Jordan national team captain Ahmet Duverioglu spoke with Basketball Sphere about the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
This will be Jordan’s third appearance at Mundobasket. They previously participated in 2010 and 2019. For Ahmet Duverioglu, it will be his second time at the tournament.
In addition to the World Cup, Duverioglu spoke with Basketball Sphere about his nation and cultural heritage, former coaches Dusan Alimpijevic and Zeljko Obradovic, career break, naturalized American players and much more.
“We are becoming one of the best national teams in Asia”
Jordan advanced to the FIBA World Cup 2023 through the qualifiers. They achieved eight wins with four defeats, while Ahmet Duverioglu recorded eight appearances. Along with them, New Zealand and Lebanon made it to the Mundobasket from the same group.
“It’s not easy to play (for Jordan) because most of our players don’t play together during the season. I joined the team recently and it is not easy to adapt. However, I think we bonded better after two or three years of competing in the same roster.
We adapt to each other faster. We know we are not the best team in Asia at this moment, but we can be the best when everyone knows their role in the team and we are slowly becoming one of the best teams in Asia.“
Experience as a decisive factor
As we have already said, Jordan is coming to the FIBA World Cup 2023 for the third time in history. They made their debut in 2010 in Turkey, only to skip the next competition, and now they have made two appearances in a row.
In China four years ago, Ahmet Duverioglu was an important part of the team. He tried to explain what the main difference between then and now is.
“I think we are much more prepared and a better team than last time. That roster was practically just assembled and we didn’t have the same chemistry as we do now. Also, experience was not on our side. The main players in the national team who are playing now were newcomers, including me. I was 26 years old, but again without such experience.
I think that this roster is currently in good shape and will be ready to meet all challenges. Especially now that we have already felt what it means to play in the World Cup. We will be more prepared, we know each other better and we come to Mundobasket with some experience.“
Demanding opponents in the group stage
Jordan is in an extremely difficult group where their rivals for advancing to the next stage will be the United States, Greece and New Zealand. Although on paper the main favorites are the USA and Greece, it is clear that Ahmet Duverioglu and his team are not coming to the Philippines with a white flag.
“It will be a very difficult group, that’s true. They are the best teams in the world, but we always say that anything is possible. We want to play our best basketball. In Jordan, basketball is not a sport number one. That’s why we want to show that with small things like small budgets and a modest team, we can do something important.
We have a focus on a few games such as the one against New Zealand. However, the first game is against Greece and the main goal here is to play the best basketball, to gain respect from every opponent. Whoever is on the other side of the floor, we will show how much heart we have. Jordan will fight until the end… Regardless of whether we win or lose games. This is a team sport and we want to compete with everyone.“
Change of American player in the roster
Although Dar Tucker was the main player of this team in the qualifiers, he is not coming to the FIBA World Cup 2023 due to personal reasons. Jordan Basketball Federation has found a replacement, and the second naturalized American will be a player with huge NBA experience, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
“Dar Tucker is the reason why we are at the World Cup. He became like our brother during his time with the national team. He is a great teammate and is always ready to leave his heart on the floor for Jordan. Tucker had some problems to join the team and we are sorry for this chance, because he also deserves it. The federation wanted to give him that chance because he deserves it. However, due to family problems, he could not join the team and wished us the best of luck.
When it comes to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, what matters most is his good character. He is quite a modest guy, although he has a great career. Hollis-Jefferson played in the best league in the world for several years. Then he has experience from Turkey, where he was also excellent, and in Puerto Rico he led his team to the title with the MVP award. I was surprised when he got our papers.”
“Glue guy” Sami Bzai as an important factor
Sami Bzai missed only one game during the qualifiers. He was a significant factor in the team’s road to the FIBA World Cup 2023. In addition to filling all the statistical columns, he can be characterized as the “glue guy” of Jordan and an adored teammate.
