, keep an eye on this player-coach duo. Virtus Bologna opens the season at home against Real Madrid on September 30.