“Sami is by far the best defender in our team. He also helps the team in offense, but he adapted to everything extremely quickly. He is getting better and better every game. He is a masterpiece of our team and can fit into any role on the floor. The most important thing is that Bzi is a great person.
Freddy Ibrahim and I talked about how he is really a man of the task. He is quiet, doesn’t talk much, but he gives incredible support to the team and always makes good decisions in crucial moments. You can’t see that in stats. He can hit the key shots, play his teammates and play a top game every time. Sami is one of our most important players and I think he will improve the most.”
The trophy was won in the Prince and Princess of Jordan presence
During the preparatory period, Ahmet Duverioglu and Jordan won the tournament on their home court. The King Abdullah II Cup was held for the 11th time, and home team lifted the trophy in competition with Portugal, Angola and Mexico.
The entire tournament was further enhanced by Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa, who attended the final match from the front rows.
“We saw the royal family, the young prince was there and that is a great support for us. This means the attention of the media from Jordan because the representatives of the royal family were at the game. The atmosphere was great and a lot of people watched that tournament. We’re getting a lot of support in all the cities and that’s a really great thing.
We thank the Federation of Jordan for that, because they managed to popularize basketball. People liked it and showed support and a certain kind of emotion. This is in favor of the national team, but also of all the clubs in Jordan. Low budgets and low attendance at domestic league games are definitely something we have to work on. In order for all this to survive and for Jordan to make an additional step forward, we need the support of the audience.”
“Dusan Alimpijevic is a great coach”
Ahmet Duverioglu spent the previous season in Bursaspor. He was coached there by Serbian head coach Dusan Alimpijevic, but after a great tragedy and an earthquake in which several innocent people lost their lives, the Jordan captain decided to pause his career.
“The earthquake is one of the reasons why I stopped playing at that moment. Coach Alimpijevic and I talked a lot. I wanted to improve my game, and although I received offers from Fenerbahce, I decided to sign cooperation with him. We talked and I decided to play for Bursaspor, but as you know some things are unpredictable. That earthquake changed some things in my career.
After that, I no longer had any emotion towards basketball. Dusan Alimpijevic is a great coach. We talked about it and we didn’t have any problems. He supported my decision. He is a great basketball expert, reads the game brilliantly and makes decisions during the game itself. He did huge things with a fairly modest budget.”
“Zeljko Obradovic had the greatest influence on my career”
Ahmet Duverioglu and Zeljko Obradovic worked together for many years in Istanbul. They won the EuroLeague together, and Jordan’s captain played one of the most important roles in that generation.
Fenerbahce as a link that will serve as a big lesson. One of Jordan’s best players admits that he made mistakes in certain moments, but only later did he realize the sincere intentions of coach Obradovic, about whom he has nothing but words of praise.
“Zeljko Obradovic had the greatest influence on my career. He changed all those habits about the way I think about basketball. He also took a lot of care about things beyond the court and all that in a fantastic way. That is why he is a basketball genius. I see all these things only now when I talk in the national team.
The way I talk to my teammates, how I practice and how much my views on the game have changed… I was with him for five years and at the beginning I didn’t understand what he was like, but now I understand his intentions and above all his approach. I understand why he approached us like that. This gave me an understanding and experience that I want to somehow pass on to my younger teammates.”
The role of a mentor
“Of course, they (young players) observe all these elements of the basketball game, but also behavior. You often have to show them some things. I talk to them a lot, but it’s different when I show them on the court or off it. When they see the way I approach the game, they will do the same. If you just talk, it doesn’t have much effect.
You have to show them by example and they will certainly adopt it sooner. As when you work with children, it is the same with young players. Sometimes you have to be strict, sometimes a little more lenient. Just like Zeljko Obradovic was towards me. He did it with only one intention, with the desire to progress and become a better player, but also a person.” – Ahmet Duverioglu, who is called Ahmad Al Dwairi in Jordan, concluded at the end of the conversation with Basketball Sphere.